Celebrity Jobber with Jeff Zito - Tony Khan

Summary

Celebrity Jobber Podcast with Jeff Zito – Tony Khan

Release Date: October 1, 2025
Guest: Tony Khan (Owner/President of AEW, part-owner Jacksonville Jaguars & Fulham FC)
Host: Jeff Zito

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Episode Theme & Purpose

This episode explores Tony Khan’s journey from his upbringing in Champaign, Illinois, through his lifelong passion for professional wrestling, to his role as a sports executive and billionaire. The conversation revolves around the show's central question: what was his first job, and what paths might his life have taken without the big break? The episode provides an in-depth look at Tony Khan’s early inspirations, first jobs, family influences, and the creation and growth of All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Tony Khan’s Childhood & Introduction to Wrestling

• Growing Up in Champaign, Illinois

  • Born and raised in a college town, home to the University of Illinois.
  • Early memories of going to Illini football and basketball games, sparking a lifelong love of sports.
  • First exposure to wrestling:

    “I saw the Ultimate Warrior versus the Undertaker. My dad was not a wrestling fan… It was really very cool with him to take time out of his schedule to take me to wrestling.” (02:36–03:40)

  • Early dream: Inspired to “start a pro wrestling promotion… dreamed up in Champaign, Illinois.”

• Wrestling Origins & Favorites

  • Began watching in 1990 after seeing Sgt. Slaughter on GI Joe and Hulk Hogan on The A-Team.
  • “It wasn’t any one wrestler or part of it… it was the whole thing. I got very excited about it and I started reading and watching as much wrestling as I could.” (04:49–05:16)
  • Became a student of wrestling history, studying classic wrestlers and matches.
  • Major influences and all-time favorites: Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Steve Austin, Sting.

    “I think [Steve Austin] is the greatest wrestler of all time.” (06:13)

  • Pride in working with his childhood idols, notably Sting’s AEW retirement run.

The Genesis of AEW

• Early Vision and Learning
  • By age 8 or 9, dreamed about being a wrestling promoter.

    “I wanted to start a wrestling league and I didn’t have all the ideas… but I first thought of wanting to be a wrestling promoter long before I really understood the ins and outs.” (08:01–08:36)

  • At 12, discovered insider wrestling terminology searching “Is Wrestling real?” and the RSPW FAQ.
  • Started writing “Saturday Night Dynamite” at age 12, which would evolve into AEW’s “Dynamite” over 30 years later.
  • “To be honest, I look back at them sometimes… and I’m pretty impressed. I think there’s some good stuff in there to this day.” (11:08)

First Jobs & Work Ethic

• First Non-paying Job

  • Assistant basketball coach and stats keeper in high school; coached his friends when coach was ill.
  • The “Tony Khan Award” for basketball dedication was named after him after his graduation. (12:09–12:59)

• First Paying Jobs

  • Bartender in college:

    “I was a bartender in college and it was a great gig and I really enjoyed it.” (13:33)

  • Engineering company intern during the day; bartender at night.

Path to Sports & Wrestling Executive

• No Typical Workday

  • Describes the unpredictable pace of his multiple roles:

    “There is a cadence that comes with a game day or AEW show day… it really depends on what is happening that day.” (14:23)

• AEW’s Breakout & Growth

  • Big break was the launch and immediate sellout of AEW’s first pay-per-view in Las Vegas.

  • “The fans embraced it and then it really went to the next level… when we started doing Dynamite… AEW has been running strong ever since.” (15:19–16:53)

  • Hasn’t missed a show week since 2019; displays passion and work ethic.

• AEW’s Differentiator

  “AEW has the best wrestling and we put on the best shows… the quality of the wrestling stands above all else.” (17:11)

  • Value of myth-busting misconceptions, preferring to let shows and fans speak for the company.

• Dealing with Public Perception

  • Addresses his “polarizing” reputation:

    “I think I am just a genuine person… This year, I’ve just been a lot more laid back about it… the fans do a lot of the talking for me now.” (18:30–18:59)

On Not Becoming a Wrestler Himself

• Never aspired to wrestle full-time:

  “If it wasn’t being a wrestling promoter, what I really wanted to do was be a manager and talk and take bumps and sell and do stuff like that… I never really saw myself being a wrestler…” (20:11–21:21)

  • Debunks online rumors about his height – he’s taller than the internet claims.

