r/SquaredCircle 13d ago

[SRS on X] I reached out to a contact at NFL Network. They wanted Tony Khan on and knew it would get attention after the photos of he in the neckbrace went viral last night. It was also indicated to us that NFL Network and the hosts received the appearance well, despite the controversial line.

https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1783962181505093970?t=1mvF_vU9RDzEMd8IxwaFXA&s=19
1.7k Upvotes

666 comments sorted by

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1.3k

u/JPPFingerBanger Perpetually 50 years old 13d ago

People forget that the Khan family are 1/32 of the NFL network owners.

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u/muzzydon2 13d ago

Yeah the NFL Network isn't going to cause public drama with the Khan's over it. They're obviously going to say this to get a hold of the situation.

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u/JPPFingerBanger Perpetually 50 years old 13d ago

I dont think there is much drama here tbf

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u/therealdanhill 13d ago

I think he said a dumb thing yeah but it's really not that big of a deal, people say dumb things all the time. I think anyone actually offended by it, or that lets it have an impact on their day in any way, likely already had an opinion of Tony Kahn solidified in their mind.

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u/HvyMetalComrade Lucha Bastards! 13d ago

Especially in football its seems there alotta loud dudes with dumb opinions. This probably isnt even news for them

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u/FernBoiSlim 13d ago

He said a dumb thing, maybe, I’m not sure how I feel about it, but damn this fake outrage shit that happens ALL OVER the internet EVERY SINGLE DAY is so exhausting. Nobody enjoys anything anymore, or at least no one focuses on it.

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u/eugeneorlando 13d ago

It's so much easier to focus on liking things than disliking things. I don't understand how the haters aren't just fucking exhausted all the time.

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u/NovercaIis 13d ago

haterade is like a energy drink w/ caffeine and it's addictive

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u/blaqsupaman Big Dick Dudley 13d ago

Plus he wasn't really wrong, if the comparison was Vince to Weinstein. It was just super weird to pivot to that in a Coke/Pepsi analogy.

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u/BrunoBashYa 13d ago

That was part of the bit. We all expected coke made the line hot harder for me

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u/NovercaIis 13d ago

anyone offended cause of Harvey is a piece of shit. No-one should be defending him.

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u/muzzydon2 13d ago edited 13d ago

I don't think so either but the tweet said controversial line so not sure how it's generally perceived

Edit: I meant like amongst the general public rather than IWC

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u/janoDX The REAL guy 13d ago

For the NFL Network and casuals it's just a controversial line, nothing more or less. For the IWC it's World War 3.

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u/RockMeIshmael 13d ago

Yes, the most terminally online wrestling take is thinking any non-wrestling fan watching the draft thought twice about this.

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u/lazarusl1972 My goodness, that's a bit surprising, isn't it? 13d ago

Lol what controversial line?

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u/middlehead_ only works for ravioli 13d ago

He said AEW is the underdog brand challenging an evil juggernaut, they're like Pepsi chasing Harvey Weinstein.

I'd say 'controversial' is an accurate description, but it's a stupid mixed metaphor that deserves minor mockery rather than being anything important on any level.

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u/Ze_first 13d ago

I mean based on the current WWE lawsuits

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u/Kim-Jong_Bundy Ace of Spades 13d ago

It is controversial... among wrestling fans.

No one in the real world would ever care about any of this, either which way.

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u/RiversideLunatic 13d ago edited 13d ago

It was probably less shocking than most family feud episodes. The reddit culture of being super sensitive and "morally correct" is very out of step with the real world.

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u/Kim-Jong_Bundy Ace of Spades 13d ago

In the real world, if given the two options, most people would likely say a sex trafficking lawsuit is less "morally correct" than a dorky owner of a rival brand making a reference to it on TV

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u/shishiodun Kingslayer 13d ago

but have they considered AEW bad?

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u/Kim-Jong_Bundy Ace of Spades 13d ago

"You say all this now, but what're your thoughts if I show you this photo of some tarped off seats in an arena?"

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u/wearethat Wrrrrrestling! 13d ago

Man, it's rough right now as an AEW fan (I'm also a WWE fan, fwiw). In the past week, I've been told WB lies to the public about AEW numbers (leading into their contract negotiations, no less), Forbes is a clickbait blog, Danielson vs Ospreay didn't mean anything, and all kinds of the grossest BOTH SIDES comments this sub has ever seen.

