Tony Khan Celebrates SI Awards - WWE Takes Over Stranger Things
As we close out 2025 (and kick off the holiday hangover on December 29), the wrestling world is buzzing with two very different stories. On one side, AEW is riding high after dominating the Sports Illustrated 2025 Pro Wrestling Awards, sweeping 10 categories including Promotion of the Year, Male Wrestler of the Year (Hangman Adam Page), Female Wrestler of the Year (Mercedes Moné), and Show of the Year (Double or Nothing).
AEW President Tony Khan wasted no time celebrating, posting multiple times on X (including a big one on Christmas Day):
He doubled down in media scrums and post-event pressers, thanking fans and the journalists’ panel repeatedly.
Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio even gave props to Tony for caring so much about these “kayfabe” awards—using them to rehab AEW’s image after rough patches in 2023-2024. The company has been repeating these wins on shows, in promos, and across socials like it’s the ultimate validation.
But flip the channel (or the streaming app) to WWE, and the response is… crickets.
Zero mentions from Triple H, no integration into Raw or SmackDown, no social blasts gloating about SI awards. Instead, WWE dropped a massive mainstream bomb on Christmas: Stranger Things Night on the January 5, 2026, episode of Raw—the 2026 premiere, marking the one-year anniversary of Raw on Netflix.
Netflix’s official hype: “RAW gets Stranger – It’s Stranger Things Night on WWE RAW! The 2026 premiere episode on January 5th will feature some of the biggest names in WWE and kick off WrestleMania season.”
We’ve got confirmed title matches like CM Punk defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Bron Breakker, plus a themed episode tying into one of Netflix’s biggest IPs right after Stranger Things’ finale drops on December 31.
This is Hollywood-level crossover—pop culture dominance, Superstars on ESPN, billions in Netflix deals, global eyeballs. It’s WWE playing in the big leagues, casually making wrestling feel like part of mainstream entertainment.
The Real Divide: Validation vs. Confidence
This contrast couldn’t be starker. Tony Khan and AEW are obsessing over niche journalism/fan-voted awards from a respected but not-Oscars-level outlet like Sports Illustrated.
Blasting them everywhere makes the promotion feel smaller—like they’re still chasing cred, still proving they’re “legit” after years of ups and downs. It’s defensive, repetitive, and yeah, it can come off as desperate.
Could you imagine Triple H bragging about SI awards?
Picture it: “Hey everyone, we won Promotion of the Year from the journalists’ panel!” He’d probably smirk, roll his eyes, and keep booking global spectacles. Triple H gives the tiniest of fucks about these things—evidence shows WWE ignores them entirely while dropping bigger plays like this Stranger Things collab.
Their ecosystem is too massive: Netflix billions, international tours, in-ring product that’s the benchmark. They create their own awards (Slammys vibes, Hall of Fame), but even those are secondary to real mainstream wins.
This exposes the core philosophies in 2025/2026 wrestling:
AEW chasing media panel validation to counter perceptions.
WWE confidently dominating entertainment without needing the dirtsheet stamps.
It’s not about who “won” the year—AEW had a strong in-ring 2025, no doubt. But the way they handle success vs. WWE’s silence + bigger moves?
It makes AEW look like the scrappy underdog trying too hard, while WWE feels like the undisputed heavyweight.
If you want my unfiltered, no-holds-barred thoughts—the deeper connections, why this gap feels wider than ever, and some heavy receipts on the bigger picture—tune into the very first episode of WrestleVoice Radio dropping soon.
No co-host, no filters, just me unloading the real voice. Subscribe on Spotify (or wherever audio podcasts live), hit notifications, and get ready for the raw version. The article gives you the breakdown; the episode gives you the bombs.
