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AEW President Tony Khan held a media call this afternoon to promote AEW All Out this Saturday. Highlights from the call:
*Khan said it's "been a long night trying to keep Hangman out of jail," which was obviously storyline.
*The steel cage match will be a non-sanctioned Lights Out Match on PPV.
*Khan was asked if All Out next year will be moved since Grand Slam Australia will be a PPV. Khan said they will have a great crowd and an awesome night this Saturday. They are excited to go back to Arthur Ashe and have had great success in NYC. He believes they'll see big pickup for NYC after this weekend. They will have to think about the domestic distribution here in the States for a show in Australia. He talked up the NYC show and teased there could be Grandslam from both locations next year.
*Jason Powell asked about Sting's status. He's retired undefeated in AEW as a World Champion and is done as a wrestler in the ring but he has Sting as a close friend as does Darby. He's still part of the AEW family. To have Sting around, everyone is very blessed and they all want to see him anytime it's possible. They didn't want to ruin the surprise of All In: London but he had been backstage in Texas during their residency in Dallas. He hopes Sting remains them for the long-term.
*Khan was asked about the Casino Gauntlet Match at London and whether we could see a women's version in the future. Khan said it would be great to advertise and build something up in the future. He created the Casino Gauntlet match and it's something that has been well received.
*Khan was asked about the current status of the company's media rights. He said it's a real exciting time and they are having great conversations. Some reports have been accurate about the status of the deal between WBD-AEW being productive and they are still in discussions. He said he feels fortunate that TBS and TNTs still have a great appetite towards keeping AEW. He said they are the best media partner you can have. TBS and TNT give immediate credibility. There's a history that goes back to the early 1970s. They are still in the process - a long, tedious process - of an agreement. To do an agreement for all the events and things they are working on is a really big deal. There are some great things to come and there's excitement on each side and jt's great to have that sort of mutual collaboration. There's been a lot of really good conversations about streaming. Obviously, they own and operate MAX. He said "this is going to work out really well for AEW and their fans."
*Khan was asked what he learned about himself over the last five years. He said he cherishes every day and wakes up happy every day. He cherishes having Bryan Danielson as champion and talked up the eight man tag on Collision. He talked up Sasha vs. Shida. He said it's a great company and it's always changing. He's proud of the moment Bryan Danielson had at Wembley Stadium.
*Will Hobbs is making good progress towards recovering and returning to the ring.
*Khan is very happy about everything they've announced thus far for All Out. He ran through the lineup.
*On the Swerve-Hangman storyline, Khan said he has huge respect for each of them and what they brought to AEW as Champions. They've become iconic rivals. "As a company we cannot be held responsible" for this match Khan said, hyping the PPV. He said that burning down the house was a great wrestling moment and if they were any other world, this couldn't stand, but in this sport, it can happen and it's why he loves pro wrestling. It needs to be settled in the ring and in this case, in the cage without any rules or sanctioning bodies.
*Khan said it is reasonable to be the second most profitable company of all time. He said over the duration of the deal they are about to enter into it, he expects they will but this is also early in their long journey and they are building to the future. The deal is in the red zone and is right there to be pushed in. They are going to put the ball in the end zone and it's going to be a huge touchdown.
*Khan was asked about Jon Moxley's new direction and what the relationship is with GCW and Josh Barnett's Bloodsport. Khan said he doesn't know the GCW people as much but put over his relationship with Josh and how he is respected. He would go out of his way to help Josh and those guys. On Moxley, Khan said it's something to keep an eye on and watch on AEW programming. Having Moxley back, however this plays out, is good for the fans and company. he is eternally grateful for Moxley, no matter how any of this turns out.
*Khan was asked to do a deep dive into the Swerve-Hangman storyline last night. He said those following online are far greater than when he was young and it was more of a niche thing. He thinks watching fandom change, even within AEW, blew his mind. He said even if fans are looking for spoilers or the future, they have to take care of them. He said that of all the sports leagues in the world, the league who's fans spend the most per month on streaming video is AEW. They are ahead of every other sporting league in the world.
*On whether he hopes one major show will be their Wrestlemania, Khan said he feels they have had all these great events. He mentions All In, but there are many indelible moments on all these events, such as Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson's debut at All Out a few years back. He talked up a lot of major events and moments they have had in the past.
*Khan stated Danielson is wrestling without a contract right now. When he is ready to retire, Khan said he is ready for him to always have a home in AEW.
*Mark Davis has been injured. They can't wait to have him back when he recovers.
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