Tony Khan was on Busted Open Radio today ahead of tonight’s episode of Rampage. During the discussion, he noted that he believes Cody Rhodes has something else in the works that led him to depart AEW.
“I wish them both really well and I appreciate everything they did here in their different roles in the company,” Khan said on the show. “It’s very sad and not something any of us wanted to happen, I think, but I believe that Cody’s got something else in the works, I’m not sure about that, but we’ll see. I’m sure they’re going to have great opportunities in wrestling and in life. You never know what’s going to happen in the future. I wish them the best and am very appreciative of everything they did here.”
Khan also said that he’s working on something big that will likely make headlines starting next week. He noted that it’s not something anyone will expect but it will be a big deal. The deal isn’t quite finalized, however, whatever it may be.
“There will be a lot of news in the week of ahead. I don’t know if I’ll get it done by tonight, but stay tuned in the week ahead, hopefully. I’m working on something pretty big. It would be massive. I don’t know if it’s what anybody would expect or think it is, but it would be a big deal in pro wrestling. I’m looking forward to hopefully making it happen. Stay tuned. I will hopefully get it done and have more to announce soon,” said Khan.
AEW has been dealt a massive blow as Cody Rhodes has decided to leave the company along with his wife Brandi.
Reports had swirled regarding Cody’s contract status with AEW. The promotion and Cody didn’t try to hide it either. Following his TNT Title loss against Sammy Guevara at the Beach Break edition of Dynamite, Cody gave a passionate backstage promo where he confirmed he was working without a contract.
Cody & Brandi Gone
Shortly after a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter surfaced claiming that Cody’s AEW contract status was “up in the air,” Mike Coppinger of ESPN reported that Cody is indeed out of AEW.
Minutes after Coppinger’s report, both Cody Rhodes and AEW made the confirmation.
Here is a statement from AEW’s head honcho Tony Khan:
“Cody and Brandi Rhodes were integral to the launch of All Elite Wrestling. Cody’s ability combined with his boldness and his passion for our industry and his love for community outreach helped AEW deliver on our mission to give fans what they needed for far too long – something new, innovative and lasting.
“Brandi helped us shape the AEW story, and I appreciate how hard she fought for us both in the ring and out of the ring, competing in the women’s division while advancing our efforts at inclusion and civic causes, including great partnerships with Kulture City and the American Heart Association.
“I have immense respect and appreciation for Cody and Brandi, and I wish them both the best as they move on from AEW. Thank you, Cody and Brandi!”
The report from Coppinger noted that Cody does not have a non-compete clause. This means, he’s free to show up anywhere he pleases.
Speculation has run rampant for months on what Cody will do next. Many expect him to make his way back to WWE but time will tell if that’s what he plans to do.
Speaking of Lee’s debut this past Wednesday on Dynamite, Khan mentioned how he was surprised when WWE let go the former NXT champion. According to him, it was the moment he dreamed about:
“Keith’s debut was incredible, much to my amazement, Keith got released. As soon as I saw that he was released, this was the moment I dreamed about.”
“It was crazy timing, I’m so happy with how the debut has been received.” said Tony Khan, “It’s very well deserved, and I am very excited to have Keith in AEW.”
The Jaguars co-owners also discussed the other AEW debut that took place on the same night as Keith Lee in current Bullet Club leader Jay White.
Khan said we should “expect to see more Jay White in AEW.” He mentioned how White’s arrival wasn’t finalized until last Sunday and he is happy that he could bring the excitement to fans.
Despite it not being likely, there has been speculation that Shane McMahon could wind up in AEW considering All Elite Wrestling is very fond of opening The Forbidden Door. As seen in the past, the promotion welcomes anyone willing to walk through the door.
Shane McMahon was reportedly let go by WWE following the Royal Rumble event this year due to several backstage issues. It was said McMahon wanted to make the men’s Royal Rumble match all about himself and tried to pitch various ideas to make himself be the star of the bout.
AEW President Tony Khan talked about the possibility of McMahon working in someway for the promotion while doing an interview with Sports Illustrated:
“I’d certainly take the call,” Khan says. “I’m sure he’d be an interesting person to talk to about wrestling. I’m not sure exactly if he would be a fit. I have not heard from him, and I don’t expect to hear from him, but in this business, you never know.”
AEW just opened The Forbidden Door with NJPW/Impact Wrestling star Jay White making an appearance on Wednesday’s Dynamite.
Tony Khan has responded to reports that he is planning to run for Congress. Earlier this morning, ProFootballTalk.com reported that Khan had filed to run for Florida’s 4th Congressional District. Not only did Tony Khan refute these reports, he compared ProFootballTalk’s sources to MJF and Tony Schiavone.
“The fact checking standard for @ProFootballTalk reporting is far lower than that of @AEW’s roving reporter @tonyschiavone24. I’m definitely not running for Congress; this filing is faker than Eddie Gilbert’s apology to Tommy Rich in 1984. PFT sources as trustworthy as @The_MJF.”
The fact checking standard for @ProFootballTalk reporting is far lower than that of @AEW’s roving reporter @tonyschiavone24. I’m definitely not running for Congress; this filing is faker than Eddie Gilbert’s apology to Tommy Rich in 1984. PFT sources as trustworthy as @The_MJF. https://t.co/HPdU53GrfY
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport also reported the news.
