If you’re planning a jump to WWE, don’t expect much airtime in AEW — at least not while Tony Khan’s calling the shots.
During a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer dropped some telling insight about why certain wrestlers might be kept off AEW programming. The conversation came up while discussing why David Finlay — the leader of the War Dogs faction — hasn’t shown up on AEW television, despite his stablemates making appearances.
Meltzer didn’t confirm anything directly, but he didn’t hold back when floating the real reason Finlay might be MIA.
“Maybe there’s the feeling that David is going to end up in WWE and Tony doesn’t want to use him,” Meltzer speculated.
He then pulled the curtain back even further on how Khan handles booking decisions involving wrestlers with one foot already out the door.
“Tony Khan doesn’t want to use people who are going to go to WWE — even though it’s inevitable that a lot of the guys he’s using will end up in WWE just because of how wrestling works. But if you’re pretty sure they’re gonna go, then why use them?”
That philosophy may sound cutthroat, but it’s far from rare in wrestling. Still, Alvarez challenged the logic, suggesting Tony could just book them to lose on their way out — like wrestling promoters have done for decades. Meltzer responded by pointing out that strategy only works if the wrestler is actually your talent.
“Yeah, but not for a guy who’s not even in your territory… If you figure they’re WWE-bound, it’s like, yeah, why use them? There’s no upside at that point.”
This kind of approach could explain the silence around more than just David Finlay. If Tony Khan believes a wrestler is headed to WWE — even without an official deal — that might be enough to send them straight to AEW’s bench.
It’s a move that protects Khan’s investment in long-term stars, but it also opens the door to criticism about limiting opportunities for wrestlers based on pure speculation.
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