Nick Khan acknowledges that WWE fans complain on the internet, but he believes that the loudest voices on social media should not dictate the creative direction of the company. The president of WWE explained that the company listens to criticisms, although they are not willing to react automatically to every negative comment.
During an interview on The Varsity, Khan was discussing the relationship between WWE, ESPN, and ESPN Unlimited when John Ourand pointed out that wrestling fans "love to complain". Khan did not disagree, but clarified that this attitude is not exclusive to wrestling.
To explain it, he recalled the old comment and complaint forms that used to exist in restaurants and airlines. According to Khan, social media works in a similar way: although sometimes someone uses it to praise good service, most people post when they want to express discontent.
Regarding complaints, sports fans in general... it's practically what Twitter was created for, now X. It's like when you and I, John, were much younger. Do you remember the comment or complaint cards? Restaurants had them, airlines had them.
"You rarely found someone who would write: 'I just want to say that the service was exceptional tonight'. But that medium was not created for that. It was created for: 'The service was terrible, the food was terrible, I didn't like it'. So you only received complaints," he added.
Khan clarified that WWE does not automatically ignore fan criticisms. He admitted that, at times, the company reviews comments, identifies a valid observation, and makes small adjustments. However, he insists that WWE cannot tailor its product to every negative reaction that appears online.
"And, by the way, some of those complaints we look at and say: 'There is some truth to this'. Let's make a small adjustment here or there'. But you can't please everyone," he stated.
For Khan, the main problem arises when what is read on social media is interpreted as a perfect representation of the entire WWE audience. He used politics as an example of how a seemingly dominant opinion on the internet may not align with what happens when a much larger group of people is involved.
"You've seen it in politics. If you believe what social media says, you will incorrectly predict many outcomes," he pointed out. "For companies that read that, believe it, and react to it, it never works."
Khan argued that WWE should primarily trust the people who are already making decisions within the company. He specifically mentioned Triple H, Paul Levesque, whom he described as the best creative head in all of wrestling, and also praised the live events, merchandising, and consumer products teams.
"You have to trust that your team knows what they're doing. We have the best creative head in all of wrestling in Triple H, whose real name is Paul Levesque. We have the best live events team, in my opinion. We have the best consumer products and merchandising team. They are able to monetize it," he declared.
WWE will continue to listen to what fans express on the internet, but Khan differentiates between considering a valid criticism and letting every angry post become a demand for change. When he believes the reaction makes sense, WWE is willing to adjust; when it doesn't, the company prefers to rely on its own internal structure.
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