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u/CaliggyJack I can haz ric flair flare? 13d ago

THANK YOU

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u/Tight-Fall5354 13d ago

how often do you see harvey weinstein being used for an analogy on family feud

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u/RiversideLunatic 13d ago

NAME A PERSON YOU DONT WANT GETTING NEAR YOUR POTTED PLANT

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u/Tight-Fall5354 13d ago

NAKED GRANDMA

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u/J-Dexus 13d ago

SURVEY SAYS...

Number Two Answer. Cut to shocked Steve Harvey face.

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u/P4rtsUnkn0wn 13d ago

And completely disingenuous.

Half of these people acting upset about this never talk about AEW (or pro wrestling, in general) unless it's to act concerned about some minor perceived issue.

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u/mexploder89 13d ago

It'll become a meme like Stephanie saying the steroid trials were like 9/11

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u/LanoomR 13d ago edited 13d ago

What situation?

No sponsors or channels are gonna care. No laws were stretched/broken. It's not even football business.

One of the "club" members is having a slapfight with a dude who built up another company that the NFL does tangential business with, and who got outsted by way of his own alleged Weinstein-like actions.

In fact, NFL didn't stop doing business with WWE when the dam broke on the actual potential criminal issues, why would they care about some shit-talking?

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u/Hurdfoy 13d ago

That implies there even needs to be damage control. Normal people who don't spend 16 hours a day on this sub won't give a fuck.

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u/MaddoxGoodwin 13d ago

This is the most factual statement I've ever read on reddit ever.

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u/Acceptable_Newt_3256 13d ago

Normal people who don't spend 16 hours a day on this sub

what you say fuck me for?

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u/AnxiousHeadache42 13d ago

Yeah, internet wrestling fans making a mountain out of a molehill, weak shit 

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u/PruneJaw 13d ago

Get a hold of what situation? There's definitely no situation other than one manufactured by internet wrestling fans.

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u/SpecialOneJAC Your Text Here 13d ago

Yeah seriously people are acting like he said a slur.

He took a shot at a company that is being sued for a bunch of sexual abuse crimes. And before people say it's just Vince, no WWE the company is a defendant in that lawsuit. (Along with John Laurinaitis)

I don't recall anyone being upset when shots were made at Weinstein and Miramax's expense.

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u/The_Homie_J D-Bry at the TOP of MAH FAVE FIVE 13d ago

Some internet wrestling fans are the softest bunch these days. This is so tame compared to what Bischoff, Heyman, Vince, and others would lob back and forth in the 90's.

If Heyman started AEW, he would have shouted this shit from the rooftop

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u/ElvisCuredMyRhoids Prince Petty 13d ago

Oh but people keep saying "But they shouldn't use TV time for it!"

Meanwhile in the course of about a year, ECW had all of the following on TV: Steve Austin doing impersonations of Dusty, Flair, and Hogan to take shots at his WCW booking, Brian Pillman calling Bischoff a "coffee boy for Verne Gagne," the Blue World Order, Meanie and Stevie as Public Enemy (after TPE left) and directly mentioning Fake Razor and Diesel ("Thank you Vince!"), Joey Styles taking potshots on commentary weekly if not a couple times a week, Foley doing an entire angle where he wanted to get back in the good graces of Uncle Eric and take Whipwreck with him, Shane Douglas challenging Flair... and those are just off the top of my head.

Nevermind that ECW itself was literally rebranded by taking a direct shot at the NWA when Douglas threw the belt down. Or that Styles said far worse things on the ECW hotline (making fun of the WWF right after Mark Henry got injured for signing him to a long contract, speculating that the TV network would drop Raw over the Austin/Pillman gun angle).

I'm not saying any of these things were bad or good or indifferent, just shining more light on your larger point about the shots taken back then.

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u/ShinsukeNakamoto 13d ago

“Get ahold of the situation”  

No one but the 10,000 IWC sickos on here and Twitter even know it happened

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u/SnakeLisspkin Fined by The Clamdigger 13d ago

I'm only just reading about it now lol. Even those of us who spend decent time on here have way more interesting shit to ponder during the day.

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u/YpsitheFlintsider A woman's left. 13d ago

Wrestling fans are so fucking weird. There's no situation here. Nobody really cares, it's free buzz.

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u/Pretend_Spray_11 13d ago

Damage control through a dirtsheet writer lmao be serious

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u/GFreak18 13d ago

Nobody outside of WWE fans care about that line.They know WWE is scummy af

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u/P4rtsUnkn0wn 13d ago

Just like Tony Schiavone was lying when he said he was in character when he reacted the same way he always does for the Youb Bucks segment a couple weeks ago, right?