Family Influence & Sports Ownership

• Influence on Father Shad Khan

  “My dad liked football, but going to the games and taking me… as a father, really embraced sports more than he had before.” (22:34–23:53)

  • Believes attending games with his dad led to Shad Khan’s interest in sports ownership.

Building a Legacy

• AEW’s Challenger Story

  • Host Jeff Zito praises AEW’s ability to compete with established wrestling brands and become a household name:

    “When there’s a big brand already in place and you come after the big brand and you don’t only chip away at that brand, you make a big brand for yourself.” (24:12)

• Leadership at Jacksonville Jaguars

  “I’m so grateful for what Liam Cohen is doing at the Jaguars… we have a great group here with the great young GM James Gladstone… and Tony Bacelli, the Hall of Fame legend.” (25:23)

  • Expresses appreciation for his football team’s staff and their combined leadership.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Wrestling Inspiration:

“The first main event I ever saw was 1991, summer when I was eight years old. I saw the Ultimate Warrior versus the Undertaker… And that’s where I first dreamed of the idea that became AEW.”
[03:13] – Tony Khan

On Writing Wrestling Shows as a Kid:

“In 1995 when I was 12 years old, I started writing a wrestling show… and I’ve been writing that show now for over 30 years and for over six years it’s actually been on TV.”
[09:37] – Tony Khan

On AEW’s Success:

“The fans embraced it and then it really went to the next level… We haven’t had any time off since Christmas of 2019… I wouldn’t want a week off. I’m very proud that we’ve been going since New Year’s Day 2020, and every single week since then…”
[16:02] – Tony Khan

On AEW’s Strengths:

“AEW has the best wrestling and we put on the best shows… the quality of the wrestling stands above all else.”
[17:11] – Tony Khan

On Family Influence:

“My dad wanted to be in the sports business, and I think because we would talk about it… being a dad and going to all the games really made him want to do it more.”
[22:34 & 23:53] – Tony Khan

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Beginnings in Champaign and first wrestling show: 02:36–03:54
• Wrestling idols & history: 04:49–07:16
• Genesis of AEW & writing wrestling shows as a kid: 08:01–11:08
• First jobs (coaching, bartender, intern): 12:05–13:44
• AEW’s launch and big break: 15:19–16:53
• What sets AEW apart: 17:11–18:17
• Dealing with being ‘polarizing’ and public opinion: 18:30–19:29
• On not wanting to be a wrestler: 20:11–21:41
• Influence on his father’s sports business interests: 22:17–23:53
• Closing thoughts – legacy, overcoming brands: 24:12–26:24

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Tone & Language

• Conversational, enthusiastic, candid—Tony exhibits both humility and passion.
• Jeff Zito is lighthearted, curious, and expresses respect and admiration toward his guest.

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Takeaways for Listeners

• Tony Khan’s passion for wrestling originated in childhood and was supported, though not necessarily shared, by his father.
• He parlayed that passion into a bona fide wrestling empire despite the existence of massive legacy brands.
• His work ethic was instilled by his father’s immigrant journey and sustained by genuine love for the business.
• AEW’s success is attributed primarily to fan embrace, relentless quality, and a vision that began as a kid’s dream.
• Tony’s first “real” job was a college bartender, but his volunteering and initiative (e.g., coaching basketball) shaped the drive that defines his career.
• The Khan family's sports legacy owes much to shared experiences between father and son, not just financial means.
• Ultimately, Tony Khan is portrayed as someone who leveraged opportunity and a unique upbringing, but who is also relentless in pursuing his own brand of excellence in wrestling, football, and beyond.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Grainger Narrator]

This is the story of the 1. As head of maintenance at a concert hall, he knows the show must always go on. That's why he works behind the scenes, ensuring every light is working, the H Vac is humming, and his facility shines with Grainger's supplies and solutions for every challenge he faces. Plus 24. 7 customer support. His venue never misses a beat. Call quickgranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Jeff Zito]

