Tony Khan Suggests WWE Influence Behind Scrapped Madison Square Garden Plans

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has come a long way since its debut in January 2019. The company quickly made a name for itself as a legitimate competitor to WWE, especially after launching AEW Dynamite on October 2, 2019, on TNT from the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. At that time, WWE’s NXT was also airing on Wednesday nights, highlighting the rivalry between the two promotions.

However, as AEW President Tony Khan recently suggested, the tension between AEW and WWE might have started long before Dynamite even aired its first episode.

Early Dynamite Plans in New York City

On December 20, 2019, AEW taped an episode of Dynamite at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. After the taping, Tony Khan spoke to the live audience about an unexpected chapter in AEW’s early days.

Khan shared that the first episode of AEW Dynamite was originally planned to take place at Madison Square Garden. The legendary venue, he said, had personally confirmed the premiere date. He was excited by the idea, believing it would be a historic moment for the young company.

Deal Canceled Due to External Pressures

Though both sides were initially eager to move forward, Khan explained that the deal eventually fell through. He said that Madison Square Garden representatives later reached out to cancel the agreement. While he didn’t name names, Tony Khan strongly hinted that concerns about upsetting a longstanding wrestling partner were behind the change of heart.

He implied that the venue hesitated because of its connection to WWE, suggesting that WWE might not have been thrilled about AEW debuting there. The fans in the audience voiced their frustration at the idea of corporate influence interfering with AEW’s growth.

Madison Square Garden and the Future

Khan mentioned that the situation left a lasting impression on him. He admitted that it made him question whether he could trust the venue moving forward, explaining that it felt like they built him up only to let him down at the last minute. Although he acknowledged that several years had passed since then, he said the experience changed how he viewed holding AEW events at Madison Square Garden in the future.

Photo Credit: AEW

While AEW Dynamite went on to launch successfully from Washington, D.C., this story sheds light on some of the struggles AEW faced even before it became a weekly TV staple. Tony Khan’s comments offer a rare look behind the scenes at the challenges AEW encountered as it rose to become WWE’s most prominent competitor in the modern pro wrestling scene.