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Tony Khan tweeted the following regarding comments made by Ariel Monroe a.k.a. Big Swole on her "Old Business" podcast:
The top 2 @AEW execs are brown (me & Megha)!! Jade, Bowens, Caster, Dante, Nyla, Isiah & Marq Quen all won on tv this month. The TBS Title Tournament has been very diverse. I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough. #AEWRampage Street Fight TONIGHT! https://t.co/NprF6I7D6G
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) January 1, 2022
Powerhouse Hobbs tweeted the following:
— PowerHouse HOBBS (@TrueWillieHobbs) January 1, 2022
Capt. Shawn Dean tweeted:
Shawn Dean @AEW Extras Coordinator…my official title in #AEW behind the scenes, a black male in the office, giving as many opportunities to minority talents as I can every single week.
— Capt. Shawn Dean (@ShawnDean773) January 1, 2022
On the community team…raising awareness for inner city kids any chance I get…
The things we are expecting can and will happen…Trust the process
— Capt. Shawn Dean (@ShawnDean773) January 1, 2022
I listened to Swole's podcast that everyone is referencing in these tweets and it basically breaks down to two main issues she had with AEW.
One, she felt the women's division was an organizational mess, stating that with Kenny Omega busy working on his stuff, the women's division fell by the wayside with girls getting a limited opportunity. Swole talks about talents in the female division only being able to work 2 to 3-minute matches on Dark with inexperienced young talent. She states at one point she was taken to the side and asked to be "a sheriff" of sorts in the division handling the issues that may arise. Swole states that she and others made suggestions to try to make the women's division better such as training camps, guest instructors, etc. Many in the division would pitch storylines without any feedback causing frustration. She talks about the Diamante feud on Dark and how she received praise from Kenny Omega for the idea before her exit from the company.
But the big thing everybody seems to be latching onto, including Tony Khan himself, is her call out of the lack of diversity in AEW. To be fair, she doesn't say that minorities are not getting opportunities in the company, she states that they are not in primary roles for the company. Swole talks about her daughter watching AEW not seeing people like her on television while WWE currently features Big E, Bianca Belair and others in prominent roles. She also talks about death threats she received after wearing a Black Lives Matter armband at Daily's Place in Jacksonville from the same fans that cheered her months earlier.
But it's not all negative, Swole talks about the praise received from legends, the kindness of Tony Khan, the family atmosphere, behind-the-scenes shenanigans with Nyla Rose, etc.
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