Bully Ray Analyzes What Shane McMahon Has Said About Meeting With AEW's Tony Khan
Last week, the airport meeting between Shane McMahon and AEW CEO Tony Khan set off a flurry of renewed speculation regarding the possibility of seeing a McMahon in a promotion other than WWE. "Busted Open Radio" co-host Bully Ray has been one of the leading voices on the topic, even relaying an official statement from McMahon on the news. After reading the statement, Bully continued by offering his interpretation of McMahon's words.
"If I'm presenting this case to a jury, I think it's a reasonable hypothesis — educated guess — to say that they were talking about some type of working relationship," Bully said. "Shane doesn't have to do anything, but ... Shane would be a game-changer for AEW."
While he believes the son of Vince McMahon appearing as a wrestler in AEW would certainly be a draw, Bully thinks Shane would make the biggest impact on the business side. Though Vince McMahon is undeniably one of the most controversial figures in wrestling history, the fact that Shane spent years learning from the man makes Bully feel that he would be a significant asset to AEW.
"Shane knows every aspect of the wrestling business," Bully continued. "Tony [Khan] has never sat under the learning tree of any booker in his life — good, bad, or indifferent. ... Eric Bischoff learned from Verne Gagne. Paul Heyman learned from Dusty Rhodes and Eddie Gilbert. Every great booker has learned from a previous great booker."
Bully isn't totally confident that a deal has been worked out, but based on his statement, the WWE Hall of Famer believes that McMahon will be "keeping tabs" on the promotion going forward. It shouldn't come as a surprise if McMahon does something with the promotion, and Bully will be pleased if it's in a backstage role.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.