#Jaguars Chief Football Strategy Officer Tony Khan has filed with the FEC to run for Congress in Florida’s 4th Congressional District. Already heavily involved with the Jags, AEW, and Fulham… now Congress?? https://t.co/Qb9zF1Qx3u
Jacksonville attorney Chris Hand got to the bottom of the news, however, and confirmed that Tony Khan definitely is not running for Congress.
Neither the Florida Division of Elections (https://t.co/2cGfCN3ZLc) nor the Federal Elections Commission (https://t.co/BP2247lSLI) lists anyone named Tony Khan as a 2022 candidate for Florida's Fourth Congressional District.
A Statement of Candidacy was filed on 9/13/21. However, the information in the statement suggests it may not be an actual @TonyKhan filing. And if Mr. Khan had actually completed the necessary filing processes, he would be a candidate now. He isn’t. https://t.co/s70NIirQ9m
The two options appear to be that Tony Khan filed to run but then didn’t follow up on it or someone filed Tony Khan’s name as a joke. Since Khan is denying the reports, the latter seems far more likely. Perhaps it was an AEW, Jaguars, or Fulham fan.
I have no idea. It doesn’t read like a legitimate filing. But whether someone filed the statement as a joke or @TonyKhan filed it in 9/21 but decided not to complete the process, the bottom line is this: He isn’t an active candidate for Florida’s 4th Congressional District.
“But whether someone filed the statement as a joke or @TonyKhan filed it in 9/21 but decided not to complete the process, the bottom line is this: He isn’t an active candidate for Florida’s 4th Congressional District.”
Tony Khan has promised a “huge signing” to debut on AEW Dynamite this week. The new signing will also take on Isiah Kassidy in a Face of the Revolution Ladder Qualifying match.
Khan spoke to Sports Illustrated about the signing and doubled-down on the hype.
“It’s a huge signing for us,” said Khan. “I have created some debate about what it means to open the ‘Forbidden Door’ and that’s what we are going to do on this show. The fans are going to get a great night of wrestling, and I hope everyone is surprised—and comes back for the matches this sets up.”
The Element of Surprise
Tony Khan also spoke about the importance of keeping his roster fresh during the interview.
“I’m continually looking to improve the roster and bring in new stars and create fresh matchups, and that’s what you’re going to see this Wednesday,” Khan continued. “We now have such a strong roster of wrestlers under contract that we can put fresh, exciting matches on Dynamite every Wednesday on TBS and Rampage on TNT.”
The Forbidden Door can be opened for anyone from any wrestling promotion in the world, whether or not it’s a company @AEW is on good terms with, even if it’s someone from a company that’s open for business. They’re also welcome to slam the door in the face of their prior company.
Khan continued to tease the new signing and the impact they will have on AEW programming.
“It’s going to be a big reveal on Dynamite. It sets up this week’s Rampage and puts a lot of irons in our fire. We have created an environment in AEW where people routinely expect great wrestling matches, and we have the wrestlers to live up to those high expectations.”
Dynamite & Rampage Previews
AEW will present Dynamite this week from the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The venue hosted WrestleMania’s IV and V. The following matches are booked for the show:
AEW World Championship Texas Death Match Adam “Hangman” Page (c) vs Lance Archer
Face of the Revolution Qualifying Match Isiah Kassidy vs TBA
Chris Jericho will also an Inner Circle meeting on the show.
Then Rampage will be taped following the live edition of Dynamite. Matches booked for that show include:
AEW World Tag Team Championships Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) (w/Christian Cage) (c) vs. The Gunn Club (Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn) (w/Billy Gunn)
A free agent signing will debut on Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite from Atlantic City. The AEW newcomer will wrestle Private Party member Isiah Kassidy in a Face of the Revolution Ladder Match qualifier.
The identity of Kassidy’s opponent is a mystery, but AEW President Tony Khan has teased this wrestler will walk through the “Forbidden Door.”
Khan noted on Twitter that the Forbidden Door competitor can come from any promotion in the world, whether that company is on good terms with AEW or not. He also teased this person could be from a company that’s “open for business” – a phrase Triple H has used about WWE on several occasions.
The Forbidden Door can be opened for anyone from any wrestling promotion in the world, whether or not it’s a company @AEW is on good terms with, even if it’s someone from a company that’s open for business. They’re also welcome to slam the door in the face of their prior company.
A number of former WWE superstars become free agents last week, so there’s no shortage of people who could show up this coming Wednesday. It could be Keith Lee, Johnny Gargano, Killer Kross or someone else entirely.
On Sunday, Isiah Kassidy commented on his to-be-announced Forbidden Door opponent. Kassidy says, “This better not be who I think it is… Y’all gonna force me to put this dude out for good.”
He also teased that his Hardy Family Office boss Matt Hardy was ignoring him, a sign that Hardy’s priorities might be shifting beyond Private Party.
I was good, but Sammy was better on Friday. Respect g.
But aye man, this better not be who I think it is… Y’all gonna force me to put this dude out for good ?
The Face Of The Revolution Ladder takes place at the upcoming AEW Revolution PPV on March 6th from Orlando, FL. The winner of the match earns the right to challenge the AEW World Champion at a future date.
