With Vince McMahon out of the way, Tony Khan and AEW are poised to get rid of WWE's monopoly on pro wrestling.

Vince McMahon's retirement this week sent shock waves through the professional wrestling industry. Although he has found himself in hot water due to allegations of secret payments, many felt that Vince would hold onto his coveted position as Chairman and CEO until he was no longer physically able. His absence from the company will surely be felt for a long time to come. After all, he has been running it since 1982, ever since he purchased it from his father, Vince McMahon Senior.

Throughout that 40-year run, Vince and his roster slowly but surely beat or outlasted everyone in their path. They started by dismantling the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) piece by piece. An organization that the WWWF had been a part of under Vince McMahon Senior. After that, they went head-to-head with Jim Crocket Promotions, WCW, ECW, TNA, ROH, and more. Even though Vince received his fair share of criticisms, he always managed to come out on top; until very recently that is. His newly announced absence leaves a massive hole for a new king to be crowned in professional wrestling. It seems very likely that the one who will pick up that crown is none other than AEW's Tony Khan.

Tony Khan is a very intelligent booker and businessman, but more importantly, he is a passionate fan of the sport of pro wrestling. Throughout the last 4 years, he has built AEW up into a true juggernaut of a company that is finally taking the battle straight to WWE.

He is clearly invested in the long-term success of his business and his roster. It's also apparent to anyone who follows the ambitious CEO, just how competitive he is. In a tweet posted on the day of McMahon's retirement announcement, Khan stated, "Thanks to wrestling fans and your great support of @AEW, I'm grateful to now be the longest-tenured CEO in pro wrestling."

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In the absence of Vince McMahon, his daughter Stephanie will be running the company as co-CEO alongside longstanding WWE executive Nick Khan. Triple H has also re-entered the fold, resuming control of talent relations and adding Head of Creative to his resume. This has been met with a lot of positivity from WWE fans who are excited about some welcome change to the admittedly stale product that they've experienced over the last several years.

It won't be an easy battle for Tony Khan and his AEW team. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon have decades of experience and training. They won't allow WWE to slip without a fight. However, although WWE seems poised to keep pushing, it will take time to re-adjust. If the allegations against Vince McMahon end up going to trial, it could spell a lot more negative PR for the brand. In a time when advertisers are hyper-fixated on brand image, any kind of legal battle could push WWE into a sizable corner.

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Tony Khan is perfectly prepared for this shift in the old guard. He has spent the last 4 years building up an incredibly talented roster that will only continue to improve. His recent acquisition of Ring of Honor only strengthened the hand that he has to play. He has also formed a great partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, which is a strong advantage to have. It could only be a matter of time before we see AEW content on massive platforms like HBO MAX.

This isn't a WWE vs WCW situation. Will we ever see Tony Khan proudly proclaim on live TV that he bought WWE? Probably not, however, that isn't the point. WWE has held a massive monopoly on the pro-wrestling industry, ever since the collapse of WCW in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Just taking down that massive monopoly will be a huge victory for the industry in and of itself. It will benefit everyone from the wrestlers in the ring, to the fans in arenas and at home. Competition is great for consumers and that is exactly what Tony Khan intends to provide. The era of the WWE monopoly is coming to an end. For now, all we can do is wait with excitement to see where that road takes us. If things go right, we might just be entering a new golden era of professional wrestling in both WWE and AEW.

Bradley Liles is a professional wrestling analyst and feature writer for The Sportster.