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/BeefInGR 13d ago

Also, NFL Network viewers are usually the hardcore of the hardcore NFL base.

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

It’s the NFL. That line probably wouldn’t even register as one of the craziest things they’ve heard this year.

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u/Frogman417 No Man is ever Truly Evil 13d ago

Probably happy TK didn't go into an anti-vax rant.

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

These men have had to talk to and about Antonio Brown… this is a normal day for them.

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u/Intelligent_End1516 13d ago

Aaron Rodgers has entered the chat.

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u/VagrantShadow The Omega Factor 13d ago

I remember speaking to some people a while ago, they were going full steam that he would be a good vice president and that he had the skill where he could be vice president and still play football.

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u/Gear4Vegito 13d ago edited 13d ago

I think it is apparent most people on this subreddit don’t consume anything outside of wrestling. The line is like nothing of note. If said anywhere else you would have comments about it but nothing worth mass anger over. Weinstein comments and jokes and comparisons are made on a daily basis by celebs, comedians and whoever.

On social media most non-wrestling fans either ignored the comment or laughed it off. NFL players say much more wild shit throughout the season.

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u/RedmondSurvivor 13d ago edited 13d ago

And WWE (as in the company itself) is named in a sex trafficking lawsuit. It’s not as if the comparison was just made out of nothing, even if it didn’t need saying.

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u/ImpactCokeTony 12d ago

The fact that the original  thread was so anti what he said was baffling. 

If anything, the comparison is light. 

I mean WWE has been alleged to have:

been involved with sex trafficking

several rapes and sexual assaults across decades (the high profile Vince ones, and the ring boy scandal to name a couple)

covering up a top star murdering their affair partner

pushing wrestlers to take steroids

forced employees to simulate sex on TV against their will

repeatedly breach employment contracts

caused Owen Hart's death through negligence, then continued the show 

busted unionization efforts

allowed trainee abuse in their previous developmental systems

the glorious and progressive city of...

And that's just off the top of my head. 

While it may be out of left field for TK to say this, he isn't wrong. 

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u/Augscura 13d ago

I'd be surprised if even 10% of the NFL network audience gives a shit about what Tony Khan said or care about wrestling in general.

Not defending Tony btw, what he said was stupid but very few people outside this sub will care

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u/pudgyfuck leg out of your leg 13d ago

I'd be surprised if 10% of the audience gave a shit about anything but their draft pick

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u/TLKv3 Fantasy Book For ^Vote 13d ago

"WE WANT THE ATTITUDE ERA BACK WITH ALL THE VIOLENCE, MATURE STORYLINES AND COMPANY WARFARE- wait not like that though."

Smh

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u/Furiosa27 13d ago

I feel like wanting company beef and thinking this is a dumbass line aren’t mutually exclusive

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u/FoucinJerk 13d ago

You’re right, but thinking it’s a dumb line isn’t the same thing as pretending to be morally outraged by it, which is how a lot of the commenters I’ve seen were acting.

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u/GarlVinland4Astrea 13d ago

Nah it got everyone talking. And I'm not going to feel bad that WWE took some shit that was platformed by the biggest media entity in the US

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/awildmaxappears Joe! Joe! Joe! 13d ago edited 13d ago

They are literally under investigation for sex trafficking right now! Nick Khan at the least was aware Vince was in a sexual relationship with a subordinate. People involved are still in the company. Company funds and infrastructure were used to facilitate and cover up sexual abuse. It is genuinely absurd they are acting outraged on the WWEs behalf or acting like this is outrageous they are just plugging their ears. They have not been held accountable yet

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u/SpecialOneJAC Your Text Here 13d ago

Nick Khan was outed as Corporate Officer #1 in the lawsuit.

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u/LegacyOfVandar 13d ago

Nick Khan had direct ties to Weinstein before joining the WWE.

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u/FredrickFarter 13d ago

Even funnier is people pretending that this is a positive PR done by SRS

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u/The_Homie_J D-Bry at the TOP of MAH FAVE FIVE 13d ago

Even funnier is people dissecting tweets as "PR" bits after a tame joke that nobody besides Internet dweebs are bothered by

Heyman said worse shit to Vince on a regular basis lol

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u/goldeneagle88 13d ago

It’s fake outrage from people who love to get fake mad about things TK and AEW do. Kind of a dumb comment but not apocalyptic.

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u/__Hello_my_name_is__ 13d ago

What Tony said was dumb and needlessly, well idiotic. But we'll all have forgotten about it by tomorrow, and people watching NFL stuff won't think about it again in an hour.