Tama Tonga sent a message to Tony Khan on Twitter that may imply he’s hoping to walk through the forbidden door. The 39-year-old last performed for NJPW on the World Tag League tour in December. He did not perform on the Wrestle Kingdom shows on January 4th, 5th, or 8th.
“Hey @TonyKhan wanna burn bridges? I love burning bridges,” Tonga wrote on Twitter.
Tonga has been wrestling in Impact as of late. He made his Impact in-ring debut at the tapings in Florida recently. He’s scheduled to take part in Impact’s tapings in New Orleans coming up later this month. This includes the No Surrender PPV on February 19th where the Guerrillas of Destiny are scheduled to face The Good Brothers for the Impact World Tag Team Championships. The match continues the angle between Bullet Club and Anderson & Gallows that really kick-started this summer in NJPW of USA and continued in Impact.
Fundraising For Tonga
The island of Tonga, which has produced wrestlers such as Haku, the Barbarian, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and HIKULEO, wad devastated recently by a volcanic eruption. NJPW has released a “Pray for Tonga” t-shirt to raise money for the region.
Recent events in Tonga were unexpected and devastating. And having a friend with family there gave me an extra insensitive to help out. One way was buying this sweet tee from NJPW wrestling. You can buy your own at the link in the comments. https://t.co/xaVQSn7r7O#PrayForTongapic.twitter.com/KuaSKFvcvs
Danhausen is All Elite and Tony Khan says it’s the fans who are to thank.
When ROH announced that it was going on hiatus, it left many wondering about the future of the talent. Names such as Jay Lethal, Jonathan Gresham, and The Briscoes were left in limbo at the time of the announcement.
Lethal ended up signing with AEW, Gresham has started his own promotion along with Baron Black called, “Terminus,” and The Briscoes have been seen on GCW and many feel they could be AEW-bound, although Tony Khan hasn’t committed.
Very Evil Signing
Danhausen
While the future of some names was a question mark, fans had very little doubt about Danhausen’s future. Many were convinced that he was going to AEW and they were right.
Appearing on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Tony Khan explained why he jumped at the chance to sign Danhausen.
“He’s really a lot of fun and now, speaking of Orange Cassidy, Danhausen is gonna be closely associated with Orange Cassidy perhaps, we’ll see.
“But having seen them together in Wheeler Yuta’s corner and having seen Danhausen help Orange Cassidy in that great Lights Out match at Beach Break a couple of weeks ago on Dynamite, I definitely think the fans enjoy Danhausen and I’m happy to give them what they want.
“I love listening to the fans.”
Danhausen made his AEW debut on the Jan. 26 episode of Dynamite. Adam Cole went one-on-one with Orange Cassidy in the main event of that episode. Cole went to pull out a chair from under the ring but Danhausen popped out.
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AEW star Serena Deeb recently discussed how Tony Khan has “embraced” having deeper storytelling in the All Elite Women’s division.
Speaking to Tuesday Wrestling Tuesday, Deeb said that the Women’s division is much better in All Elite now that it is more than just “one-off” matches.
“That was the thing for a while where it was just one-off matches” Serena Deeb began. “And the fact that Tony embraced wanting to do more and wanted to put some, some deeper storytelling in there is really cool.
“Hopefully, that continues for other people as well. I think just from an emotional investment standpoint for the fans, one-off matches are great” Deeb noted.
Serena Deeb on
“Especially if they’re dream matches, right? Like Bryan Danielson versus Kenny Omega. Like that’s a dream match, people want to see that and even one time, these people are going to love it. But I think, historically speaking in wrestling, if you look back on the Attitude Era, for example, there were stories and feuds that went on for a year.
“And people stayed emotionally invested as long as there was something compelling to pay attention to. So I think it’s a great sign. I’ve seen it also across other stories in the women’s division and as of late and it’s great. I think a lot of wrestling fans appreciate that” the former WWE Superstar concluded.
Tony Khan says some new faces will be appearing on AEW programming in the very near future.
The President of All Elite Wrestling appeared on Busted Open Radio Friday morning and addressed pro wresting’s hot free agent market. Khan says he plans to be “very active” with talent acquisitions in the short-term future.
“Just in the last several weeks, we’ve some big [signings] and I plan to make some more big signings. And not in the longterm future, I mean in the short-term future. I’ll still be very active in the free agent market and the Forbidden Door shall be opening again very soon.”
Khan guarantees there will be some news coming out of tonight’s AEW Rampage and also “next week.” He touted that AEW’s roster keeps getting better and Rampage allows for more opportunities to feature people.
Tony Khan prides himself on being a wrestling fan who listens to his audience. Looking at the free agent market, he knows there are wrestlers out there who can bring new fans to AEW.
“I have to say, I really really love listening to the wrestling fans. I love wrestling myself and I’m a fan. I believe that the fans give us the direction and it’s up to us to give great shows that the people want to see.
“Any time we can sign somebody that’s going to make the fans excited, that’s gonna come in here and give the fans big matches that they’re excited to watch, and somebody that’s going to bring new fans to AEW, it’s a great opportunity for us, so i will continue to explore the free agent market and the Forbidden Door will be opening again soon.”
The current free agent market is stacked with talent, including Jeff Hardy (available next month), Windham Rotunda, Johnny Gargano, Keith Lee, Adam Scherr, Karrion Kross, Athena, Toni Storm, Shane Strickland, Nixon Newell and The Briscoe Brothers.
