AEW/ROH media call report: Tony Khan speaks with the pro wrestling media ahead of Friday’s ROH Death Before Dishonor

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

AEW President Tony Khan spoke with the pro wresting media on Thursday, July 25, 2024 to promote Friday’s ROH Death Before Dishonor. Refresh the page for the latest updates.

-The first caller asked if ROH would explore holding residencies for future tapings. Khan said it was an interesting question and he touted what they are doing in Arlington, Texas.

-I asked Tony about the use of chair shots to the head in pro wrestling, including in last night’s Blood & Guts match, and whether something is being done to the chairs that makes him feel comfortable allowing it. Khan said he didn’t want to get into the mechanics of pro wrestling and how they do things. Khan said he wants there to be some mystery when it comes to how things are done. He indicated that everyone came out of the Blood & Guts match relatively healthy. He also said that things aren’t always done the same way they were done 25 years ago.

-Khan was asked about his relationship with Kevin Von Erich. He spoke favorably about working with Kevin, Ross, and Marshall.

-Stephanie Chase asked whether ROH is part of the negotiations for AEW’s media rights. Khan said ROH has come up during his discussions with Warner Bros. Discovery. He was enthusiastic about his conversation with WBD, which he said are happening “right now.” Khan said it’s an active conversation and ROH is a part of the bigger AEW discussions that they are having.

-Khan was asked whether there will be additional matches announced for ROH Death Before Dishonor and the pre-show and why they haven’t been announced yet if there will be. Khan said they have six matches announced so far and ran through the lineup. He added that they have endured some injuries, including Jay White and Dalton Castle, which changed the card. Khan sang the praises of Castle. Khan said other companies wouldn’t catch slack if they only advertised six matches for a show. He said he feels like he’d be criticized by some people if he simply sneezed. Khan said he would be adding more to the lineup. Khan said he also had to look at who would be banged up and who could wrestle after they held the Royal Rampage match.

-Khan was asked about Mark Briscoe’s reign as ROH Champion. Khan sang the praises of Mark and said he’s been a great ROH Champion, tag team champion, and being part of ROH since the first show. Khan noted that Mark was at the first ROH show, but he was too young to wrestle on that show. Khan said he loves working with Mark and is very excited about his match with Roderick Strong at Death Before Dishonor.

-The next caller asked about Khan’s list of favorite ROH matches since he bought the company with the caveat being that he couldn’t list the FTR vs. Briscoes matches in all three slots. Khan said those matches would be at the top of his list. He said Athena has had “so many great matches.” He said that Athena’s pay-per-view match with Willow Nightingale was fantastic and he said they also had a great match on the weekly streaming show. Khan also praised The Kingdom vs. Top Flight matches. He said there are so many matches to choose from, but those are some of his favorites. Khan added Chris Jericho vs. Claudio Castagnoli even though it was on Dynamite, then mentioned Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston.

-Khan spoke about vacating titles when wrestlers are injured compared to keeping the title on injured wrestlers. He spoke about Wheeler Yuta and how his concussion lingered. He said there are times when you hope that a wrestler won’t be sidelined for long and injuries linger.

-Khan was asked if he’s looking at free agents for ROH specifically or hiring just for AEW. Khan said they have done both where they have hired wrestlers for ROH and given the opportunities on AEW. He said they have flexibility options now that they are taping both shows at the same venue in Arlington. Khan said the “hot Texas crowd” loves coming to the matches and are “so hot” for the shows. He touted the “exciting, intimate environment of the venue in Arlington.

-Dave Meltzer asked if there’s a possibility of split television deals for AEW and ROH with the shows airing on different networks. Khan said they are still having great conversations “in this exclusive window” (longest exclusive negotiating window ever!). Khan praised WBD for being great partners and spoke about the history of pro wrestling on TNT and TBS. Khan said he wants to make sure that’s a great American institution. He said it’s a very exciting time for AEW and also for ROH due to AEW’s profile and the exciting opportunities they have in the media landscape. Khan said they have grown ROH in exciting aways and added that HonorClub is at an all-time high for subscribers. Khan once again said they are exclusively speaking with WBD. He said he thinks there is a lot of demand for AEW in the market, but they are very excited about WBD right now.

-Khan asked what was different artistically and aesthetically about ROH in 2024 and how will he keep it going forward. Khan said there are a lot of things. He said they hit on a great formula of having exciting pay-per-view shows, having a top roster, and putting on great shows for the big events. Khan said the big shows always deliver and he feels like there is a lot of great stuff on the weekly television. Aesthetically, he said they are trying to make some changes and want to make the Arlington venue a great home and feels it will be an excellent home for Death Before Dishonor.

-Khan was asked about lucha libre in Texas and introducing the Hologram character. Khan said it makes sense to bring that style to an environment where the fans are red hot and passionate. He said it’s a place where there is a great history lucha libre. He said it’s by design that they are bringing in great lucha stars in Texas. Khan also mentioned their partnership with CMLL and that Willow Nightingale won the CMLL Women’s Championship.