Hey, it's Jeff Zito. Thanks for checking out another episode of the Celebrity Jobber podcast streaming on Spotify, Iheart, Apple podcasts, wherever you listen to your podcast. So please subscribe. We love a five star rating and please leave a review. You can check out past guests and episodes [e-mail] and follow on IG Celebrity Jobberpodcast and our YouTube channel, which is YouTube.com the signce Celebrity Jobber, son of billionaire Shad Khan, who not only has part ownership with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham FC in the English Premier League, but he's also the brains behind AEW all elite wrestling. You know, I had to look this up, but you know, past gas. Kevin O', Leary, Mr. Wonderful from the Shark Tank. His net worth is around $400 million. So this week's guest is my first billionaire. AEW's Tony Khan is my guest this.

[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

Week on Celebrity Jobber, the Celebrity Jobber podcast with Jeff Zito. If you like what you hear, please subscribe, give a five star rating and leave a review. Check out all our past episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you pod. What if these celebrities weren't famous? What would they have become? What was their first job? We're about to find out.

[Jeff Zito]

Hey, Tony, how are you doing?

[Tony Khan]

Fantastic. Thanks for having me on.

[Jeff Zito]

Listen. Thank you. I think this is the first, I think you're my first billionaire I've ever spoke to. So pretty cool. You know, I was looking, I was looking up. You know, I have a podcast about Everybody's Jobs and Mr. Wonderful, Kevin O'. Leary, I just looked up, he was, he was about 400 mil, so I thought he was close. But this is it, man. I'm, I'm glad to have you on.

[Tony Khan]

Thanks for having me.

[Jeff Zito]

Absolutely. So tell me a little bit about, about growing up. You're from Champaign, Illinois. Tell me a little bit about Champaign, Illinois, if you, if you don't mind.

[Tony Khan]

Sure. I'm from Champaign, Illinois, which is a town that is the home to the University of Illinois. My parents went to the University of Illinois and my father Started working there after school and that's where my family settled and that's where I was born. I grew up there going to the Illinois football and basketball games. We've been having some good success with the Illini recently. Yeah, basketball and it's a big part of my life. And I grew up watching Illini football, basketball and wrestling. And the first time I ever to pro wrestling was in Champaign, Illinois. The first main event I ever saw was 1991, summer when I was eight years old. I saw the Ultimate Warrior versus the Undertaker. My dad was not a wrestling fan, my dad, but he was very cool about, you know, taking time out of his very, very limited free time that he had working 12, sometimes 14, 15 hour days and being on the road traveling for work all the time. It was really very cool with him to take time out of his schedule to take me to wrestling and. And that's where I first dreamed of the idea that became AEW to start a pro wrestling promotion. It was really dreamed up in Champaign, Illinois.

[Jeff Zito]

That's crazy. So let's go back to your love of wrestling. I wanted to mention just first and foremost here that AEW collision at the RP Funding center in Lakeland, Thursday, October 2nd, airs on TNT Streams on HBO Max. And tickets are still available for the event. But Tony, your love of wrestling, when you started to tell me about your first main event was in 1991, the Ultimate Warrior and the Undertaker in Champaign, Illinois. Tell me, what was it? What? Like, what wrestler was it? When was it that you got really locked into wrestling? Because I was a huge fan of wrestling. Same era, little earlier, maybe early to mid-80s. You know, Hulk Hogan, the Iron Sheik, Big John, Stud, you know, Hillbilly Jim, Mr. Wonderful, Paul Orndorff. Those were my guys. So tell, tell me, who were your guys and about what time frame are we talking that you really got locked in?