Brian Kendrick will not be appearing on the Feb. 2 episode of AEW Dynamite.
Kendrick requested his WWE release and had his wish granted. Wrestling fans rallied behind Kendrick and rejoiced after it was announced that he’d be making his AEW debut against Jon Moxley.
Oh how quickly things can change.
Past Comments Resurface
Twitter user Dan Pierce brought attention to a 2011 interview where Brian Kendrick expressed antisemitic views. David Bixenspan unearthed a lengthier version of the video and it has done Kendrick no favors.
“We’ve been made aware of abhorrent & offensive comments made in the past by Brian Kendrick. There’s no room in AEW for the views expressed by Brian. We think it’s best for all that Brian be pulled from tonight’s card as we gather more info. We’ll announce a replacement bout ASAP.”
The former WWE star claimed that the Rothschilds and Rockefellers were “interbreeding.” He also said that there was a link between Zionists and the Illuminati.
Near the end of the video, Kendrick suggested that “Jewish medics” were flown out to Haiti in response to the 2010 earthquake in order to remove bodies and eyeballs. In the interview, he also revealed he attended a lecture set up by a British conspiracy theorist known for having antisemitic views.
There’s a lot more to unpack in the video, which you can watch here. An article by Culture Crossfire from 2013 also covers more of Kendrick’s conspiracy theories.
DDP knows what it’s like to work with Vince McMahon and Tony Khan.
Diamond Dallas Page, a former three-time WCW Champion, once worked under the WWE banner and has made multiple appearances for AEW. Knowing both McMahon and Khan, DDP has laid out what makes the billionaires special.
DDP On McMahon & Khan
Speaking to Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT, DDP dished out on the switch that Vince McMahon can flip at a moment’s notice.
“I think Vince is himself always. He can be the sweetest, most caring person and he can be that ruthless son of a b*tch [laughs].”
As for Tony Khan, DDP said that the AEW is as kind of a person as they come.
“Tony Khan is the most gracious, nicest — and I know a couple billionaires but he’s the most gracious, nicest guy.”
With that said, the former WCW star says fans shouldn’t be fooled in regards to who truly runs AEW TV.
“I’ve been there a number of times and he’s just very respectful. He knows it’s his show. What you’re watching is his sh*t. Cody has something to do with it and the other boys, Jericho and Kenny and those guys and The Bucks they’ve got something to do with it but it’s Tony’s f*cking show. Make no mistake about it.”
There was a report that Khan took over the reins of AEW’s creative direction following a heavily panned closing segment of Dynamite involving The Dark Order back in late 2019. Khan later confirmed that report.
McMahon has run the WWE empire for decades after his father handed him the keys to the kingdom. AEW is still new in the wrestling business, having only started in 2019.
McMahon is known for having a strong hand in the creative process and reportedly having scripts rewritten quite often.
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Vince McMahon and Tony Khan had very different strategies when it came to running wrestling shows during the lockdown era of COVID-19 pandemic.
While WWE decided to run shows in a completely empty arena, AEW came up with the idea to use the wrestlers they had as an audience. Many people thought that this created a big difference in the presentations of both the shows. Fans watching the show at home felt more connected to the AEW product because of this.
The AEW President recently had an interview with Vegas Film Critic Jeffrey K. Howard to promote Dynamite’s move to TBS. During the talk, Khan was asked about AEW’s strategy during the pandemic, and he compared it to WWE:
“The first week, I came up with the idea of putting the wrestlers who weren’t in the matches, every wrestler I could get around the ring, to create an audience, and people enjoyed it. It was very different than watching the alternative. Our competitor was running empty arena shows. I stayed with that at first and kept the wrestlers at ringside through the pandemic for several months.
We stayed on the air through the pandemic. [We] debuted some stars including the late great Mr. Brodie Lee and Matt Hardy, in the pandemic. We’re able to keep fans interested. Frankly, I told people, this is voluntary. You don’t have to come to the wrestlers [stand]. So, we had a small crew and I built around that crew.”
AEW was also the first company to welcome fans back into the arena. They created pods allowing families or groups of friends to attend the shows safely while keeping their distance from other fans. Tony Khan mentioned how WWE on the other hand, came up with the concept of the Thunderdome:
“Then people started to come back as we got deeper into the pandemic. Our competition through the pandemic, a few months later, they went to a fan wall. [It was a] virtual wall of fans like you saw in other sports, you know, TV screens. And I thought, let’s bring wrestling back with live fans safely. We did it.
We had no COVID transmissions by going into an outdoor amphitheater and spacing people out where a family or group of friends could sit in what we called a pod. [I thought] it would be like a drive-in movie. You had your own section of seats in this case. There’s no one near you, you’re outdoors, and it was great. It brought the fans back to pro wrestling. There was months and months where that was the only place you could watch pro wrestling anywhere in the world where the fans were cheering the matches.”
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It’s no secret that Mark and Jay Briscoe have become the hottest free agent tag team. The two were mainstays under Ring of Honor but the company has released all of its talent and is going through a hiatus.
A feud has been brewing between The Briscoes and AEW tag team FTR. The two teams even got into a confrontation at the ROH Final Battle PPV back in December.
