The ending to last week’s AEW Dynamite left most fans stunned. Jack Perry and the Young Bucks assaulted Tony Khan. The AEW head honcho took a TK Driver from his EVPs. Khan’s father, the billionaire Shad Khan, showed up with a look of concern and anger over what went down between his son and the wrestlers.
Khan has been selling the injury since, wearing a neck brace to the NFL Draft the very next night while managing his how remotely. There’s no denying he’s always had an animated passion for the business. In the lead-up to this week’s AEW Dynamite, Khan teased the arrival of an on-screen authority figure to address the ongoing power struggle.
“We all have experience working outside the office. During the lockdown, we got used to meetings on Teams and Zoom. I’ll still be overseeing AEW and managing the show remotely. As for who will be the highest-ranking official onsite, stay tuned Wednesday. It will certainly be addressed this week on TBS, this power struggle that is happening in AEW,” he told TV Insider’s Scott Fishman.
So, who will act as the be-all, end-all onsite while Khan works from home? Realistically, the person would be a former/current wrestler with a close working relationship with almost everyone involved in the storyline. He won’t be someone who goes about punching everyone in the face. You get that, right?
Kenny Omega returns to AEW Dynamite tonight
Kenny Omega’s return to AEW Dynamite is set for tonight. The Cleaner returns to his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, nearly five months into his last AEW TV appearance. In his absence, the Young Bucks became EVP Bucks and formed an alliance with Kazuchika Okada, Omega’s biggest rival to date. They even took the bold step of firing him from The Elite.
Omega’s status as AEW’s EVP and his storyline as well as real-life involvement with The Elite would make him an obvious pick. The Cleaner has a bone to pick with his former Elite brethren. What if, Omega is the master mind behind all of this? It could be extremely bold and risky of AEW to turn Omega heel in his hometown of Winnipeg, but would certainly make for compelling TV.
Bryan Danielson
Tony Khan’s close relationship with Bryan Danielson is well documented. The AEW President previously told The Hollywood Reporter he’d trust Danielson to book a show “if I got hit by a bus, or if I was ever incapacitated for some reason.” The American Dragon has reportedly been heavily involved with AEW Collision since CM Punk’s firing in September.
Danielson has been with AEW since 2021. He’s been part of some of the greatest matches in company history. Plus, he’s no stranger to being an authority figure. Remember when he and Shane McMahon were co-General Managers of SmackDown Live? Finally, Bryan has had a storied feud with The Elite.
Scott D’Amore
Scott D’Amore‘s unceremonious departure from TNA Wrestling was a major shock. He had been instrumental in pushing TNA through the pandemic all the way to their short-lived partnership with AEW. He’d offered to buy TNA from Anthem Sports & Entertainment but it didn’t work out in the end.
Eric Bischoff even suggested AEW should hire in the wake of his firing. Scott has always had a close working relationship with talent. He is said to be receptive to ideas. Plus, he was a great on-screen authority figure during his time in TNA. Tony Khan putting Scott on his payroll would definitely be a huge surprise on AEW Dynamite tonight.
Sting was a mainstay on AEW Dynamite
Sting‘s Crow-inspired gimmick was anti-authority. His feud with the nWo was one of the biggest storylines in WCW during the nineties. In TNA, he showed a corporate side to himself with the Main Event Mafia storyline. He’d revert back to the Stinger gimmick during his AEW run.
Sting’s final storyline in Tony Khan’s promotion also involved the Young Bucks. In fact, Matt and Nick Jackson debuted their EVP Bucks gimmick during their feud with Sting and Darby Allin. Stinger may have retired from active in-ring competition, but he could return as the highest-ranking official on AEW Dynamite.
Honorable Mentions
Dixie Carter
TNA had its greatest years under Dixie Carter. They also had their worst years under the Carter regime. Dixie served as TNA’s President from 2002 to 2017. During her time, TNA went through a lot of phases until Don Callis and Scott D’Amore became involved creatively behind the scenes.
Dixie Carter was truly the number one villain during her Dixieland saga storyline in TNA. In AEW, she could be an effective on-screen authority figure, working alongside Tony Khan to topple her former employees.
Any fans of Generation Me?
Eric Bischoff has made several cameos on AEW Dynamite in the past
Eric Bischoff popped up during a townhall segment on the October 28, 2020, episode of AEW Dynamite. He continued to make sporadic appearances for the promotion till May 2021. He is at present a fierce critic of the product.
It seems Bischoff will never get over his criticism of AEW and, to be fair, that’s his opinion. That said, his expertise as an on-screen authority figure in WCW, WWE and ECW would’ve added to the power struggle angle on AEW Dynamite.
Jim Cornette
In a perfect world, Jim Cornette is revealed as Tony Khan’s right-hand man on AEW Dynamite. Everyone knows Cornette absolutely abhors AEW. He dislikes Kenny Omega and the Bucks. Moreover, he cannot stand Orange Cassidy’s gimmick.
On the plus side, Cornette is a revered historian of this business. He’s lived and breathed the industry, managed a slew of brilliant tag teams and superstars during his day, and can still put over a broom with his promo skills.
The possibility of Cornette working for Tony Khan is zero, but this business has thrived on “never say never”.
Also read: AEW Dynamite And Rampage To Air Live Back To Back On 5/1