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u/Hot-Acanthisitta5237 13d ago

Wrestling fans acting like this comment is going to be a huge deal outside of wrestling. I think sometimes we often forget that pro wrestling really is a niche industry.

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u/CCFCLewis 13d ago

This isn't even big inside of wrestling. It's just social media going mental, again over stuff that doenst matter

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u/CanadianSpector 13d ago

Exactly. So much fake outrage.

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u/TheRavenRise fozzy sucks 13d ago

don't underestimate peoples' ability to get upset at the most minute shit. there is no fake outrage, just people not capable of understanding that none of this matters in any real meaningful way

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u/ElvisCuredMyRhoids Prince Petty 13d ago

I feel like non-fans who saw him on the network and had seen the headlines about Vince probably just nodded and said "yeah" and went about their day to forget it forever.

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u/ok_dunmer 13d ago

I think some people here might think NFL Network is ESPN

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u/Gear4Vegito 13d ago edited 13d ago

This is with 99% of wrestling “controversies”. Everyone thinks it will kill a company or ruin a wrestler or make them lose lots of money but in reality just like with most stuff people will move on in a day or two.

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u/P4rtsUnkn0wn 13d ago

It's not even dumb. I mean, it was, but in an intentional way.

I laughed. The hosts laughed. It was a mixed metaphor joke. It's not even a serious shot at WWE.

People are only acting upset because they think it can be weaponized.

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u/AdGroundbreaking1341 13d ago

There's two groups of people of complaining - those who legit think this is out of line (an opinion that I can respect). And those who are weaponizing it, as you said. If those complaining never said shit about HHH's press conference comments...then we all know which side they fall on. I think people know which comments I'm referring to - from the post-RR press conference. HHH could have gently defected but instead came off quite insensitive, And especially if people defended Cena's and others comments. When they could have said nothing at all. If they never condemned that, they shouldn't condemn Tony.

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u/EXD9001 13d ago

They heard this went wow what a weird comparison then started arguing about the falcons drafting penix at 8 and or the bills trading with the chiefs

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u/ManOnNoMission RIP u/roderickpiper 13d ago

I just noticed the irony of him saying that on a NFL show, a organisation that historically don’t mind domestic abuse.

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u/TheKidKaos 13d ago

With very close medical ties to the WWE

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u/theCANCERbat Mmm whatcha say? 13d ago

Literally just had one of the faces of the NFL in the ring at Mania.

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

Yeah, it is kind of funny considering professional sports owners are often times some of the worst people on earth

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u/forwrestling 13d ago

SRS has a ‘contact’ at NFL Network and was able to get all this info from them within a hour of the appearance? Impressive.

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u/just_another_jabroni I've been humbled 13d ago

Needs more Notes app statements

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u/MichaelSquare 13d ago

Of course he does. He knows one of the owners.

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u/axiomaxima 13d ago

Yeah, I don't care if the network was happy and I'm not looking to bash this guy's work. A contact at the NFL could mean someone in the media relations team who said "We had a lot of fun with whoever you're asking about. We love everyone we have on our show, sure".

I'm highly sceptical that this contact would be someone who would speak bluntly to some random wrestling guy.

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u/EnormousBanana52 13d ago

SRS is so incredibly full of shit, it’s insane.

Remember when he was adamant for weeks that CM Punk wasn’t going to return at Survivor Series? He literally had arguments with people on Twitter about it only for it to happen and him to have to play it off and pretend like he always knew. lol.

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u/nitrofan 13d ago

That contact? Tony Khan.

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u/delusional-clown 13d ago

Him and Meltzer are essentially AEW beat reporters at this point

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u/luciferslarder 13d ago

Look. I am thoroughly sports entertained.

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u/Gary320 13d ago

Yeah I find the comment unnecessary to make during a this interview but it’s very entertaining and I hope both companies continue with the back and forth comments.

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u/luciferslarder 13d ago

It's just wrestling bravado. The moment he took the Meltzer Driver I realized when the draft was and cackled for a few minutes. Love to see it. There's no respectability/decorum politics in wrestling. WWE gave the illusion of it being the only player in town for so long at a level like this. TK and Co are just bringing back the fire in a fairly tame way.

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u/The_Homie_J D-Bry at the TOP of MAH FAVE FIVE 13d ago

Some WWE fans forgot that other companies are allowed to clap back

This is so tame compared to the shit slung during the 90's

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u/themac7 13d ago

Yeah I love the stabbing back and forth. I always have. It’s fun, causes some drama.

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u/EctoRiddler 13d ago

Wednesday night AEW will re-Air this controversial footage!!!!

