As previously noted, former AEW star Big Swole addressed her departure from the company and brought up a lack of diversity. AEW President Tony Khan responded by writing the following on Twitter:
“The top 2 @AEW execs are brown (me & Megha)!! Jade, Bowens, Caster, Dante, Nyla, Isiah & Marq Quen all won on tv this month. The TBS Title Tournament has been very diverse. I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough. #AEWRampage Street Fight TONIGHT!”
During an appearance on Renee Paquette’s podcast, former WWE writer Kazeem Famuyide commented on the matter:
“I saw what Tony Khan said about Big Swole this past week. And I think there’s a big disconnect with a lot of wrestling fans because they don’t understand why what he said is so damaging. There are already so many things that black women are fighting against when they’re trying to get into this business. And when you have somebody like him who is so powerful and who has done great things for professional wrestling. I’m so glad AEW exists, I’m so glad there’s an alternative. But I think his biggest faux paux right there was you’re doing more damage by speaking on that than just doing the work. If he would’ve just not responded, and it’s not even like what Swole said was anything too nefarious. She was just being honest and speaking from her soul. Now, I think unknowingly, he’s put this weird spotlight on him where even if that’s not how you think black wrestlers are spotlighted, the people who do think that are attacking this woman every single day. She’s somebody that goes hard for everyone. She’s not just someone who’s just ‘I’m AEW, rah rah rah’, she’s for everybody. So now there are certain people that make it seem like ‘oh, well Swole’s leaving because she didn’t get this push or that push.’ Nah, it’s never been like that.”
“I do give him credit because he is taking strides. He’s young, he’s going to make mistakes and I’m not going to hold anyone’s feet to the fire for making a mistake. But he’s got to know better that somebody that powerful is going to do more harm than good when he’s answering that instead of just being about his actions and just doing the work and knowing nobody is asking to put the World Championship on a black performer right then and there. We just want competent storytelling, we just want black performers in places where they can truly shine. We just want to be entertained the way you want to be entertained. But as I said, it all starts with the people that are making the decisions. Whether it’s creative, executive positions, the owners. Once it starts there, it all trickles down from there.”
