By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW President Tony Khan spoke with the pro wresting media on Thursday, September 5, 2024 to promote Saturday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view. Refresh the page for the latest updates.
-Tony Khan opened the call by saying that All Out should be a great event. He said it’s a great tradition to hold the show in Chicago. Khan said it had been a long night because he was trying to keep Hangman Page out of jail. He said
-Khan was asked if he will consider moving All Out to a later date due to the Grand Slam Australia show being held around the same time next year. Khan said it’s too soon to say what the future of Grand Slam New York and Grand Slam Australia are. Khan seemed uncertain about how the Australian show will be distributed.
-I asked if Sting’s return at All In a one-off or has he re-upped with the company for a non-wrestling role. Khan said Sting is still a huge part of the AEW family, but his in-ring career is over. Khan said Sting brings so much positivity. Khan said they want to see him whenever it’s possible. Khan said Sting visited one of the shows in Arlington, but they kept it quiet due to his surprise appearance in London.
-Khan was asked about the possibility of a women’s Casino Gauntlet match at All Out or in the future. Khan spoke favorably about the match concept that he created. He said he would love to bring the match to Chicago at some time and has thought about having a women’s Casino Gauntlet match in the future. Khan indicated that there won’t be a Casino Gauntlet match at All Out.
-Khan was asked about the media rights deal and whether it could lead to premium live events as opposed to pay-per-view events. Khan said they are still working on the deal and said there have been productive conversations. Khan said there’s a great desire to keep AEW with Warner Bros. Discovery and said it’s a mutual feeling. Khan said there is excitement on both sides. Khan said there have been talks about streaming. Khan sang the praises of the Max streaming service. Khan said it’s going to work out really well for AEW and its fans.
-Khan was asked if there’s any big things he wants to work on as the head of AEW. Khan said he cherishes every day the company has Bryan Danielson as the AEW World Champion. Khan said they will have eight champions battling in the all-star eight-man tag match on AEW Collision. Khan said they have a great group of champions presently. He also said there are great things happening in the women’s division.
-Khan was asked about the health status of Powerhouse Hobbs. Khan said Hobbs was injured in April. He said they hope he will be back soon, but he thinks he still needs more recovery time. Khan said they look forward to having him back and he is in their plans. Khan said Hobbs has visited backstage a couple of times lately. Khan said it’s a good thing that he’s coming in for checkups and is making good progress.
-A write-in question asked which match has the potential to be the sleeper or the show stealer at All Out. Khan said it’s a loaded question because every match looks great. Khan said the Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland match certainly isn’t a sleeper. Khan said all of the matches seem awesome and have had a lot of buildup to them. Khan said this could be one of the company’s best shows. He said it’s been an awesome year for pay-per-views. He said Revolution and All In were at the top of the list, and All Out has what it takes to be the very best. He said it will also have the Chicago fans, which he considers to be one of the best natural resources.
-Khan was asked how we got from Hangman Page donating money to teachers on behalf of the company to burning down Swerve Strickland’s childhood home. Khan spoke about how he will now think of Swerve when he thinks of Page and will think of Page when he thinks of Swerve. Khan said the rivalry will live on forever in the memories of AEW fans. Khan said he is proud of the feud, then spoke in storyline mode about making it an unsanctioned match. Khan said Page burning down the house was a signature wrestling moment. Khan said it wouldn’t stand in a normal office, but it’s what makes pro wrestling the greatest sport of all. Khan said it lit a fire in the hearts of wrestling fans to see their cage match.
-Dave Meltzer brought up MJF defending the company in an interview and stating that they are setting themselves up to be the second most profitable pro wrestling company in history. Meltzer asked if that’s viable in 2025. Khan said he think it’s reasonable. He said there are still a lot of things to work out, but the die is cast to make AEW the second most profitable company in history. Khan said it’s a great time. Khan conceded that he doesn’t know how much money WCW made in 1998 or how much Jim Crockett Jr. made, but he believes they will be the second most profitable company in pro wrestling history. Khan emphasized that it’s only the begging. He said it’s been a long journey, but it’s early in a long journey. Khan used a golf analogy to say that they are still on the front nine. Khan was again said that the media rights deal is still in the red zone and “is right there to be pushed in.” Khan said it will be a huge touchdown for AEW. Khan said MJF is very intelligent about the pro wrestling industry and is an astute historian.
-The subject of Jon Moxley’s promo in which he said the company is no longer yours. The caller asked about AEW’s relationship with GCW. Khan said he likes Josh Barnett a lot. He said Bloodsport is interesting and he likes and respects Barnett. Khan said he would go out of his way to help out Bloodsport. The caller asked about Moxley’s cryptic words and what they meant to Khan, who said you have to watch the show weekly to find out. Khan labeled Moxley one of the founding fathers of AEW and a trailblazer of pro wrestling.
-Khan was asked about the house burning angle and how online fans suspected it would happen. Khan said the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive from fans who thought it was a great conclusion to the show. Khan said people saw it coming and yet were still blown away by it. Khan spoke about the way people consume wrestling has changed. He said the fans following things online and reading the news is a big percentage of the audience. Khan said it’s a boom time in wrestling and a golden age for the sport. Khan said AEW is a huge part of the wrestling conversation, which he said is an awesome thing. Khan spoke of the avidity of pro wrestling fans. He said he was rocked by some of the statistics he’s received during the media rights negotiations. Khan said it’s great if people are looking for spoilers and inside news. He said it’s important to take care of the fans who take care of them. Khan listed an “insane stat” regarding the sporting leagues. Khan said the league whose fans spend the most money on streaming video is AEW. Khan said he looks at the AEW fan avidity as a positive thing for AEW.
-Khan was asked if he’s interested in having a WrestleMania tentpole style event for AEW. Khan said All In has been the biggest event in many ways, but they have great events that have had moments that have been indelible and unique to those shows. Khan pointed to Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole arriving at the end of the same pay-per-view three years ago this week. Khan said Danielson is wrestling without a contract. Khan said they are fortunate to have him as a locker room leader and as AEW World Champion. Khan said Danielson will always have a home in AEW. Khan spoke about other big moments at various pay-per-view events. Khan touted AEW fan avidity again and said they have the best fans in the world.
-The final caller asked for an update on Mark Davis and whether he and Kyle Fletcher will reform Aussie Open. Khan said Davis had surgery and is in recovery. Khan said he can’t wait to get him back and he loves Aussie Open as a tag team, but he acknowledged that Fletcher has taken “a great journey” and is on an amazing run of having great matches. Khan said it’s been unfortunate to have Davis out and he looks forward to him returning, but Fletcher has stepped up and his star is rising. He said it remains to be seen regarding their future as singles wrestlers or together.
-Khan closed out “fan avidity” edition of the AEW media call by touting Saturday’s All Out event. Khan noted that he would be taking a redeye flight to make it to the Jacksonville Jaguars opener in Miami. He also spoke about “the three-hour Collision” on Friday night. He also mentioned All Out taking place on Saturday and not trying to compete with the NFL, and noted that there will be a scrum after All Out.
Join me for my live review of AEW All Out on Saturday night.
Someone should ask him why he lied about the All In attendance again. He claimed over 50k tickets “sold” but they had 46k in the building, a 26k drop from last year.
LOLLLLLLLLLLL how did I know you’d be here with another pathetic example of how sad your life is?
Right?! First in line. What a glutton.