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The Young Bucks and Jack Perry laid Khan out with a piledriver.
The 2024 NFL Draft saw an unexpected crossover moment when Tony Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars and President of All Elite Wrestling, appeared sporting a neck brace. This wasn't due to a real-life injury, but rather a clever bit of professional wrestling storytelling spilling over into the world of football.
On the prior Wednesday's episode of AEW Dynamite, Khan, who frequently plays an on-air character as the CEO of the promotion, found himself on the receiving end of a brutal attack. The Young Bucks and Jack Perry laid Khan out with a piledriver, a move where an opponent is driven headfirst into the mat. This wasn't just a random act of violence. It was the culmination of a simmering storyline within AEW. The Elite, once pillars of the company, have been embroiled in a power struggle with Khan for months. The neck brace became a symbol of Khan's vulnerability and The Elite's dominance.
The Kayfabe concept
Enter the concept of "kayfabe." In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the blurring of lines between reality and fiction. Wrestlers maintain their personas even outside the ring, perpetuating the illusion that the on-screen rivalries are real. By wearing the neck brace at the NFL Draft, Khan was "selling" the injury, staying true to kayfabe and generating buzz for AEW.
The stunt worked. NFL commentators acknowledged the brace, describing Khan as "shaking off the effects of a piledriver" and the "first NFL executive ever" to endure such a beating. Social media exploded, with wrestling fans appreciating the dedication and casual viewers intrigued by the backstory. This transcended the usual wrestling audience, bringing AEW and its storylines to the attention of a whole new group of people.
This isn't the first time wrestling and football have crossed paths. Whether this marks a new era of wrestling bleeding into other sports remains to be seen. But one thing is certain- Tony Khan's neck brace ensured that AEW, professional wrestling, and the concept of kayfabe got a whole lot of mainstream attention during the NFL Draft.