Tony Khan On The Briscoes
Busted Open Radio host Dave LaGreca recently asked AEW boss Tony Khan if there’s any word on The Briscoes possible making their way to his company. Khan insisted that nothing has been made official.
“Well, it’s a great team, great history in Ring of Honor. No, I don’t [have anything official on The Briscoes]. We have a great roster right now.
“I think they’re a great team and definitely somebody to keep an eye on but no, nothing official on them. We debuted so many great wrestlers recently.
“You mentioned Mercedes Martinez and of course, we just saw the arrival of Brody King on Wednesday night. So, there’s a lot of exciting things and of course, we do have new world tag team champions Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus, and there’s a ton of great teams lined up to challenge them.
“So, we’ll have to wait and see I guess. They’re a great team who I’ve followed for well over 15 years. Who am I kidding? Much longer than that and I think they’re great, great wrestlers.”
It’ll be interesting to see if Tony Khan is just playing things up or if The Briscoes truly haven’t been in contact with AEW. With FTR and The Briscoes going back-and-forth, it seems inevitable that the two teams will share the ring.
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Following her departure from AEW, Big Swole recently commented about AEW having a lack of diversity. This led to AEW President Tony Khan responding on social media and writing “I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough.”
The top 2 @AEW execs are brown (me & Megha)!! Jade, Bowens, Caster, Dante, Nyla, Isiah & Marq Quen all won on tv this month. The TBS Title Tournament has been very diverse. I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough. #AEWRampage Street Fight TONIGHT! https://t.co/NprF6I7D6G
Swole returned to her Call In Show recently and spoke about her reaction to seeing Tony Khan’s Tweet.
“When I read the TK tweet, it was, not necessarily sent to me, but I got a text message saying, ‘Do not respond to him, it’s not worth it.’ At that time, I was already a little zooted because it was about to be New Year’s. I looked at it and I was like, ‘Wow, this is a lot,”” Swole said.
“Overall, I’m very disappointed. A person with that pedigree should know how to respond in a way that doesn’t come off in the most negative way possible,” she continued.
“I was very disappointed. Embarrassed, even. Embarrassed for the people that are there. I really couldn’t believe it. Did he even listen to the podcast? Obviously not because it went completely off the rails. You went completely to counting brown people. If was truly about counting brown people, I would be naming certain demographics.”
Mark Henry recently spoke about this matter on Busted Open Radio. According to Henry, Tony Khan got a raw deal in this discussion on diversity.
“I feel like Tony got a really raw deal by what was said by Swole but also what was said about all these people jumping on the bandwagon and they didn’t know what the hell happened.”
“You talk about a diverse workplace, man that place has got everything and I feel like the people in power, the highest-ranking officers are Tony and Megha [Parekh] and then you have people like myself and Shawn Dean who are both African-American people, people of color, that are working in the office,” Henry continued.
“So, you mean to tell me that those people don’t count as being diverse?”
Mark Henry believes Tony Khan was the victim of people going overboard on the issue of diversity on social media.
Big Swole, a former AEW wrestler, got people talking when she expressed her belief that her peace was being disrupted in the company. Specifically, Swole had gripes with what she feels to be AEW’s lack of diversity and black representation.
Things spiraled when Khan made a post saying Big Swole wasn’t offered a new contract with AEW because he felt she wasn’t good enough in the ring. Many criticized Khan as they felt he brushed off Swole’s criticism in favor of hurling shots.
Mark Henry Speaks Out
Mark Henry believes that social media dwellers overreacted to Khan’s post and took a side without looking at the facts. Taking to Busted Open Radio, Henry praised AEW for its diversity both on TV and behind the scenes.
“I feel like Tony got a really raw deal by what was said by Swole but also what was said about all these people jumping on the bandwagon and they didn’t know what the hell happened.
“They just took a side because somebody said something about diversity, which they implied it being race. Let’s break it down real quick as far as diversity.
“You start talking about diversity in the work sector at AEW, Tony Khan is a man of color and so is — and when I say a man of color he’s not black.
“Black is a person of color, you have Asian, you have Pan, you have the Indian influence, you have the Middle Eastern influence, the Spanish influence in the company.
“You talk about a diverse workplace, man that place has got everything and I feel like the people in power, the highest-ranking officers are Tony and Megha [Parekh] and then you have people like myself and Shawn Dean who are both African-American people, people of color, that are working in the office.
“So, you mean to tell me that those people don’t count as being diverse?”
As far as Khan’s dig at Swole’s wrestling ability, Henry said he sees it as an eye for an eye situation. He believes Tony did what he felt he needed to do to stick up for the company.
Khan says he’s got something cooked up in 2022 as far as diverse representation goes. The AEW boss says this plan has been brewing long before Swole’s public rant.
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Big Swole is speaking out after days of online harassment from wrestling fans on social media.
The controversy began on December 31st, when Swole addressed her AEW departure on her show, Swole World. She spoke about her AEW career and revealed some things that really bothered her during her time with the company.
Swole criticized the AEW for lacking diversity and black representation. Her comments have ignited a passionate debate.
Disclaimer This article contains some offensive/racist language, via DM’s shared by Big Swole
The lack of opportunities for women pushed Swole not to re-sign. However, she also cited a lack of structure and, more importantly, diversity and representation issues.