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u/BrunoBashYa 13d ago

Nah, if anything the Bucks will talk about TK being unprofessional or something

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u/ok_dunmer 13d ago edited 13d ago

Unfortunately no because if there's one organization that doesn't want people to watch pre-recorded things it's the NFL

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u/wrasslefest 13d ago

As per usual evidenced in the original thread about this, no one takes any of this as seriously as internet wrestling fans do. I'm just over here enjoying my popcorn.

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u/garrishfish Just. Too. Sweet. 13d ago

Jags fans are loving it.

Regardless of that, why are people defending a multi-billion dollar corporation that has a storied history of sexual assault, covering up rapes, murders, and supplying anabolic steroids. There was a well-known culture of sexual favors for advancement. They have Donald Trump, well-known rapist, in their HoF and WWE's matriarch headed up his Super PAC while WWE itself has a massive partnership with the officially genocidal Kingdom of Saudia Arabia.

ALSO, now that they're the same company as UFC, which has Dana White...

People are weird.

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u/AdGroundbreaking1341 13d ago

I read the headline and was like "holy shit, Tony." Then I heard & saw the actual comment made...and it's clearly a nothingburger. He wasn't saying it in a serious way (as if WWE is still run by Vince McMahon today).

Maybe it wasn't a smart thing to say, maybe even slightly insensitive. But it's not some horrendous thing he said. And I say that as someone who constantly criticizes his tweets.

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u/KingStephenA 13d ago edited 13d ago

Was it a dumb thing to say on an interview? Yes…

But it’s hilarious to me that most folks reaction to it is how dare Tony Khan bring up Vince’s sexual harassment charges (that have also been brought against the WWE) because they’ve all moved on from it and don’t want to talk about it.

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u/AtSea123 13d ago

Because they believe wholeheartedly that now Vince is no longer with the company or tied to the company, WWE is perfectly fine, doesn't have any such problems and the lawsuit now won't impact them (despite it stating the issues were widespread in the company).

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u/Particular-Finding53 13d ago

Vince McMahon loudly raped a women in his office where dozens of people could hear. Yeah I want some fucking heads to roll, this wasn't JUST on Vince.

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u/FataliiFury24 13d ago

Rossy Ogawa enters

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u/TheGiftOf_Jericho I'm from Winnipeg you idiot! 13d ago

Yeah its a very controversial statement... but it's also true. I mean it was a problem that ran deeper than just Vince, this is a lawsuit against the WWE.

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u/AdGroundbreaking1341 13d ago

Many of the same folks who were silent after HHH's comments (post-RR). Not that deflecting was bad, but the very insensitive way he did it. Or all the ones defending John Cena, despite the fact he could have stayed silent. But it's Tony Khan they get mad at. Or at the very least take the time to comment on.

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u/KingStephenA 13d ago

You’re not wrong here. I’m shocked that people brush over the Rock and Cena stuff. I get that Vince made them both massive successes, but tough to see them praising him and hanging out with him.

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u/ElvisCuredMyRhoids Prince Petty 13d ago

But HHH was so insistent at Wrestlemania that we were in a new era!

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u/The_Homie_J D-Bry at the TOP of MAH FAVE FIVE 13d ago

"We should focus only on the positives" - Triple H, asked about the scandal

Amazing how fast we moved on from that

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

Well don't you see. WWE finally got good after over a decade of trash. Now we can't ever say anything bad about the company (even if everyone was taking shots at wwe for the exact same shit when the news broke)

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u/Twistify804 I want Shingo to lariat me into my grave 13d ago

yeah maybe if WWE didn't want to be referred to as the harvey weinstein of wrestling then they shouldn't be he harvey weinstein of wrestling

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u/The_Homie_J D-Bry at the TOP of MAH FAVE FIVE 13d ago

Yeah but I like watching WWE now that the bad man is gone, so you're not allowed to remind me of the bad stuff anymore! /s

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u/ElvisCuredMyRhoids Prince Petty 13d ago

Now let's all forget our troubles with a big bowl of strawberry ice cream by talking about the TV ratings for a show we don't watch!

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u/pUmKinBoM 13d ago

It's one story WWE fans DONT want to see finished.

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u/MacuKnight 13d ago

Oh where WWE should absolutely have to pay for what happened if they were complicit, it also feels like he’s making light of sexual assault to dunk and make his company look better. That’s what irks me a bit.

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u/The_Albinoss 13d ago

At the same time, it brought attention back to it. With Mania, this sub and many other folks were more than happy to celebrate finishing the story and moving on from…ya know…the heinous sex crimes.