-Khan was asked about making ROH’s involvement in the Wrestle Dynasty show at the Tokyo Dome. Khan was asked if he would try to make ROH’s involvement more clearcut and unique from AEW. Khan said he suspects that a lot of the top stars from AEW and ROH would be competing on the show. He said the show is a long way away, but he thinks he will be sending a lot of champions to Tokyo for that show. He said he is absolutely committed to NJPW and will be sending top stars with great wrestlers from AEW and ROH.

-Khan was asked what goes into the decision to bring in independent talent to face AEW or ROH talent and what criteria they need to hit. Khan said the criteria depends on the spot. He said they bring in a lot of unsigned talent and give people opportunities. He said sometimes it can be in a featured role and other times they need other spots to be filled. He said it’s a great opportunity either way and people have to make the most of them. He said that filling a role well and showing some kind of ability, which doesn’t always have to be athletic ability, but showing off different abilities in the ring or backstage that impresses him or the people who work for him are ways to get a foot in the door.

-Khan was asked for his memories of pro wrestling in Texas and whether he saw matches there in his youth. Khan said he did not attend pro wrestling in Texas until AEW. He said he primarily attended shows in places he lived. He said he traveled to Texas a lot for the NFL. He said he watched a lot of wrestling from Texas and is a huge fan of Mid-South and World Class Championship Wrestling. Khan said there’s a lot of great history there and he grew up trading tapes. He said a lot of his favorite matches and memories come from Texas wrestling. He said he was a fan of the Von Erichs and it’s a real thrill to work with Kevin and his sons. Khan also mentioned the Von Erichs vs. The Freebirds, Gino Hernandez vs. Chris Adams, The Fantastics vs. Midnight Express in World Class. In recent years, he said they have done a lot of AEW and ROH shows in Texas, and most of his favorite Texas wrestling memories are from those shows. He mentioned Winter is Coming and ROH pay-per-view shows in Texas, as well as the two FTR vs. Briscoes matches that were held in Texas.

-Khan was asked about his memories since acquiring ROH a couple years ago. Khan said it’s been amazing and it doesn’t feel like two years have flown by. He said it’s an exciting time in the media landscape and there’s huge opportunities for both promotions. Khan said ROH had an uncertain future when he acquired the company. He said now some of the best moments and champions have come from ROH, and he called it a great revival of the brand.

-Brandon Thurston asked if there’s any truth to reports that there is an agreement in principle between AEW and WBD for a new deal. Khan said they are having great talks and it would be premature to say a deal is done. He said they spoke earlier today and then mentioned members of the WBD management team. He said they have very good, ongoing dialogue. Khan said a major member of the wrestling media told him that WWE public relations team is telling people that the deal is done and it’s done at the same level that their previous deal. Khan said that’s not the case and he doesn’t know why WWE PR is telling people that. He said it’s none of their business, and WWE PR gets involved in things they should not get involved in. Khan said that when they do the deal it will come with a great increase.

-Khan was asked about fan fatigue with all of the shows he’s running in Texas and whether he’s considered working with the Rangers, Cowboys, or Six Flags to move tickets. Khan said they’ve actually had great ticket sales and movement since people saw how fun it was to be there. Khan touted the “red hot Texas wrestling fans” and said you couldn’t ask for a better group of people to come to wrestling shows. He said there are a lot of great partners in the area to bring in new fans. He praised the folks at Six Flags and said he’s had some really nice interactions. Khan also noted that the Rangers are a client of his analytics company. He said the Cowboys are partners in the NFL and family friends.

-Khan closed the media session by talking about how it’s a very exciting time for AEW and ROH with the media rights. He said it’s a busy time in his life. He said wrestling is grind with no days off. He said the Jaguars opened training camp and he and his father were there for the first team meeting. He said it’s an exciting time for the Fulham soccer club during the transfer window period. Khan said he’s excited to go back to London with All In, and for the lead up to it in Arlington, including Friday’s Death Before Dishonor. Khan said that Arlington was the last place that he and many of the crew saw Jay Briscoe. Khan said that in his memory, he would like to have a great Death Before Dishonor show. Khan said he expects great matches from top to bottom on at Death Before Dishonor and then spoke about some of the matches.

Powell’s POV: The most notable part of the media session was Khan disputing that his next television deal will WBD will be at the same rate as the hold deal. Khan blamed WWE PR for spreading the rumor. For whatever it’s worth, I’d heard the same rumor recently and the person who told me does not work for WWE PR. Obviously, it would be big news if AEW gets a major increase. At the same time, Khan emphasized that the two sides have not struck a deal, so nothing is official until they both put pen to paper.

We hope to have the audio from this media call available as a free podcast later today or on Friday.