Tony Khan, the owner of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), has been commended for his treatment of injured talent. According to Sean Sapp of Fightful, Khan is insistent on compensating wrestlers who cannot perform due to injury, even if their contract has expired.
“AEW President Tony Khan has been adamant that the company will pay injured talent, which might have been months after Santana’s contract expired. AEW paid for over a half-year Santana could have been out of a contract,” Sapp reported behind Fightful’s paywall.
This policy was exemplified in the case of Santana, who tore his ACL during the Blood & Guts match and required surgery and an extended break from wrestling. Even though Santana’s contract is due to expire in September, Khan continued to pay him throughout his injury and recovery.
Khan has also been known to extend contracts for talent who have missed significant time due to injury, as he did with Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley. While some fans may criticize Khan’s management style, it is clear that he places a high value on taking care of his roster.
It remains to be seen when Santana will return to the ring and continue his storyline with Ortiz, but AEW fans can rest assured that he will be compensated for the time he was unable to perform.