Fightful Select and WrestleTalk has learned that AEW CEO Tony Khan had a private meeting with Shane McMahon, in an office at an airport in Arlington, Texas on Monday.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful has confirmed with sources the meeting did indeed take place with Khan and Shane, as the two were said to be discussing “possibilities moving forward”.
Sapp also noted Khan had been “open” to talking with McMahon for a while. However it is believed the two never met – or even spoken to each other before all of the rumors about Shane possibly joining AEW emerged recently.
Khan is said to have been “very open” to “using” Shane for several weeks now, and has also made it clear that he was open to the idea of talking to Shane when people have brought up topic up using Shane to Khan backstage.
Those that Fightful Select spoke to on Tuesday said they had not been briefed on a meeting.
Publicly, Khan said during a recent interview on the Maggie & Perloff show that Shane was “welcome to stop by at any time” and “he seems like a really nice guy”.
Furthermore, Khan told Sports Illustrated that he has “a lot of respect for Shane as an executive and a professional wrestler” and that he is “always welcome in AEW”.
Shane McMahon has been absent from WWE since WrestleMania 39, where he tore his quad just seconds into an inpromtu match against The Miz.
Fightful concluded by noting it has been confirmed that Shane is not under any kind of contract with WWE as of June 2024.