By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Tony Khan spoke with the pro wresting media on Thursday, April 4, 2024 to promote Friday’s ROH Supercard of Honor event. Refresh the page for the latest updates.
-Khan was asked about CM Punk’s comments that he’s a nice guy and not a boss and the interview in general. Khan said he would prefer not to talk about that and instead wanted to focus on ROH Supercard of Honor.
-The same caller was given a chance to ask a different question and he asked Khan was he has learned from working behind the curtain rather than being in front of it. Khan spoke about how crazy it is that they will be celebrating five years next month.
-I asked Khan about the talent cuts that were made on Monday and how it seemed to go against what he’s said previously about releasing wrestlers as opposed honoring the full length of their contracts. I asked about the change in philosophy and whether this was the end of this round of cuts. Khan said he values everyone on the roster and also spoke about how the situation is fluid. He said they have to be mindful of the budget, but he intends to continue to add talent. He also brought up Anthony Henry suffering an injury while working an independent show. Khan said he’s had some time to think about it and Henry will be returning to AEW/ROH once he’s cleared. Khan said he thinks they’ve worked out something and he would like to have him back in the company. Khan said that in some ways, he was trying to make changes to the budget, which he actually intends to increase. Khan said he had to make some cuts, but he will be very aggressive when it comes to the big name free agents. Khan said he thinks everyone has something to offer and some of those wrestlers may return.
-Khan was asked about The Boys (Brandon Tate and Brent Tate) being released. Khan said he really enjoys Castle and John Hennigan working together. He said the cuts came at a time when Castle had lost custody of The Boys in a storyline. Khan said that when he can be honest, he will be honest. Khan said The Boys didn’t show up for work on more than one occasion and he had to make a tough call.
-Khan was asked how many wrestlers are under contract to AEW and ROH and whether there are still tiered contract. Khan said they have a deep roster and some people are on weekly deals and some are on per appearance deals. Khan said that when they added ROH and then the Collision television show they wanted to grow the roster. Khan said he’s excited about where they will be at the end of 2024. Khan said he wasn’t expecting a blizzard in April and that’s what they got last night. Khan spoke about how scenic it was. He also spoke of having opportunities to expand the roster and said he will be aggressive when it comes to building the best roster they can. He dropped the new “Where the best wrestle” slogan and added that he feels they have the best roster.
-A caller asked about ROH Women’s Champion Athena. Khan raved about working with Athena and spoke about some of their work together. He said he took over the company two years ago and Athena has been champion for most of that time. Khan spoke about Athena facing a former AEW Women’s World Champion in Hikaru Shida, who defeated Shida in the past. Khan spoke of the Athena character’s confidence being shaken. Khan also spoke favorably about the ROH Women’s TV Title tournament. He said Billie Starkz vs. Queen Aminata meeting in the tournament final is the perfect conclusion.
-Khan spoke about how the match count of the Supercard of Honor card is roughly the same as it has been for past ROH shows.
-Khan was asked how instrumental Rocky Romero was when it came to getting the Stardom match on the show. Khan said the relationship with Stardom is much better than it was. Khan said it’s a new day when it comes to Stardom and AEW. He said the new management has been great to work with.
-A caller noted ROH’s history in Philadelphia and asked Khan about pro wrestling in the city. Khan spoke about his father taking him to ECW when he was a kid and his company’s history there.
-Khan was asked about AEW pay-per-views being allowed to air on TrillerTV.com and other platforms and what led to the move. Khan said it expands their reach and will hopefully grow the audience. Khan said they have grown a reputation that AEW delivers great pay-per-view events. He said 2023 was their biggest year on pay-per-view to date and he believes 2024 can be bigger. He said AEW Revolution was one of their most purchased pay-per-views. He said tickets for AEW Dynasty are selling great and the pay-per-view has great demand. Khan said ROH is at the peak of streaming for the ROH website/app.
-Khan was asked if there’s been any movement for an ROH television or streaming deal. Khan said they have their own streaming channel. He said AEW has a big media rights renewal coming up. He said he owns the ROH rights, which are open for business. Khan said there are great opportunities to expand or change the platform going forward. He believes they hold a lot of cards heading into next year and it’s a very exciting time for the company.
-Khan was asked about ROH becoming a female driven brand. Khan said they have some of the best women in pro wrestling in ROH. He said that in addition to the presence of Stardom, they have great championship matches, including the crowning of the first ROH Women’s TV Champion.
-Khan was asked about the Eddie Kingston vs. Mark Briscoe match for the ROH Championship. Khan spoke of it occurring on the eleventh anniversary of the late Jay Briscoe winning the title and how Mark has yet to win it. Khan spoke about his own history with the Briscoes. He said he thinks about Jay’s death every day and said he has a few photos of Jay in his wallet. Khan said the Briscoe family are some of the best people he has ever met.
-Khan was asked when the exclusive window for Warner Bros. Discovery to negotiate the AEW media rights deal expires. Khan laughed and said it probably was not in his best interest to list the date, but he said it’s coming up soon.
-A caller thanked Khan for keeping ROH alive. He also said ROH outshined WrestleMania some years in terms of match quality and really set the table for what WrestleMania has become (in terms of satellite events). Khan spoke about his excitement for Supercard of Honor and said he feels they have set the bar high with the ROH shows they’ve held since he acquired the brand.
-Khan wrapped up the call and mentioned that he will be holding a media scrum after Friday’s ROH Supercard of Honor. The audio of the call will be released as a free podcast later today.
Be the first to comment