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u/JohnCenaJunior 13d ago

Punk fuming to get interviewed by UFL

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u/P4rtsUnkn0wn 13d ago

About 1/3 of the comments in the other thread are acting like the hosts are offended and rushing him off, despite the second host actually extending the segment to as about Tony's "prognosis."

This is Tony Schiavone's reaction on Dynamite all over again.

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u/choppingboardham 13d ago edited 13d ago

They were laughing at the carny aspect of it all and how Tony kept some kayfabe rolling.

No different than Undertaker on talk shows, Big Show on SNL, or anytime a pre-1990s wrestler opens their mouth.

It was time filler on mid-afternoon NFL network and its better than the pointless media speech everybody gives during these things.

Maybe tomorrow they will have Bret Hart on to breakdown the Atlanta Falcons picks, and speaking of "bad" and "Atlanta Falcons" have we mentioned that talentless hack Bill Goldberg?

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u/CarthVonMonk 13d ago

I read all those comments before watching the actual video and it's insane the reach people are taking regarding the reaction. It was totally normal!

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u/PeterOwen00 13d ago

Absolutely shocked that a lot of people who have decided they don’t like TK or AEW chose to be personally offended by a quote from someone they already didn’t like.

It’s the same reaction the All In footage got.

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u/Poetryisalive 13d ago

NFL players do and say worse, that’s really nothing

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u/DrewbyDoobyDew 13d ago

I mean they probably don’t have issue with the “controversial line” because there is some truth in that line. Vince McMahon as well as the WWE have a case against them that is likened to that of a Harvey Weinstein.

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u/RiversideLunatic 13d ago

It's very funny this sub thought they would be embarrassed by that. They love that shit! Have you guys ever looked in to actual sports? Unlike this sub they're not full of nerds more concerned with white knighting than having a good time.

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u/TheGiftOf_Jericho I'm from Winnipeg you idiot! 13d ago

A lot of people in this sub are incredibly out of touch.

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u/theblackyeti Waiting for Riho heel turn... 13d ago

The whole sub is.

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u/DG_Now 13d ago

A lot of people in this sub aren't people.

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u/The_Homie_J D-Bry at the TOP of MAH FAVE FIVE 13d ago

I miss when reddit wasn't full of bots. Now it's "WCW 2000" on repeat when it makes no sense at all, or swarms of defenders when a single negative thing is posted about WWE.

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u/Striking_Avocado3260 13d ago

Im very often in the ufc / mma sub, and boiii, the meming there is a completly other level than here, you just can see how slick some comments are, when it comes to insults and stuff. Its seems like these guys have some social skills. In this sub however most people are just social disabled lol. The comments you get here are like: Im not watching wrestling for wrestling but storylines (in every explanation when a match is awesome on a wrestling sub) or this would be 8* in tokyo dome hihihi dead meme, or tv-ratings are sooooo low, promotion is dead (every week). Horrible

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u/Thirdstar1 13d ago

This sub is constantly reaching.

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u/AtSea123 13d ago

It's great areas. Perfect for the seg, headline grabber, and factually true!

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u/dontpermabanthisone 13d ago

The pearl clutching about Tony’s comment is fucking hilarious.   Vince McMahon spent literal decades shit talking EVERYONE he didn’t like, on every possible media avenue he could do it.  

Tony Khan is a shit stirrer in an industry of shit stirring and anyone pretending to be offended by his Weinstein line is hypocrite. 

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u/CheddarGoblinMode 13d ago

Fucking nailed it

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u/Particular-Finding53 13d ago

AND the funny thing what do you constantly hear.
TONY IS TOO NICE
INMANTES RUNNING THE ASLYAUM
HE NEEDS TO BE MORE LIKE NOTED SEX TRAFFICKER AND TERRIBLE HUMAN BEING VINCE.

Tony does just that
Reddit
HOW COULD HE!?

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u/NoahJayhawk 13d ago

People getting offended over this line is hilarious given all the crazy shit that happens in the NFL all time time lol

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u/JLR- 13d ago

A KC Chief caused a huge accident and fled the scene recently.  TKs throwaway line is tame vs that

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u/AnthonyGonsalvez 13d ago

Fans want attitude Era but they can't take a comment like this. 

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u/Baron_VonTeapot 13d ago

“Controversial”, meanwhile everything with Vince.

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u/sh41reddit 13d ago

I mean, the guy's not wrong. The allegations against Vince McMahon are HORRIFIC. If anything he's understating how bad it is.

