Tony Khan has revealed his personal Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling, while also naming the wrestler he believes stands above the rest based on his own experience in the industry.

Speaking on Marking Out with MVP and Dwayne Swayze, Khan explained that his original list is rooted in his childhood fandom, while his modern perspective would look different.

Tony Khan Mount Rushmore Picks

Khan’s childhood-based Mount Rushmore includes Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, and Sting.

He emphasized that the list reflects the performers who shaped his early view of wrestling, starting with Austin.

“The first person I would say is Steve Austin,” Khan said. “Through a number of different iterations. I’ve been a fan of Steve Austin since he first started wrestling on television. I was watching with Steve Austin in the summer of 91, first became the World TV Champion on TBS, and I followed him as a singles wrestler, through tag teams, as Stunning Steve. I always believed Stunning Steve was going to be a top star in wrestling. I just didn’t know that it would be in a different promotion, not as Stunning Steve, and not with his blonde hair. And then he became the greatest star in the history of wrestling. He’s an incredible, incredible wrestler. He’s an incredible person. And I think that Steve Austin would be the very first person I would put on any wrestling Mount Rushmore.”

Khan then highlighted Flair as an essential inclusion.

“I also think that Steve Austin and I would agree about this, any wrestling Mount Rushmore must include the Nature Boy Ric Flair,” he said. “I think the Nature Boy Ric Flair, to me, is the person I grew up on. My first message board name was Tony Flair. And I’m a big Ric Flair believer. And I absolutely think Ric Flair, to me growing up, was the person that I followed for the longest time, who I thought wrestled at the highest level.”

He also praised Hart’s consistency and in-ring quality.

“I would also say Bret Hart. Bret Hart, the Hitman. What a fantastic wrestler, talking about people that wrestled on American TV at the highest level, and you never saw any inconsistency. You always saw them putting out their very best. And even before I really understood what makes great wrestling matches, or understood really that there’s any cooperation, when I was really watching wrestling as a kid at a very young age, immediately the quality of the Bret Hart matches stood out to me. I first saw him in the tag team of the Hart Foundation when I was a kid. But Bret Hart is somebody that I have a lot of respect for. And I would include Bret Hart on that Mount Rushmore,” Khan said.

Sting rounded out the list, with Khan reflecting on both his fandom and later working relationship.

“And then when I talk about my childhood idols and somebody that I think has been a huge part of my life, somebody I grew up on and then came to AEW and had his retirement match. And I never imagined that I would get to know him, or let alone work with him someday. And that is Sting,” Khan said. “Sting I was a huge fan of as a kid. I was a little Stinger, and I never imagined when we launched AEW that Sting could become a part of it, or that Sting would have quite possibly the greatest run anyone’s ever had.”

Khan added that Ricky Steamboat would round out his top five.

Kenny Omega Tops Khan’s Modern List

While his Mount Rushmore reflects his childhood influences, Khan made it clear that his current view places Kenny Omega at the very top.

“If I could go in and put together a Mount Rushmore with what I know and the people I’ve worked with, Kenny Omega would be at the top of it. And this is a very childhood influence list, but I think Kenny Omega is the greatest wrestler I’ve ever seen,” Khan said.

MVP Shares His Own Picks

MVP also shared his Mount Rushmore during the discussion, naming The Rock, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair, and Keiji Mutoh.

MVP emphasized the importance of including Japanese wrestling legends, mentioning names such as Antonio Inoki, Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, and Giant Baba as worthy candidates.

He specifically highlighted Mutoh’s ability to evolve throughout his career.

“His ability and the way he constantly reinvented and changed, but stayed on top, and when his body fell apart, he changed the way he wrestled, but was still dynamic to watch,” MVP said. “When he couldn’t do the physical things that he used to do anymore, the character became bigger.”

He also cited Kawada as a personal favorite, pointing to his matches with Misawa as a major influence.

Different Eras, Different Perspectives

The discussion reflects how perspectives on wrestling greatness can vary depending on era and experience, with Khan separating his childhood influences from his modern-day evaluation.

Tony Khan Mount Rushmore

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