“… There are a lot of things with that company that need to change, and I know that fans of the company don’t take criticism well sometimes, like certain ones. But know this, that this is somebody just from the inside that the structure is a little off, said Swole. Swole explained, “… It’s fine to be loose, but I like to have a little bit more structure. I felt like the women shouldn’t have gone through everything they went through just to get on TV. Just to get time. You’re signed to this big company you want time. All these men are getting time, but the women weren’t getting anything. Or you’re not putting people on TV because ‘Oh, more people have come in.’ Okay, there is more people coming in, but you don’t have enough product for all these people.”
More on Big Swole’s Comments
The lack of attention to the women’s division is an issue that Swole detailed on her show. She shared that other female talents were frustrated with the lack of direction and opportunity to perform on TV, compared to the males. She also revealed that Khan asked her to help with the women’s division as the locker room leader.
Swole would communicate that the talent was unhappy with the lack of opportunities and help to improve in-ring. While this is one of her criticism of AEW, fans and wrestlers were more concerned with her comments on diversity.
Swole believes that AEW should give more people from the black community a voice in higher positions in the company. She mentioned that her daughter watched AEW on TV and noticed nobody looked like her or Swole. Swole also said that her daughter started to watch WWE because wrestlers like Bianca Belair and Big E were on TV.
“I do not like to beat around the bush when it comes to diversity,” said Swole. “When it comes to my people, there is no representation truly, and when it is representation, it does not come across in the black community as genuine at all.”
She continued, “…What happens is, you have this wonderful company that treats people like family, but there is nobody that looks like me that is represented at the top. They’re not in the room with them. They are not helping to not necessarily influence decisions but also be there to explain. You know, why certain slang, why this certain word shouldn’t be said. Why this that and the third. There’s no one else who can explain our culture except for us. Who can explain our experience except for us.”
While Swole shared her criticisms, she credited AEW for making some progress. However, she still wants to see the company do more. She doesn’t just want more representation in AEW, but other wrestling companies with TV deals in the United States like the WWE. She also wants more representation from different races and ethnic backgrounds like dark-skinned Latinas and Latinos, Asians, and Indians on TV.
Swole ended her episode wishing success for AEW and WWE while noting that she has no bad blood towards AEW.
The top 2 @AEW execs are brown (me & Megha)!! Jade, Bowens, Caster, Dante, Nyla, Isiah & Marq Quen all won on tv this month. The TBS Title Tournament has been very diverse. I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough. #AEWRampage Street Fight TONIGHT! https://t.co/NprF6I7D6G
Swole’s criticism prompted a response from Khan on Twitter. In his response, he shared that AEW doesn’t have a problem with diversity. He pointed out that he’s Pakistani American and that seven wrestlers from different ethnic backgrounds won matches in December. Khan also said that he let Swole contract expire because “…her wrestling wasn’t good enough.” Fans may also remember that Swole worked with Crohn’s Disease during her AEW career.
Khan’s comments sparked criticism for how he handled Swole’s remarks. AEW talent Lio Rush demanded that Khan apologizes on Twitter. However, other talents defended Khan, like Tayconti and Powerhouse Hobbs. Rush shared on January 1, he had a private conversation with Khan and that AEW is seeking input from an African American perspective.
Khan’s response to Swole added to the hostile reactions towards her. It not only made fans questions Swole wrestling ability but also invited fans to harass her. Swole posted a picture of a direct message from a fan on Twitter that racially attacked her. Another fan wished death on Swole. Recently, Swole tweeted that fans are now involving her daughter in their harassment. Khan hasn’t said anything else regarding Swole since his response on Twitter.
Khan Big Plans for Diversity in 2022
The AEW President appeared on Barstool Rasslin with Brandon F. Walker to share his big plans for diversity and representation in AEW. He also mentioned signing new talent Mercedes Martinez and Jake Atlas recently as part of the plan to be more diverse. While Khan says he has plans for diversity and representation, he didn’t reveal what they were.
“…I have some huge plans for 2022 that have been a long time in the making, and then I have some huge plans in 2022 to build a stronger, more diverse representation across the board, and nobody knows what it is yet, but I have a couple really exciting things that are going to be coming up in the next month, six weeks,” said Khan.
It’s unclear if Khan’s plans include signing new talent or hiring new employees from different ethnic backgrounds for higher positions in AEW. He also didn’t mention what he plans to do with talent already signed to AEW like Sonny Kiss, Jay Lethal, or Emi Sakura. It also contradicts his point that there isn’t a diversity or representation issue if he has to build a stronger and more diverse representation in AEW.
Regardless, Khan plans to make progress this year, and fans will have to wait to see what those plans are.
The recent Big Swole controversy has landed Tony Khan in hot waters. Even members of the IWC who are usually very supportive of the AEW president, have distanced themselves from his comments. While the wrestling promoter since seems to have learned not to publicly call out his ex-employees, he is not refraining himself from promising a diverse representation in his company in 2022.
Khan recently had an interview with Barstool Wrestling. He talked about all the additions to the AEW roster in 2021 and what qualities he looks for while signing people. Tony claimed that professionalism is the number one thing on his list:
“There’s a number of things. There’s in-ring ability. There’s professionalism, [which] I think is very important. That’s number one. The first word in professional wrestler is professional. I think there’s also in-ring ability, charisma, promos. [It’s] looking for a combination of these. If somebody has some more than others, you can work around it to some extent, but you need them all.”
