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Tony Khan: ‘I don’t want to put my hand too much into what I’ve got planned but it’s going to be a great week for us’
AEW will be celebrating their third anniversary Dynamite this week. The company has served as a great platform to build new stars in the industry and that proliferation of talent would not be possible without its weekly flagship.
Over the past three years, AEW has breathed new life into the industry. There would be no recognition without AEW – nor would we have witnessed a Cody Rhodes revival, a CM Punk return, or Kenny Omega’s departure from New Japan Pro-Wrestling and his subsequent arrival in the United States. All this was recorded on a weekly basis Dynamiteand completing three years for the show is a source of pride for company founder Tony Khan.
“One of the best things about AEW is that we’ve been able to put more noteworthy wrestling on television and create a new group of stars,” says Khan. “Whether or not AEW was formed, many of these people would still have found a way to become stars, but AEW has created a place for them to reach that stardom – and a place for fans around the world to embrace the best wrestling in the world.”
MJF’s brilliance has also served as a trademark for AEW, providing countless must-see moments in Dynamite. He’ll be in action this week against Wheeler Yuta, a feud that stretches back to their time together on the independent circuit. Wrestling icon Bryan Danielson is also on the bill as he teams with Daniel Garcia against Chris Jericho and Sami Guevara. It’s impossible to retell the story of AEW’s launch without including the great work of Jericho, who has carried the company on his shoulders on numerous occasions over the past three years.
“Jericho is one of the reasons AEW’s launch was so successful,” says Khan. “And the 2022 version of Jericho is incredible. He’s lost 31 pounds, getting himself into even better shape, and hasn’t lost an ounce of his charisma. He had some of his best matches this year, including Eddie Kingston Revolutionvs. Jon Moxley at Earthquake by the lakeboth matches against Bryan Danielson at Everything out and up Dynamite they were excellent. His match last week against Bandido was also excellent. AEW wouldn’t be AEW without Chris Jericho and he has been instrumental to our success again this year.”
Jericho is always one step ahead in his creative storytelling and it’s exciting to hear him proclaim himself the greatest sports entertainer in the world while watching him put on legitimately exciting matches in the ring.
Khan believes that Jericho is a great representative for Ring of Honor as its world champion, especially since there is still the potential for the brand to get its own television slot.
“Chris is the new Ring of Honor Champion and it will be very interesting to see Chris put his own stamp on this championship,” says Khan. “Warner Bros. Discovery wants to continue with the Ring of Honor pay-per-view, and the success of the Ring of Honor pay-per-view foreshadows an opportunity at a weekly show.”
Jericho has also served as a strong voice among the talent in the AEW locker room, especially recently during the suspension of CM Punk and three AEW Executive Vice Presidents, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson).
When asked about the status of those suspensions, Khan did not provide any additional information.
“I can’t comment on that,” says Khan, who noted that AEW will continue to hold media blitzes after pay-per-views. However, Khan did provide a brief update on a potential future streaming service for AEW, which is a top priority for the company.
“As the library continues to grow, we’re only building a stronger and stronger addition to our content,” says Khan. “We’re working to do it in a way that makes sense.”
The future of AEW is directly tied to Warner Bros. Discovery Dynamite on TBS and I run on TNT. Khan is optimistic that their partnership will expand much further when the current agreement expires in December 2023.
“It’s been good for AEW to have a presence on TBS and TNT,” says Khan. “The new management of Warner Bros. Discovery gave us great opportunities and showed us great trust.
“We are celebrating its three-year anniversary Dynamite with an additional 15 minutes live Dynamiteanother great sign that Warner Bros. Discovery is behind us. I run it’s two hours live this Friday night, which is also really exciting. It’s been a great year for us and we look forward to continuing to grow together.”
Those familiar with the AEW product are quite familiar with Khan’s penchant for surprises. Considering Wednesday night is the celebration of its opening Dynamiteit’s fair to imagine that Khan will deliver an amazing night of wrestling.
“I don’t want to put my hand too much into what we have planned, but it’s going to be a great week for us,” says Khan. “We have four hours and 15 minutes of live TV and it will be a great opportunity for us to show why this is the best fight in the world.”
The (online) week in wrestling
- New Japan’s Royal Quest two-day show in London concluded with the great Tetsuya Naito defeating Zack Saber Jr., a match I will never tire of watching. It was also another highlight for FTR, who led off the first night with a successful IWGP title defense against the Aussie Open in the main event.
- Saraya’s first big promo in AEW was a waste, but don’t write her off just yet. It’s still a great addition.
- Bryan Danielson can headline WrestleMania or open a weekly show, and the result of both is magical. This was shown last week in Dynamite’s opener against Jericho Appreciation Society’s Matt Menard.
- Stardom ran the 5 Star Grand Prix last weekend, which ended with Giulia winning the tournament final against Tam Nakano.
- Impact Wrestling will run the Bound for Glory pay-per-view this week. Is it time to take the belt off Josh Alexander? You feel like it’s time for a heel to carry the belt, whether it’s Eddie Edwards or whoever is coming out of the Gauntlet match.
UFC legend Daniel Cormier is coming to WWE Extreme rules to oversee the Seth Rollins–Matt Riddle match
Daniel Cormier is finally coming to WWE.
The UFC Hall of Famer – and longtime WWE fan – will be the special guest referee during the Seth Rollins vs. Matt Riddle Fight Pit match on Saturday at Extreme rules. It’s a perfect way to introduce Cormier to WWE, and while it’s far from identical to Ken Shamrock’s introduction to the company in WrestleMania 13 in 1997, certainly has some parallels.
A pioneer in MMA, Shamrock was the special guest for the submission match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin. This still stands as one of the greatest pro wrestling shows in the history of the industry, and Shamrock enhanced the moment by adding further legitimacy to the match. Cormier is similar in that his fighting credentials are legendary and his inclusion adds another layer to the Rollins-Riddle feud.
Cormier’s appreciation of professional wrestling is genuine. If executed properly, this Saturday could generate interest for further appearances. Rollins’ skill set makes him perfectly equipped to fight Cormier one time. I’m not sure there would be universal appeal for a Cormier program with Brock Lesnar, but there is the potential for him to team with Lesnar against The Bloodline. And he would make a perfect addition to the Royal Rumble match in January, which he mentioned in this very column five years ago.
The tweet of the week
If you don’t follow Ricky Starks, you should.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Justin Barrasso.
