AEW President Tony Khan said that his focus is to present talent as their authentic selves.
Ahead of All Out in Toronto on Saturday, Khan fielded questions during a media call on Thursday (available on YouTube via Fightful).
During which, he was asked about his "politically left-leaning" talent, namely Brody King and "Hangman" Adam Page, with the former wearing an "Abolish ICE" t-shirt during Grand Slam Mexico and Page presented as an "authentic working class hero." Specifically, whether he leaned alongside them as opposed to WWE and its ties to the Trump Administration.
"I thinkit's really important to note that the wrestlers in AEW are represented very much so as their authentic selves," Khan replied. "In the case of Brody King and Hangman Page, that's who those guys are, them being themselves. I respect Hangman Page. I respect Brody King. AEW is a wrestling organization and we present wrestling, and I want wrestling fans from all over the world of all different perspectives."
Khan continued to say he believes that's one of the great things about wrestling, in that it brings people from all walks of life together. He recalled when he was 13 and had managed to convince his father, Shahid Khan, to take him to wrestling in Philadelphia, it introduced them to those with different backgrounds to their own who they otherwise wouldn't have come across.
"One of the things I really believe that's great about AEW is the wrestlers presenting their authentic perspective that's true to them, but also the wrestling company being a place where all the fans and come and watch the wrestling, and that's the focus of the show... The wrestlers, they are themselves and that's part of what makes the show great. Whether everyone agrees with everything every wrestler says or not is not the point of the show to me. It's that it's a great wrestling show."
