Tony Khan

As the sporting director, we didn't win the playoff. And I thought we were the better team, and I was frustrated. But I always thought we would go up the next year. We did go up the next year. And this was in May of 2017. I remember feeling terrible and thinking that it was such a disappointment. And it was so much pressure to go up the next year now. And we wouldn't really be able to...

As the sporting director, we didn't win the playoff. And I thought we were the better team, and I was frustrated. But I always thought we would go up the next year. We did go up the next year. And this was in May of 2017. I remember feeling terrible and thinking that it was such a disappointment. And it was so much pressure to go up the next year now. And we wouldn't really be able to...

play games for a few months, and we're going to have to sit and wait for a few months to start building up again to get back to the same point we were. It was going to take a full year, and it was going to be another year in the championship, and that was really hard. And I... felt really terrible that night and really sick. And that was really hard.

play games for a few months, and we're going to have to sit and wait for a few months to start building up again to get back to the same point we were. It was going to take a full year, and it was going to be another year in the championship, and that was really hard. And I... felt really terrible that night and really sick. And that was really hard.

But other than that, I mean, I still felt like we would do it. I just knew it was going to take another year. And I think that's the way I felt when we've had some of the setbacks. Sometimes when you have a setback, reset your clock. Well, it's going to take a year now to build back to where we just were.

But other than that, I mean, I still felt like we would do it. I just knew it was going to take another year. And I think that's the way I felt when we've had some of the setbacks. Sometimes when you have a setback, reset your clock. Well, it's going to take a year now to build back to where we just were.

And thankfully, what we've been able to do is I was about to say, I think the most positive thing that's happened in many years, is we made a great hire with the head coach in 2021 and brought Marco Silva, who had great experience in England. He managed teams. He'd been in the Premier League. I had never worked with him.

And thankfully, what we've been able to do is I was about to say, I think the most positive thing that's happened in many years, is we made a great hire with the head coach in 2021 and brought Marco Silva, who had great experience in England. He managed teams. He'd been in the Premier League. I had never worked with him.

I had only met him for a couple seconds in passing when he was the manager of Everton, when Fulham was playing Everton in 2019. And Then we reconnected on Zoom in 2021, which is very fitting because I see him on Zoom a lot now. And it was such a perfect chemistry. And I have so much respect for Marco. And the team has been able to go to another level.

I had only met him for a couple seconds in passing when he was the manager of Everton, when Fulham was playing Everton in 2019. And Then we reconnected on Zoom in 2021, which is very fitting because I see him on Zoom a lot now. And it was such a perfect chemistry. And I have so much respect for Marco. And the team has been able to go to another level.

So these are things that happened on the road to AEW. But these are a lot of my experiences and things that are still a big part of my life. the NFL and the Premier League, what we do at True Media. And now I work in a sport that's also 52 weeks a year in AEW Pro Wrestling.

So these are things that happened on the road to AEW. But these are a lot of my experiences and things that are still a big part of my life. the NFL and the Premier League, what we do at True Media. And now I work in a sport that's also 52 weeks a year in AEW Pro Wrestling.

Well, I'll flash back to the in-between. So I had that low point. For me, I felt in 2017, two days of just, and it was not despair. I wasn't thinking we won't be able to do it. It wasn't even a lack of confidence. It was really just the frustration that it's going to take a year to get right back to where we just were. And we had it in our grasp.

Well, I'll flash back to the in-between. So I had that low point. For me, I felt in 2017, two days of just, and it was not despair. I wasn't thinking we won't be able to do it. It wasn't even a lack of confidence. It was really just the frustration that it's going to take a year to get right back to where we just were. And we had it in our grasp.

And now it's going to take a year to get to the same point to get back up. And around that same time into the next season, we had a slow start to the 2017 season. And things really picked up in December. And we started a run of winning and a run as an unbeaten team that extended 23 games, which is half a season.

And now it's going to take a year to get to the same point to get back up. And around that same time into the next season, we had a slow start to the 2017 season. And things really picked up in December. And we started a run of winning and a run as an unbeaten team that extended 23 games, which is half a season.

So we went unbeaten then from the week before Christmas until the final week of the season. And then we ended up winning the playoff final against Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium in May of 2018. And it was so huge. It was a huge part of my life. During that, there was a weekend when I was in Los Angeles. And my business partner, Bernie Cahill, Bernie invited me to a party in Beverly Hills.

So we went unbeaten then from the week before Christmas until the final week of the season. And then we ended up winning the playoff final against Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium in May of 2018. And it was so huge. It was a huge part of my life. During that, there was a weekend when I was in Los Angeles. And my business partner, Bernie Cahill, Bernie invited me to a party in Beverly Hills.

And I saw... A good friend who was Bernie's other best friend was Kevin Riley, who was the president of TBS and TNT at the time. And I found it very interesting what was happening with the media rights in the wrestling business that we'd gotten to a point where there were hundreds of millions of dollars in wrestling TV shows.

And I saw... A good friend who was Bernie's other best friend was Kevin Riley, who was the president of TBS and TNT at the time. And I found it very interesting what was happening with the media rights in the wrestling business that we'd gotten to a point where there were hundreds of millions of dollars in wrestling TV shows.