Tony Khan has responded to rumors that AEW stopped Mance Warner from appearing at an upcoming indie event.
The situation started when AAW Wrestling announced that Warner would no longer appear at its Homecoming event. He was originally set to face Richard Holiday in one of the featured matches on the show.
In its announcement, AAW claimed the change happened because of a request from AEW. That seemed confusing, as AEW is generally known for letting its wrestlers work independent shows when schedules allow.
Recently, AEW talents like Ricochet and MJF have appeared for indie promotions and crossover events. Usually, the only things stopping such appearances are injuries, scheduling issues, or TV commitments.
Tony Khan Says Nobody In AEW Asked For Mance Warner To Be Removed From AAW Show
Not long after the statement started spreading online, Tony Khan personally responded on social media. The AEW President said nobody in the company had asked for Warner to be pulled from the event and claimed the accusation was completely new to them.
“That’s the first that I’ve heard of this, and it’s the first time anyone in AEW’s office has heard of it. He is welcome to do your show,” Khan wrote.
Warner is not currently a major featured name on AEW TV, but he has continued appearing on Ring of Honor programming in recent months. He also worked ROH tapings on May 18, which may have led some people to assume AEW was involved because of the connection between ROH and AEW.
Warner has also been in the news this year after his exit from TNA alongside his wife, Steph De Lander, earlier in 2026. Since leaving, both have stayed active on the independent wrestling scene and have continued appearing for Game Changer Wrestling.
At the moment, neither Warner nor AAW has provided any additional clarification following Khan’s public response.
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