During a recent autograph session at K&S WrestleFest, Kevin Kelly, an ex-announcer with AEW, shared insights on the decision-making dynamics at AEW, spearheaded by Tony Khan, the company’s CEO and President.
Kelly also shared his thoughts on Frankie Kazarian’s recent commentary about AEW, where he likened its operation to “the inmates running the asylum”.
Here are some of the key points from the podcast discussion:
Commenting on Frankie Kazarian’s description of AEW as “the inmates running the asylum”, Kelly shared, “The idea of ‘inmates running the asylum,’ is – it could have been true during Frankie’s time in there, we did not ever get to cross paths there, despite being great pals — perhaps it was during his stint. During my tenure, it felt like there was a lot of waiting for Tony Khan to make decisions.”
When it came to the role of Tony Khan in decision making at AEW, Kelly remarked, “Each decision needed his approval. From selecting the wall paint color to more major decisions, everything had to go through him. Although he has skilled people around him, he could have delegated responsibilities more. But why he didn’t, well… only he can answer that.”
Kelly left his position at the joint venture of AEW/ROH only recently this year.