This Saturday, All Elite Wrestling presents Worlds End. Tony Khan sat on a Monday afternoon media call to lend his thoughts on the PPV and the year that was 2025 for the promotion.
The card for Worlds End so far holds the following eight matches.
1. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada in a Continental Classic semi-final (Gold League)
2. Kyle Fletcher vs. Jon Moxley in a Continental Classic semi-final (Blue League)
3. Blue League Winner vs. Gold League Winner
4. Darby Allin vs. Gabe Kidd
5. FTR (c) (with Stokely) vs. Bang Bang Gang (with Ace Austin) in a Chicago Street Fight for the AEW Men’s World Tag Team Championships
6. Babes of Wrath (c) vs. Mercedes Mone and Athena for the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships
7. Kris Statlander (c) vs. Jamie Hayter for the AEW Women’s World Championship
8. Samoa Joe (c) vs. Swerve Strickland vs. “Hangman” Adam Page vs. MJF in a four-way match for the AEW Men’s World Championship
Khan starts with his excitement and gratitude for 2025.
Andrade was recently announced for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom. Khan says AEW fans will have to stay tuned to see if El Idolo will be on AEW any time soon.
“Timeless” Toni Storm’s character work in 2025 was second to none and Kris Statlander’s, by contrast, has seen more fluidity. Khan says both are great talents and their differing paths to being the AEW Women’s World Champion speaks volumes to their work and dedication. He says statlander is an incredible world champion and commends her evolution and tapping into more of her personality to get to the top of the division. He also commends Jamie Hayter’s evolution both in and out of the ring since coming to AEW, Statlander’s opponent at Worlds End. They are examples of how stars gain the respect of fans.
MJF recently returned, cashing in his Casino Gauntlet contract from All In and inserting himself into the Worlds End three-way match, making it a four-way for the AEW Men’s World Championship. Khan says MJF’s one of the best talkers but he’s also done the work between the ropes. He’s inserted himself into a very unpredictable situation and all four men vying for the title need to be at their best.
The Continental Classic has quickly become an integral part of AEW television. The timing of the tournament can be challenging. Khan has given this a lot of thought. The Continental Classic is a draw for new fans to get into AEW programming. A lot of alternatives could be in play but Khan is happy with the current set-up of the Continental Classic. Why can’t the holidays be more deeply associated with pro wrestling? The tournament serves well at any time of the year but Khan is more than happy with the set-up.
Logistically, the tournament can be challenging. But is also caps off the year in a unique way and the 2025 iteration is the best its felt yet. Khan starts thinking about the tournament in the summer and following up on injuries. Even in the build to Full Gear every year, Khan likes to know by then what the Continental Classic could look like. The first year, Bryan Danielson helped put the names together for the tournament but Khan has done that solo last year and this year. This year, Darby Allin’s injury proved a bigger shift was needed than was needed with Juice Robinson last year.
Regarding the incentive to win and the prize for the winner, Khan says the winner of the tournament will be the Continental Champion. Kazuchika Okada has a chance to win his sixth major wrestling tournament, having four NJPW G1 Climax wins and last year’s C2. High stakes indeed. Konosuke Takeshita won the 2025 G1 Climax and could cap off an amazing 2025 by winning this tournament as well.
At Worlds End, the inaugural AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions Babes of Wrath take on “The CEO” Mercedes Mone and “The Fallen Goddess” Athena for the titles. The Babes of Wrath have a synergy despite their contrasting experiences and skill-sets. Khan loves their work representing AEW.
Looking to 2026, Khan is dedicated to putting on strong shows and maintaining the relationship with fans. 2025 saw AEW explore different spots worldwide with great success and Khan hopes that trend will continue in the new year.
Regarding the Warner Brothers Discovery / Paramount news lately, Khan says AEW television will be on TBS and TNT as well as HBOMax for all of 2026 and 2027 at the very least. The merging of the networks has also allowed the expansion of the AEW palate and Khan is beyond thankful for the opportunities it’s presented to AEW. Khan says Dynamite had been a dream for him since he was 12 and the tenure of the show, now the longest on TBS, is an immense achievement that he is proud of. Collision is a newer idea but that was Mr. Zazlav’s idea. The network wanted more AEW and Collision has performed really well on TNT. Khan is excited at the potential to keep growing AEW.
In his closing thoughts, Khan thanks Sports Illustrated giving AEW and its wrestlers for 10 different 2025 awards (including Promotion of the Year) and those present on the call for covering All Elite Wrestling.
AEW presents Worlds End from the NOW Arena in Chicago, IL on Saturday, December 27.
