WWE President Nick Khan made several noteworthy comments on The Bill Simmons Podcast, touching on WWE’s internal mindset, its relationship to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and the company’s outlook for growth in the pro wrestling space.
Despite WWE being the clear market leader for decades, Khan claimed the company embraces an “underdog” spirit:
“We’re always the underdog at WWE. We always feel that people underestimate us, that we are looked down upon, and we like it that way. Like, bet against us. We prefer that, and allow us to show you what we can do.”
He backed this up by pointing to the company’s recent financial achievements, especially under the TKO Group Holdings umbrella:
“If you look at the stock price now, it’s far in excess of what it was when we all started together five years ago, and we’re quite proud of that. At the same time, we got to keep re-earning our keep on a daily basis here.”
Regarding WWE’s closest competitor AEW, Khan struck a respectful but confident tone. He praised AEW’s roster:
“They have a lot of talented wrestlers, and we’re happy about that.”
But he also hinted that WWE is keeping a close eye on AEW talent whose contracts may soon expire:
“When contractually they’re available to be talked to and have conversations with, assume a number of them will come over.”
Khan wrapped up his AEW comments with diplomacy and a nod to AEW’s ownership:
“Nothing but respect for the father who finances it, and owns the Jaguars, and all those other things.”
This continues WWE’s strategy of presenting itself as both a global juggernaut and a hungry innovator—while leaving the door open for talent migrations as the wrestling landscape continues to evolve.