[Tony Khan]

Well, that's a great question. I first started watching in 1990 and it was really watching other shows. I'm a child of television. I grew up with a TV in my room and a satellite dish bigger than the room I'm currently in. Like a satellite dish bigger than my kitchen when I was a kid that we could pick up basically anything in the world on. And I started watching wrestling having seen Sergeant Slaughter as the host of GI Joe. Okay, the live action host. And he was also a character in G.I. joe. And I also watched the A Team. I had seen Hulk Hogan on the A Team and I saw that they were actual people on a wrestling show. Hulk Hogan and Sergeant Slaughter both. So I started watching it and really gravitated towards it. And it wasn't any one wrestler or part of it that really brought me in. It was the whole thing. I got very excited about it and I started reading and watching as much wrestling as I could. Watching more shows, learning about wrestling, reading about the era a lot that you talked about, even though I wasn't watching in the early 80s, you know, and some of this was before I was born. I became a real student of wrestling history as a kid and I still am always studying the past and trying to learn about classic wrestling and classic wrestlers and classic matches. And today with aew, it's really amazing. I've been able to work with so many of my all time favorites. And I would say at the top of the list you would have Ric Flair, Ricky the Dragon, Steamboat, great Steve Austin, who I've never gotten to work with in aew, but I was on the Steve Austin show. He reviewed the very first AEW pay per view six years ago. He, he was incredibly complimentary and I think he's the greatest wrestler of all time. Steve Austin and I grew up as a huge fan also of Sting, who then I was able to work with in aew. And we actually had Sting's retirement run. He did three years in aew. He went out in such grand fashion just last year at AEW Revolution. And I think that's one of our proudest moments we've ever had in aew. And that really brought it all full circle to me to stand there with maybe three of my favorites ever could, could be my three favorites ever staying. Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair.

[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

The Celebrity Jobber Podcast with Jeff Zito. The Celebrity Jobber Podcast with Jeff Zito.

[Jeff Zito]

Tony, you're telling me just a bit ago that you were, you know, eight or nine years old when you, you saw your first wrestling match? Dad wasn't really a big fan. I could totally relate. My dad, same thing, not real big fan, but you know, he took me. But tell me, you said you got the idea for AEW when you were 8 or 9 years old. How is that even possible? Like I can't even conceive. Give me more specifics. When you're 8 or 9 years old, you're, you're thinking to yourself, I'm gonna, I'm gonna form an alternative wrestling alliance to, to the other guys. What was your thought process at 8 or 9 years old?

[Tony Khan]

Well, I wanted to start a wrestling league and I didn't have all the ideas. Definitely didn't have the name 80W yet, but it's kind of amazing because this week we're celebrating the six year anniversary of Wednesday Night Dynamite. I first thought of wanting to be a wrestling promoter long before I really understood the ins and outs of the wrestling business and followed it as closely as I could, dreaming of someday being a wrestling promoter and a wrestling matchmaker. And when I was 12 years old, it was not Google yet. It was like probably a search engine that does not exist anymore. It might have been Yahoo, which obviously does exist, but it also could have been like Ask Jeeves or Micos or Hotbot. Whatever it was, it definitely was pre Google. And I searched for Is Wrestling real? Or the equivalent of that. And I found so much. I learned a lot. I found a document called the RSPW faq and it was the perfect time for me to find it because I've been watching wrestling a long time and it explained a lot of insider terminology of wrestling and a lot of aspects of the wrestling business that made sense to me, but I didn't know. And there was also fun nuggets of truth in fact in there. Like, you know, the Steiner brothers are real brothers, the Beverly brothers are not, and things like that. And, and I found this really interesting. I had a lot of real people's real names, not their wrestling names and things of that n terms that I had never heard until that day, like Heat and Angle.

[Jeff Zito]

Right.

[Tony Khan]

And I really just weeks after that, in 1995 when I was 12 years old, I started writing a wrestling show and it was called Saturday Night Dynamite. And I've been writing that show now for over 30 years and for over six years it's actually been on TV for the shows to be on TBS and TNT. That's incredible to me because I grew up watching wrestling on TBS and TNT every week throughout my childhood. And I mentioned all those great names I grew up on. But again, Ricky the Dragon. Steamboat. Ric Flair. Stunning. Steve Austin.

[Jeff Zito]

Yes.

[Tony Khan]

Sting. Rap Ravishing. Rick Rue.

[Jeff Zito]

I love them.

[Tony Khan]

Dustin Rhodes. And another one of the great things we've done in AEW that I was so proud of after some injuries took a toll on us. The guy who stepped up at our biggest event ever in North America won the TNT championship. And I grew up watching wrestling on TBS and tnt. I grew up watching this guy. He's one of of my very first favorite wrestlers. And it was Dustin Rhodes.

