Eric Bischoff Contrasts AEW's Tony Khan With Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon

In pro wrestling, the magic of it all boils down to the visionaries who oversee it all. And for AEW and WWE, the two who took these companies to where they are now, AEW President Tony Khan and former WWE CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon, respectively, have always had a zealous devotion towards the industry. Former WCW Senior Vice President Eric Bischoff agrees that both Khan and McMahon are very similar in that way.

"Yes, I think Vince was proud of his passion for the product and expected everybody around him to be as passionate as him," Bischoff began on his "83 Weeks" podcast. "My impression was Vince would not understand if you're working in WWE, in particular, and you don't have a passion for the product. I think he would have a hard time understanding or even being willing to tolerate you being a part of WWE...Tony probably is of similar nature. We know he is, based on...anecdotal information that we've all heard from people that we know and respect. He loves what he's doing." Though he compared the two on how they view the industry similarly, Bischoff did acknowledge there are stark differences between them, but did not elaborate on how.

After five decades in pro wrestling, McMahon stepped down and away from his empire in 2024 after sexual assault and trafficking allegations were made against him by his former employee Janel Grant. Their civil lawsuit moved to private arbitration in June.

As for Khan, his empire continues to grow, as he recently extended his warmest regards towards working under Skydance. It remains to be seen what will happen with AEW's content once its media deal expires sometime after the start of 2028.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.