Tony Khan believes that the Continental Classic has been a successful experiment and wants to implement that feel for AEW moving forward.
During the AEW World’s End media call, Khan said some of that success has translated over to AEW Collision with their ratings increase. Khan said he feels very strongly about how well the Continental Classic has done for the company and it’s had an influence on his creative philosophy.
“Will this affect the presentation and will I book the show’s more sports-based presentation and accept the fan feedback which is very tangible and real? Yes, absolutely and that is why this has been such a great experiment and the results are there, they are tangible.
“As I’ve said, an experimental group and a control group, the experiment increasing the allocation of real quality pro wrestling.”
In the early days of AEW, part of the initial strategy was to incorporate a sports-based presentation, including a rankings system, but the company has veered away from it. However, Khan had really utilized tournaments in 2023 and although that is certainly sports-oriented, he says that the storytelling process has been rich with MJF, The Devil and the women’s division.
“I’ve been really trying to put an emphasis on more stories and as because everybody’s been stepping up and it’s time and we have a great group that I’ve been trying to build and, and a lot of injuries, you know, it’s really challenging for wrestling promotion.”
Please credit AEW and h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.