[Jeff Zito]

Yes.

[Tony Khan]

Who's been wrestling now for over 30 years. I've been a fan of his for over 30 years and I've gotten to Work with him for over six years, since the very first AEW show. And I was so proud that Dustin Rhodes was the one to step up and win the TNT championship after. I grew up watching Dustin Rhodes for years as a huge fan of his. Long before he ever wrestled under the name Goldust. He was Dustin Rhodes. And it was really cool to have that moment as well. Dynamite is an idea that goes back to when I was 12 years old.

[Jeff Zito]

Crazy.

[Tony Khan]

So to your point. Yeah, it's something I really have always wanted to do and I didn't necessarily when I was 12, maybe know all the ins and outs to begin with, but I definitely knew a lot more when I was 12 than I did when I was 8 and. And by then when I was 12, I started putting dynamites together. And to be honest, I look back at them sometimes on some of these old shows and I'm pretty impressed. I think there's some good stuff in there to this day. So ye. I wasn't crazy as a kid so it was some good, good ideas in there.

[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

The Celebrity Jobber Podcast with Jeff Zito.

[Jeff Zito]

Celebrity Jobber so Tony, the owner of AEW and Ring of Honor, you also have ownership in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham FC in the English Premier League. You have ownership and executive roles. Before all of this, before all of this sports executive ownership career. Can you tell me what your very first job was?

[Tony Khan]

Well, not. I'll give you a paying job and then a non paying job.

[Jeff Zito]

Okay.

[Tony Khan]

My first non paying job was I was an assistant basketball coach and I kept the stats. And when I was a kid I got more and more involved each year with the team at the school. I went to the University of Illinois Laboratory High School. The award for dedication to basketball is called the Tony Khan Award. It has been since I graduated when I was 18 years old, they created an award and named it after me and they gave me the first Tony Khan Award. I won my own award and when I was a senior in high school, the coach actually got very sick and I coached the team that was made up of my friends from school. That is still a first. I've never heard of anybody else doing, but that happened and I have the book and the photos to prove it and the signed card from the referees and everything.

[Jeff Zito]

Right.

[Tony Khan]

And we won and, and we didn't win all our games. So that was, that was pretty cool. I volunteered briefly in college as a manager for Bill Self at the University of Illinois. And I really like Coach Self and he was dealing with so much and I was like, you know, an 18 year old kid and I was just getting out of school and I wanted to go out and enjoy life. So I didn't stick with that and I ended up becoming a bartender and that was my first paying job.

[Jeff Zito]

That was your first paying job was a bartender? Okay.

[Tony Khan]

Yeah, I was a bartender in college and it was a great gig and I really enjoyed it. That and I was an intern at an engineering company and watching a lot of wrestling tapes that summer.

[Jeff Zito]

Right.

[Tony Khan]

So I had two jobs in college. I was an intern in an engineering company in the day and a bartender at night. And it was a great spot.

[Jeff Zito]

And I don't know if I can ask this question correctly because I'm. Because what you do is not normal, right? As far as a lot of other people are concerned, you have these. Have these big jobs, right? Owner of AEW and Ring of Honor, ownership roles and executive roles with the Jags and full mfc. So can you describe a normal workday? Is that even. I'm sure that's not even a question because there's probably doesn't exist, right? There's no normality to your workday.

[Tony Khan]

There is a cadence that comes with a game day or AEW show day. There can be unique days where there may be multiple events or multiple things happening on one day. But generally a game day is different than a non game day. Certainly for show day is different than a non show day. I think that it really depends on what is happening that day.

[Jeff Zito]

You know, I have a relationship with Chris Jericho, you know, and we're not best friends, but we live in the same town and you know, so I first heard about AEW from him and also from Young Bucks on social media. I want to know when everything changed for you. Like not necessarily a big break, but like, you know, I became aware of Young Bucks and AEW probably in 2020. So like when did it all come together and kind of explode? When did your life change? When did AEW become what it is today?