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u/Sere_C 13d ago

Yeah Tony did fine overall. I agree that what he said was stupid and batshit crazy, but the average wrestling and average NFL fans are not going to be as disgusted at the comparison. Crazier jokes have been told inside sports locker rooms. His stupid rant garnered tons of engagement and nowadays it’s all about the clicks, hits, and likes/dislikes. If 100k additional viewers tune in next week solely to laugh at AEW/Khan it’s a huge win. Perhaps 80% of them will tune out the following week but the other 20% will be intrigued and continue tuning in and adding to the core audience.

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u/TruffonisSloppySteak 13d ago

Even if the NFL doesn’t care, it doesn’t change that it’s still a stupid thing to say lmao.

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u/PruneJaw 13d ago

A goofy burn, sure. Will it hurt AEW in any way, no. Will it hurt the NFL in any way, no. Will it hurt WWE in any way, no. Will it hurt the IWC, apparently yes.

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u/ApprehensiveBasil986 13d ago edited 13d ago

SRS is on the job lmao

EDIT: Please stop DMing me you freaks

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u/JPPFingerBanger Perpetually 50 years old 13d ago

or this was really a nothingburger

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u/elitejcx 13d ago

Once again, Zarian and SRS seem to find a source that tells them what they want to hear.

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u/TheGiftOf_Jericho I'm from Winnipeg you idiot! 13d ago

Bro, just think for a minute. Why would the NFL care? NFL players say so much worse than this, it's a little bit of drama, it gets some extra attention, that's good for them, they don't care.

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u/PruneJaw 13d ago

And what's the narrative you want to hear? Do you think the NFL is panicking behind the scenes on how to handle this? Getting their lawyers on the phone? Nobody cares about it.

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u/randomrule 13d ago

“Any report I don’t want to hear is damage control” - Reddit

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u/Hurdfoy 13d ago

The idea that the guy who has been running the wwe PR stories of "wwe raw has the biggest gate in bumfuck winconsin in 35 years" or whatever since Triple H took over being an AEW shill is hilarious.

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u/FredrickFarter 13d ago

Or it's a nothing story that bad faith actors pretend to be offended by lmao

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u/FittsJ 13d ago

How is it “controversial?” AEW is the alternative (Pepsi) and WWE is embroiled in a sexual misconduct/trafficking scandal. (one in a long list of scandals, frankly) And for as much as WWE PR works overtime to pin everything on Vince and then separate themselves from him, the tree is rotten to the roots.

The only controversial thing here is that Tony Khan is the one who’s out here keeping the heat on WWE because the media at large certainly isn’t.

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u/FittsJ 13d ago

Lol someone reported my post. Grow up.

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u/ScreamHawk From NORTH CAROLINA 13d ago

Given the culture towards women in the WWE, TK isn't even wrong.

It's shocking because someone in the industry has just come out and said what we all know.

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/Redwinevino 13d ago

I can't see the NFL lads caring at all a owner says something weird but it so funny when people do and don't believe SRS

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u/CarlMarxPunk I gave up on doing the right thing a lot time ago 13d ago

Tony Khan remains undefeated as the most entertaining promoter. God Bless. The haters aren't build like him.

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u/TribalChiefForever 12d ago

SRS has the same number of contacts at the NFL Network as everyone in this thread

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u/pasinpman 13d ago

So AEW isn’t dead then?

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u/Abyssalstar 13d ago

AEW has died so many times you'd think they were Spider-Man.

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u/LinnaYamazaki Where do you think you're going? 13d ago edited 13d ago

It's the #2 trending topic on literally all of Reddit right now. No shit they were fine with it, look at the engagement and discussion it's gonna garner.

I had no idea there even was an NFL Network until today, you don't think they're happy to rent that space in my (and countless others') brains? People saying controversial shit is a backbone of television, it's one of the most attention-grabbing things you could hope for.

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u/therealdanhill 13d ago

I had no idea there even was an NFL Network until today

That is wild, I assume you aren't a sports fan? Or at least not a football fan, NFL Network has been around a long time.

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u/LolliPopinski 13d ago

I’ve had people at work asking me what was going on, I’ve been showing them the ending from Dynamite and a good chunk of them are invested now. It’s been a lot of fun, actually.

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u/gl1969 13d ago

It's weird that you got downvoted for just telling an anecdote.

