Kevin Kelly criticizes Tony Khan for being overly sensitive and unprofessional in handling criticism

Kevin Kelly criticized Tony Khan for being overly sensitive and unprofessional in handling criticism, particularly regarding an incident involving New Japan Pro Wrestling commentator Chris Charlton. “How dare you, Tony Khan, to be so sensitive that an announcer… is going to get upset about that and start texting people and complaining,” Kelly remarked, adding, “Come on, man, grow a set.”

Kelly explained that Charlton had referenced wrestler Gabe Kidd’s comments about Khan being a “money mark” during a broadcast, which reportedly angered Khan. In response, Charlton was temporarily removed from his commentary duties. Kelly defended Charlton, saying, “Nobody has really stood up for Chris… because what he said was taken out of context.”

He criticized Khan’s behavior, saying, “He reacts to a lot of stuff on social media… goes right after fans… and responds to things they’ve said. Why would you do that? You can’t do that.” Kelly also compared Khan’s public persona to Vince McMahon’s, stating, “The public face of AEW became Tony Khan. That should have never happened.” He emphasized that AEW should focus on being different from WWE instead of trying to compete directly.

Kelly concluded by calling for Khan to handle criticism better, adding, “Be better, Tony Khan. Quit being a crybaby.”

Source: In Ring Wrestling Podcast