[Tony Khan]

Oh, I think from the very beginning. We did a huge pay per view event before Dynamite started. The only wrestling company to probably be able to launch with a sellout pay per view. The fastest wrestling sellout in the history of Las Vegas for our very first show at the MGM grand. And it was completely built off of kind of like what you said maybe a year earlier than you said. Though in 2019 we launched AW. And there was so much buzz on this event before we had even done a TV show. We sold out and we had multiple huge pay per views. And then In October, we launched the Wednesday night dynamite in 2019. I think it started being a W right as soon as we announced it because of the fans. The fans embraced it and then it really went to the next level. Six years ago this week when we started doing Dynamite, we had already had these great pay per views. We had a really hardcore loyal following that was buying our pay per view shows before we had even put a TV show on. And then we launched the TV with Dynamite six years ago this week. And AEW has been running strong ever since. And I think it's been a huge part of my life every single week since then. We have not had any time off since Christmas of 2019. They gave us a week off Christmas 2019, and we haven't had one since. I wouldn't want a week off. I'm very proud that we've been. We've been going since New Year's Day 2020, and every single week since the end of 2019, there's been a new show, a new Wednesday night Dynamite every single week.

[Jeff Zito]

So workaholic. I mean, it's just really what it is. But you know, when you love what you do, that makes it easier to to become successful. What do you think the. What do you think the biggest difference is? Tony, AEW and the other guys, what's the biggest difference? What. What makes you stand out?

[Tony Khan]

Where the best wrestle AW has the best wr and we put on the best shows. If you look at the best pay per view shows this year in the world of wrestling, most of them were AEW shows. If you put out a top 10 of the top 10 best events in wrestling, it's just my opinion, but it's also an opinion shared by thousands and thousands of fans voting on these things. And with over a million fans that watch the show around the world, there's a lot of people that believe what I'm saying is true. I think if you took A Top 10 events in wrestling this year, most of them would be AEW shows based on quality. Because AEW is where the best wrestle. I believe that. And I also think that the quality of the shows, the rivalries, the stories, it's all better than it's been ever in AEW this year. And I'm really proud of that fact. I think that the quality of the wrestling stands above all else. But I also think that it's important to do some myth busting because people have created myths about AEW that aren't true. Our best way to fight those is just putting on great shows week after week and letting our fans do the talking for us.

[Jeff Zito]

Tony, I think you're a pretty nice guy, but you're known as, you know, being a polarizing figure. Is that part of the shtick? Are you polarizing? Is that what you're trying to do? Because I don't. I don't see it.

[Tony Khan]

Well, I appreciate that. I. I think I am just a genuine person. You know, I do work really hard, and it's a lot of fun in wrestling. So it's fun work, and if you enjoy what you do, it's a great blessing. So I've heard that. But I also think that a lot of that goes back to myth busting, and I used to kind of fight that stuff and push back against it, and this year, I've just been a lot more laid back about it, and I let it come to me, if that makes sense.

[Jeff Zito]

It does.

[Tony Khan]

Just don't push back or say the things as much anymore, because the fans do a lot of the talking for me now. And if there's something ridiculous out there, the fans have done a pretty great job of sticking up for this year, I think, because we're doing great shows and, you know, it's not easy, but if you put out your very best and try your very best, people are going to rally around you. And I think that's what's happened with aew and you. You referred to me as a workaholic. I don't know if that's true, but I definitely enjoy the work in wrestling. If I was doing something else, I might not be a workaholic.

[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

The Celebrity Jobber podcast with Jeff Szeto. Celebrity Jobber.

[Jeff Zito]

You know, it's funny. We don't have much in common, Tony, but I. I did take a few bumps in the squared circle from road dog Jesse James before he beat the hell out of me, before my friend Diamond Dallas Page came to my rescue. There's a famous video of you during a draft day. Was it maybe 2024, where the Jags are coming up to draft, and there's a video of you in the draft room with neck brace on because of a pile driver the night before. You were telling me you always dreamed of being a wrestling promoter. Ever dreamt of getting in there full time?

