AEW boss Tony Khan couldn’t believe Keith Lee was available on the market.
Lee had been a member of the WWE roster since 2018. Things were looking up for Lee early on as he held the NXT Championship and North American Championship simultaneously.
His early appearances on the main roster were also a good sign at the time. He came close to being the sole survivor at the WWE Survivor Series and even Brock Lesnar took notice of his size during the Royal Rumble match.
Ultimately, Lee was released by WWE in Nov. 2021 and the general consensus was that a huge opportunity had been wasted.
Tony Khan Gushes Over Keith Lee
During an appearance on Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, Tony Khan admitted that Keith Lee’s WWE release caught him off guard.
“I am a huge fan of Keith’s work. I am a huge Keith Lee fan and when Keith became available, I was stunned. But I was very eager to jump on it and sign Keith.
“So, I was thrilled to have Keith debut on AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite this week and you know, he was a big part [of the show]. The anticipation of his arrival and the big free agent signing and Keith Lee in AEW was a big part of AEW being the number one show on all of cable on Wednesday.
“AEW finished ahead of the NBA, ahead of everything. South Park, a great show that I love, and ahead of the Olympics on [USA Network].
“So, it was a big AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite rating this week and I think tonight, we’ve got a great show on Friday Night Rampage on TNT. Huge card and a lot to look forward to tonight.”
Keith Lee made his AEW debut on the Feb. 9 episode of Dynamite. He defeated Isiah Cassidy. With the win, Keith Lee will now compete in the “Face of the Revolution” ladder match at Revolution on March 6. The winner will get a shot at the TNT Championship.
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