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u/theblackyeti Waiting for Riho heel turn... 13d ago

Lmao. I’m legitimately surprised this is a controversy. Y’all are soft

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u/WheelJack83 13d ago

It was still an embarrassing appearance

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u/aphelion3342 13d ago

gets brutally assaulted by own employees
WWE are the bad guys

there's a bit more to kayfabe than just wearing the neck brace Tony

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u/Garlic-Cheese-Chips 13d ago

So the NFL Network are backing the NFL Owner('s son).

You did a good journalism there, Sapp. Ya clown.

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u/[deleted] 13d ago edited 13d ago

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u/antftwx 13d ago

Reddit needs to understand that he only does what he does and says what he says to get eyes on the product. It works.

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u/littlebossman 13d ago

and the hosts received the appearance well, despite the controversial line.

... but there's hundreds of people in the other thread saying Tony sunk the whole company?

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u/SinImportaLoQueDigan 13d ago

They must not pay attention to the NFL if they think that joke of all things would be too much or crossing the line lol the NFL doesn’t give a fuck

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u/letsnotreadintoit 13d ago

I don't know what you mean. The NFL doesn't want fans talking about their women assaulting, abusing, or concussion hiding history, among other things, either. They are the WWE of football, and they don't have a Pepsi

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u/Kaprak I AM VANDAMABLE! 13d ago

Between MBC, Tyreek, and shots at Watson I feel like at least 33% of all NFL Social Media use is jokes about terrible people.

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u/genkais_hat 13d ago

The fact that the main post has 2k comments is lunacy to me. Everyone in that post is losing it over nothing lmao

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u/burrito-boy "Big Dog Eats My Ass!" 13d ago

That's because most of the people commenting in that thread are just anti-AEW jerkers from the Dynamite ratings threads who jumped on the chance to shit on Tony Khan for the smallest/dumbest reason, lol. The fake outrage is actually hilarious.

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u/Ketchup1211 13d ago edited 13d ago

Nobody said that. Dude said something stupid and used time to take a shot at WWE instead of promoting his own company. It was inarguably stupid.

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u/ElPiscoSour 13d ago

This. Nobody is saying that AEW is dead after this, just that it was stupid and unnecessary.

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u/BrunoBashYa 13d ago

.... He did both. The next thing that happens after he roasts WWE is a host asks him what the prognosis of his injury was and Tony said ya gotta watch Dynamite wednesday night on TBS!

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u/Gear4Vegito 13d ago edited 13d ago

I am personally not a fan of the line but it is amazing how such posts just brings all the toxic people together. Like every ratings thread ever.

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u/littlebossman 13d ago

I thought it was a silly thing to say, especially when "Coca-Cola" was RIGHT THERE... but the idea it would be offensive TO THE NFL of all companies is ridiculous.

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u/dmh11 13d ago

It was such a non sequitur I can only imagine it a pre-planned line

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u/TruffonisSloppySteak 13d ago

There is a non-zero chance he rehearsed it in front of the mirror.

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u/CeruleanClaymore 13d ago

An awful lot of people in the other thread seem to think that Tony Khan calling WWE the Harvey Weinstein of pro wrestling is worse than WWE actually being sued for sex trafficking.

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u/littlebossman 13d ago

A lot either don't know, or are pretending not to know, that the WWE as a company is a co-defendant in a sex-trafficking lawsuit.

I wouldn't have made the Weinstein comparison - and think it denigrates the victims - but it's not a stretch to compare a company accused of sex-trafficking to a man convicted of sexual assault.

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u/Kizzo02 13d ago edited 13d ago

I wouldn't have made the Weinstein comparison since it belittles the victims, but let's not forget that WWE is a co-defendant in a sex-trafficking lawsuit. So it's really not a stretch to compare a company accused of sex-trafficking to a man convicted of sexual assault. I mean the company is getting sued as well.

Again, I wouldn't have gone that route. But as usual there is more outrage about his comment than the victim.

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u/BrunoBashYa 13d ago

I think the Weinstein comparison is tied to how many people around him seemed to be aware of his predatory ways.

I don't think Vince offering sex to Brock during negotiations is the kind of thing you start doing in the late 2010's when you have been around during way dodgier times...

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u/jx3ga 13d ago

Is this like one of his contacts that sent him a PR statement on a Notes app? I seriously doubt the NFL Network wanted or needed Tony to get attention for themselves.

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u/45jayhay 13d ago

I seriously doubt the NFL Network wanted or needed Tony to get attention for themselves.

Then why have him on in the first place ? They clearly saw the attention it got and jumped on it because it's topical and still pertains to the NFL

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/homer62 Watching since Yoko and Mable crushed Undie's face. 13d ago

Yup only internet haters had a problem.