[Tony Khan]

Not particular. I never really wanted to be a pro wrestler. I did want to do things in wrestling. To be honest, if it wasn't being a wrestling promoter, what I really wanted to do was be a manager and talk and take bumps and sell and do stuff like that and not really be on Offense in wrestling, I have no offense. I don't want to be on offense. I would rather be defensive. But yeah, I mostly really wanted to be a promoter and a matchmaker for the really most of my life as a wrestling fan. But I never really saw myself being a wrestler because I'm not the tallest or the strongest, most imposing person, I'm not the fastest. So all these things would preclude you from. Especially when I was growing up, there weren't as many wrestlers that are under 6ft tall. You know, now actually most many wrestlers around the world and all the companies are pretty similar height to me, you know, being. Which is funny. Another myth bust. I don't know who put out on the Internet my height, but I'm like almost five, ten and five, nine and a half. But that's not what you would see on the Internet.

[Jeff Zito]

Right.

[Tony Khan]

So I don't know who put that out. But if you look at photos of me next to wrestlers, I'm the same size as a lot of them. But you know, being five, nine and a half is not going to get you into pro wrestling in the 1980s.

[Jeff Zito]

Right.

[Tony Khan]

It was not as high flying of a business. There were not, there wasn't as much focus on the pound for pound.

[Jeff Zito]

Right.

[Tony Khan]

And I saw that change come in boxing in the 90s, but not yet in wrestling because in the 90s there was more focus than ever. At the 80s there'd been all these great welterweight and middleweight fighters. And then in the 90s and into the early 2000s on, from Dela Hoya, Trinidad Whitaker into of course Mayweather, Pacquiao. So many of the top fighters were not necessarily the biggest fighters and they were commanding as much interest as any. These guys proved that you don't have to be the biggest fighter to draw the most money.

[Jeff Zito]

Yeah. Cesar Chavez, you make a lot of sense. I haven't really thought about that before, but it makes a lot of sense.

[Tony Khan]

Yeah.

[Jeff Zito]

Did you have any influence, Tony, over, you know, your dad initially was in the automotive biz, made his money there, then got into sports ownership. Did you have any influence over, you know, over the family?

[Tony Khan]

You did.

[Jeff Zito]

Tell me, tell me, tell me about it.

[Tony Khan]

Well, I'm a really big sports fan and my dad will say it all the time. He said it to some of the most powerful people in the world, some of the biggest media figures in the world that really. My dad liked football, but going to the games and taking me to big sporting events was something that he started doing more and more as a dad. You know, he would go to the Illinois football games, but we started going to a lot of the NFL. We would check out the Bears, the Colts, and went to different games. We were college football and basketball fans in our hometown, but then we went to a lot of pro and college basketball. So I would see the Colts and the Bears and the Bulls and the Pacers a lot. And my dad wanted to be in the sports business and I think because we would talk about it a lot when I was a kid, he was always interested in the business side of the sport. And I do think going to the games, at least from what he said to, you know, definitely drove him to want to be a sports team owner because he, as a father, really embraced sports more than he had before. He was a dad. He was a great dad and he didn't have a lot of free time, but when he did, he would take me to games and he would go to see NFL and NBA with me and mlb.

[Jeff Zito]

And then he fell in love with. With the sports and that. That probably happened by just going with you.

[Tony Khan]

Yeah.

[Jeff Zito]

Yeah.

[Tony Khan]

I definitely think going to the game just made him want to be more involved in it and that got him more and more interested in it. I'm sure it's something that deep down a dream he always had. But when, when it's come up, he said, yeah, being a dad and going to all the games really made him want to do it more and more. So I thought that was cool.

[Jeff Zito]

I think it's cool too, man. I tell you, your time is valuable. I really appreciate your time. You've given me more than you should have and I probably took more than I should have and. But I appreciate it, Tony. Once again, AEW Collision RP Funding Center Lakeland Thursday, October 2nd airs on TNT Streams, HBO Max and of course, there are some tickets available. This is the first time AEW is in Lakeland again. Tony, great talking to you. I'm a little mad that you took my. My coach, Liam Cohen, because he was my offensive coordinator here in Tampa Bay. Great coach. It's such a great coach. I see that you guys are having success with him and congratulations on all your success with all of your businesses. But mainly AEW and, and Ring of Honor. How you've, you know, that has to be such a difficult thing to do when there's a big brand already in place and you come after the big brand and you don't only chip away at that brand, you make a big brand for yourself.