Tony Khan Says AEW Plans To Build A Diverse Representation In 2022
Tony Khan (Photo: Robbie Fox for Barstool)
Tony Khan was later asked about AEW’s plans in 2022. The AEW owner first explained that it’s going to be a huge year for them. He then mentioned how their two most recent signings are a step towards helping them achieve the goal of diversity:
“It’s gonna be a huge year for us. We’ve expanded the roster so much. Like I said, it’s a more competitive roster than it’s ever been. And it’s a more diverse roster than it’s ever been. Just look at the signings [in] the last couple [of] weeks, the last two wrestlers we’ve announced coming in. Mercedes Martinez and then of course just in the last 24 hours, Jake Atlas.”
Khan recalled how Mercedes Martinez helped Jade Cargill in reaching the finals of the TBS tournament during her return to AEW programming. He also mentioned the debut of Jake Atlas before claiming that he has some huge plans for 2022 that have been in the making for a long time:
“I have some huge plans for 2022 that have been a long time in the making. And then I have some huge plans for 2022 to build a stronger, more diverse representation across the board. Nobody knows what it is yet, but I have a couple [of] really exciting things that are gonna be coming up in the next month, six weeks.
It’s gonna be really good. It’s been stuff that’s been a long time planned, and it’s gonna be awesome. There’s also some stuff that just kind of came up, to be honest with you that is gonna be pretty dope”
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
A new era for AEW begins tonight, as Dynamite moves to TBS. AEW’s top names have been doing the media rounds to promote the show, including company president Tony Khan.
TK spoke with Brandon Walker for Barstool Sports Rasslin’ podcast and dropped several news items that AEW fans will be interested in:
AEW Beach Break is returning later this month. The 2-night event will take place on the Wednesday, January 26th edition of Dynamite and the Friday, January 28th edition of Rampage. Beach Break will take place from Cleveland, Ohio.
AEW Double or Nothing will return to Las Vegas this year. The PPV takes place during Memorial Day weekend, the final weekend of May.
AEW will bring Dynamite and Rampage to the west coast some time this spring ‘around the time’ of Double or Nothing.
Last year’s AEW Beach Break took place from Jacksonville, FL at Daily’s Place. The main event saw Jon Moxley, PAC & Fenix vs. Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers.
Tony Khan also teased that we will be seeing Hook again “sooner than later.”
Catch Brandon Walker’s full interview with Tony Khan right here:
Tony Khan signed a number of big names such as CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole to AEW in 2021, and it appears he plans to continue this trend in 2022.
The AEW president recently had an interview with Josh Martinez of New York’s Z100 radio station. He was there to promote Dynamite’s move to TBS and their other upcoming shows.
During the discussion, the host asked Khan if he has a “dream signing” that he’d like to see in AEW. He narrowed it down to talent located in North America, which excludes most ‘Forbidden Door’ crossovers from New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Khan said there actually is a big name coming to AEW “pretty soon” that he’s very excited about.
“There is [a dream signing]. They are in North America and they’re coming. Pretty soon. It’s going to be awesome. I’m very excited,”
-Tony Khan
Khan did not reveal any further detail about this dream signing so it’s hard to say when they will be coming or who it could be.
There are a number of big free agents in the market that fit the bill and it will be really interesting to see which one of them ends up being the promised signing.
Top free agents who are currently available, or will soon be available, to appear for AEW include Jeff Hardy, Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt), Johnny Gargano, Keith Lee, Karrion Kross, Danhausen, Buddy Murphy, ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham, Adam Scherr, Shane “Swerve” Strickland, Teagan Nox and Toni Storm.
Apart from this, Tony Khan talked about things such as the upcoming final of the TBS title tournament, the signing of Jake Atlas, and more.
You can check out his full interview in the video below:
Tony Khan was recently interviewed by CBS Sports. During the discussion, he spoke about what his new year’s resolutions for AEW are in 2022.
“To continue expanding,” Khan said. “We’ve got the Battle of the Belts, and the Owen Hart Cup, and so much more to come in 2022. We’ve developed the roster so much in the past year, more than I honestly had ever dreamed we could going into the year.”
“So I look forward to what’s ahead in 2022. What a year it was. Our four pay-per-views this year happened to be the four biggest pay-per-views we’ve ever done. Our top four box office shows of all time. The last two are the top two. We’ve ended up in an amazing place and it’s very exciting going into 2022.”
When asked about what wrestlers he expects to have a big year in 2022, Khan mentioned Dante and Darius Martin.
“I think for a variety of reasons, there’s a number of people I’m excited to feature in the coming year,” Khan said. “For example, it was completely out of everyone’s control, but Darius Martin has been out injured and I think he’s tremendous. I would love to get him back soon and teaming with his brother, Dante. Dante has become a big star and I think they were tremendous as a tag team.”
Khan also spoke about the success AEW has seen over the last year on PPV and numerous other topics. The AEW President noted how the roster for his company has expanded well beyond what he dreamed it could have in the last year as well as Serena Deeb’s role as a producer backstage.
The full interview with Tony Khan can be heard in the player below:
Tony Khan has been on a signing spree the last few months. The AEW president has signed over 25 new stars to his company in 2021.
