Tony Khan isn’t shying away from the heat after AEW introduced its new National Championship—a move that stirred up the NWA locker room and triggered a flurry of backlash from both fans and wrestlers loyal to the long-standing promotion.
After AEW unveiled its version of the National Title on the November 5 episode of Dynamite, NWA wasted no time firing back. They crowned Mike Mondo as their own National Champion just days later, making it very clear they weren’t letting AEW’s new title go unchecked. The whole thing turned into a public back-and-forth, with NWA President Billy Corgan and various talents pointing out the rich legacy of their version of the belt. Now, Tony Khan has officially responded—and while he’s playing nice with Corgan, he’s not changing course.
Speaking publicly about the issue for the first time, Khan said he saw the online noise surrounding AEW’s announcement and understood why it ruffled feathers. But instead of fueling the fire, he went straight to the top of NWA to clear the air.
“When I recently announced it, I saw a lot of talk online and there was chatter from people from other promotions and people all over. Wrestlers are going to talk and say stuff, that’s totally cool. I ended up having a nice conversation about it with the President of the NWA, Billy Corgan.”
Khan admitted the NWA National Championship carries real weight in pro wrestling history but made it clear AEW is carving its own path.
“The NWA National Championship has a great history of its own. When we created a National Championship, I saw NWA wrestlers saying, ‘We have a National Title.’ AEW is a separate company and we have our own lineage.”
He also showed respect for Billy Corgan, noting that their private conversation was productive and positive.
“Billy, I have a lot of respect for him and what he’s doing. We’re trying to do something different here… I love the traditions of pro wrestling and I had a nice talk with Billy. We haven’t talked in a long time and it was good for him to do this.”
To wrestlers still upset about AEW stepping into National Championship territory, Khan had a simple message.
“To any wrestlers anywhere in the world, particularly you in the NWA, you might be happy to hear Billy and I had a nice talk about this. I’m sure he would say the same.”
So while the name may be the same, the approach is very different. AEW isn’t interested in copying the NWA—it’s focused on expanding its own brand. And despite the old-school loyalty tied to the NWA strap, Khan has no plans to change AEW’s course.
Tony Khan isn’t looking for a fight—but he’s also not giving up ground. With both promotions now pushing forward with their own National Champions, the wrestling world might just be watching a new belt rivalry play out in real time.
Do you think Tony Khan made the right call by keeping the National Title name? Or should AEW have gone with something completely original? Sound off in the comments and let us know where you stand on this title clash.
November 14, 2025 11:10 pm