[Tony Khan]

Thank you for the really kind words about aew. Thank you, Jeff. And also I have to say I think Liam Cohen is fantastic. I so grateful for what Liam Cohen is doing at the Jaguars. It's a real blessing to work with such a brilliant coach as Liam Cohen and somebody who has the respect of every single person in the organization. We have a great group here with the great young GM James Gladstone, who's one of the sharpest minds in football and such a quality, high integrity person. Tony Bacelli, the Hall of Fame legend, bringing all of his experience with the Jaguars and Jacksonville and in the NFL. And together with those three guys, Liam and Tony and James, I think we've got great leadership here right now. And I'm really blessed to work with those guys. And I'm glad you brought up Liam. I know people in Tampa have a lot of respect for him and he's made a lot of fans in Jacksonville too. And I'm a big fan of his. And I really appreciate you, Jeff, giving me the opportunity to come on and talk about aew.

[Jeff Zito]

Awesome. Tony, again, congratulations on six years of dynamite. Congratulations on all your success with the Jags and aew. And again, I really do. I know your time is valuable, so I really appreciate it. Thank you so much and have a great day.

[Tony Khan]

Thank you, Jeff. See you, man.

[Jeff Zito]

Take care. So think about it for a minute. The wwe, huge wrestling brand. It's been a huge wrestling brand for, for as long as I've been alive. And I do remember in the 90s, there was WWE and there was WCW. Ultimately, ultimately, those two brands couldn't live. So Vince McMahon ended up buying WCW and then it ended up going away. Tony Khan had a dream since the early 90s to become a wrestling promoter. Not a professional wrestler, but a wrestling promoter. The Boss of Vince McMahon Now, I'm sure you could say, with his father being the principal owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had some money to put into AEW to get it going. And when you have a lot of money to get something going, it fuels that company in the beginning, when it's in the red. And then all of a sudden, if it's a good enough brand, it survives the beginning, it kicks in and it gets rolling. Which I definitely think is the case for aew. I mean, I'm not looking at their books or anything, but I can pretty much guarantee you that Shad Khan, the father, wouldn't be dumping money into a failing business. Six years straight. AEW with two successful TV shows, which is definitely key for survival in the world of professional wrestling. And to get ratings on tv, the wrestling must be good. And it is first job. First real job was a bartender. But he also talked about volunteering to be a basketball coach when he was in high school, then interned for Bill Self, who at the time was the head coach of Illinois. Obviously he's been the head coach of Kansas for the better part of 20 years now. He also interned at an engineering firm while in college. So, you know, Tony didn't grow up a lot like us. When I mean us. I'm thinking there's not too many billionaires listening to this right now. And by the way, no shade whatsoever. Your parents are who they are. Shad Khan, a Pakistani immigrant, moved to this country in the 60s, went to college at University of Illinois, washed dishes for $1.20 an hour, and made his money in the automotive business. He is self made and I am sure 100%, without a doubt, he has taught his children a very strong work ethic. And anyone that says differently about Tony Khan is probably just coming from a place of jealousy. Interesting guy. Billionaire Tony Khan with ownership in the Jacksonville Jaguars, Fulham fc, the English Premier League, and of course the brains behind AEW All Elite wrestling, which he came up with the idea for when he was nine years old, basically by going onto a search engine and asking, is wrestling real? Thank you so much for checking out another episode of the Celebrity Jobber podcast streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Iheart. Wherever you listen to podcasts, please subscribe. We'd love a five star rating and please leave a review. And again, thank you for listening. See you next week. I'm Jeff Zito.

[Grainger Narrator]

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[Geico Commercial Auto Insurance Narrator]

Here on the job site with Dale, who's a framing contractor.

[Tony Khan]

Hey, good morning.

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Dale traded up to Geico Commercial Auto Insurance for all his business vehicles. We're here where he needs us most.

[Tony Khan]

Yep, they sure are.

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[Tony Khan]

It's all right.

[Geico Commercial Auto Insurance Narrator]

We're so far up here.

[Tony Khan]

Look at me. Take a deep breath.

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[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

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[Tony Khan]

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