Tony Khan’s booking of AEW has had its detractors from the outset.
While it can now be argued that the company is experiencing a creative resurgence and producing stronger weekly television, there was a stretch across 2023 and 2024 where Khan, like many bookers before him, seemed to run out of ideas.
This was likely due to exhaustion from the multiple high-pressure roles – with the English Premier League’s Fulham FC and the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars – he continues to juggle.
If burnout reappears, there are several intriguing options for who could eventually take over the pencil.
5. Gabe Sapolsky
From its birth in 2002 until 2008, Gabe Sapolsky booked Ring of Honor, going on to book other trendsetting independent promotions: EVOLVE and Dragon Gate USA.
Ring of Honor served as the precursor, the spiritual forebearer to AEW, providing a platform for some of AEW’s biggest ever stars – Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe and CM Punk – to get their first national breaks, while innovating a hard-hitting in-ring style influenced by Japan.
Of course, this option is unlikely, as Sapolsky is currently employed by WWE, running their incarnation of EVOLVE and overseeing their ID program.
With that significant issue aside, few options would be more apt.
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4. Jimmy Jacobs
On the subject of ROH, another potential possibility for AEW’s booking future is Jimmy Jacobs, an alum of Sapolsky’s incarnation of the promotion.
Jacobs, who made his name in ROH before transitioning to writing roles in WWE, TNA, and AEW, was a key part of Tony Khan’s creative team, working closely with Khan on the company’s creative direction.
Although Jacobs did part ways with AEW in October 2024, citing burnout from the extensive travel demands.
Nevertheless, his departure was reportedly amicable, and he did not rule out a return – this suggests he would potentially be interested in taking over the booking if offered the opportunity.
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3. Scott D’Amore
It came as a shock in February 2024 when TNA booker Scott D’Amore was relieved of his duties and let go from the company.
The Canadian had helped steady the promotion, reverted the name back from IMPACT to TNA, and was responsible for its most successful pay-per-view in years, Genesis 2024.
Since then, D’Amore has gone on to launch his own Canadian-based promotion, Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling, resurrecting a historic territory that originally closed its doors in 1984.
However, despite his new company’s early stages, one would imagine he would jump at the chance to take over booking duties in the world’s second-biggest wrestling promotion, AEW.
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2. Shane McMahon
A sit-down meeting between AEW owner Tony Khan and Shane McMahon took place last summer.
Unsurprisingly, this set the wrestling world and rumour mill ablaze.
Details of the meeting only emerged this year, with former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman claiming on his podcast that McMahon asked for the opportunity to “run the entire show.”
Admittedly, giving him such control is an outlandish option — one that not only seems highly unlikely to happen but also carries no guarantee it would work well, given McMahon’s lack of a successful track record; nevertheless, it would certainly grab the attention of the wrestling world.
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1. Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson’s full-time in-ring career ended at the hands of Jon Moxley at last year’s WrestleDream pay-per-view.
His influence has not left the company, however, with Tony Khan mentioning this week that he still talks to Danielson “almost every day.”
It seems Danielson is helping with the booking from afar.
As someone who shares Khan’s vision of a wrestling product focused on in-ring action, the “American Dragon” is the natural successor and would be the obvious choice to pass the pencil to if the time comes.
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