The sheer number of acquisitions however has also attracted some criticism from fans, with many worrying that the new signings have overshadowed the Day 1 AEW talents in many cases.
Khan was asked about his strategy for new stars heading into 2022 during a recent interview with TVInsider. Replying to it, Tony admitted that it’s time to be discerning about talent acquisition:
“I do think I have to be more discerning than ever in talent acquisition because we have such a strong roster. I was aggressively expanding with the launch of Rampage.”
Tony Khan went on to list some of the major names that have joined their roster in recent times before discussing AEW’s partnership with other companies:
“We’ve also continued our partnerships with great international companies like New Japan Pro Wrestling and Lucha Libre AAA. We have a lot of great talent working, but it’s time for me to be more discerning than ever in terms of acquisitions.”
Inspite of this claim, Khan promised that the list of talents will continue to expand. When asked if we will see more talents coming in next year, he said “Absolutely, there will be more people coming into AEW.”
What do you think about AEW’s hiring strategy in 2021? Let us know your thoughts on all the signing of the year in the comment section below.
Tonight on AEW Dynamite from Jacksonville, Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish will team up to take on Chuck Taylor, Trent, and Orange Cassidy. The 3 original members of the Undisputed Era were competition to the promotion when they were on NXT Wednesday nights. Tony Khan recently spoke to Sports Illustrated about what it’s like to now have them on his show.
“Kyle O’Reilly is a huge addition for AEW. He’s a great, great wrestler. And not only did we get Kyle O’Reilly, we also got Bobby Fish and Adam Cole. These are huge signings individually, but even more massive together,” Khan said. “Adam Cole’s debut at the end of All Out, that’s one of the most important moments ever in AEW, and now he’s surrounded by his former partners. To have Kyle O’Reilly debut and help Adam Cole get the win over Orange Cassidy in a great wrestling match last week on Dynamite, that builds more interest in AEW.”
Kyle O’Reilly debuted for AEW on last week’s “Holiday Bash” show from the Greensboro Coliseum. He interfered in the match between Cole and Orange Cassidy, leading to Cole picking up the victory. Cole, Fish, and O’Reilly left the ring area after the match, leaving the Young Bucks in the ring by themselves.
“Kyle makes his debut in the ring this week, and it’s symbolic that it is happening on the final Dynamite on TNT,” Khan continued. “So much of our run on TNT was spent battling these guys—Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly. When we were head to head, it was threatening to us every time they were on camera. Now we’ve added them to our team in AEW, which is such an advantage.”
Only 2 days to New Year’s Smash, the last #AEWDynamite ever on TNT; perfect to wrap with our biggest @dailysplace tv crowd yet & @JRsBBQ’s return! There will be GREAT wrestling + SURREAL scenes when some of the biggest names in the wrestling enter Daily’s Place for their 1st time pic.twitter.com/W5X6qGj0HU
Cole, Fish & O’Reilly vs The Best Friends On AEW New Year’s Smash
In addition to Cole, O’Reilly, and Fish teaming up to take on the Best Friends, 2 other big matches are scheduled for tonight’s show. 2.0 and Daniel Garcia will team up to take on Eddie Kingston and Santana & Ortiz. In the TBS title tournament semi-finals, Thunder Rosa will also take on Jade Cargill.
AEW recently revealed that the Owen Hart Cup tournaments will take place this May and conclude at the Double or Nothing PPV in Las Vegas. Tony Khan was recently interviewed by PW Insider and spoke about the tournaments, his relationship with Dr. Martha Hart, and more.
“I have so much respect for Dr. Martha Hart. She is a principled woman and cares so much about making sure the legacy of Owen Hart is treated with integrity. Integrity is something that is essential to AEW. I believe in personal integrity and try to maintain it in relationships. We’ve built a really strong relationship with Martha based on that,” Khan said.
Tony Khan Comments On Having The Tournament Conclude At Double or Nothing
Khan would continue to say that numerous factors went into when the tournament would be held. Some of this had to do with Hart’s teaching schedule in Canada and when she would be available to participate. They had considered the Revolution PPV in February but ultimately the decision was made to have the tournaments conclude at Double or Nothing.
“Talking to her about how the legacy of Owen would be treated, I told her we would make it a top priority to make sure we would do something that would have great impact on the fans, but also where she could participate,” Khan said.
“She’s a teacher in Canada and with her teaching schedule, we looked at AEW events. Double or Nothing is one of the most important shows we have, it’s where the company began, and it’s very fitting that on the three-year anniversary of our first AEW show, we will crown Owen Hart (Cup) winners.”
Tomorrow night on #AEWDynamite#HolidayBash LIVE on TNT @ 8ET/7CT/6MT/5PT we have a special video on the Owen Hart Cup Tournament including stars of multiple generations speaking about his legacy + footage of Owen wrestling in @njpw1972 & private home movies from Dr. Martha Hart! pic.twitter.com/N1vjAjgryB
Khan continued to speak about the decision to have both men’s and women’s winners fo the tournament. For Khan, the idea is that the Owen will be treated like other major tournaments in sports.
“I discussed it with Martha and I thought it would be cool to treat the Owen like other prestigious cups in sports. For example, Wimbledon, there is a men’s and women’s winner. Martha thought this was excellent and was in favor of it.”
