With stars such as CM Punk, Sting and Adam Cole in action and the big debut of Kyle O’Reilly, this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite managed to break through the barrier of 1 million viewers again.

The Holiday Bash edition of the show featuring the main event match of Punk, Sting, and Darby Allin taking on The Pinnacle drew 1.020 million viewers according to Showbuzz Daily.

President Tony Khan took on his Twitter to react to the ratings. He thanked the fans and noted how it was their highest number since October when Dynamite was temporarily moved to Saturday night for a few weeks:

This is a 7.59% increase from last week’s Winter Is Coming special of Dynamite. The show featuring the Bryan Danielson vs Hangman Page world title match had drawn 948,000 viewers.

Dynamite also saw a big increase in the key demo. This week’s episode drew 0.37 ratings in the 18-49 demographic representing 480,000 viewers of the age group.

This is a significant 19.35% improvement over last week’s episode of the show. It had done a 0.31 rating, representing 398,000 viewers of the demographic.

This was a 31.61% improvement in the year-over-year ratings for Dynamite. The 2020 Holiday Bash special of the show had not gone up against NXT either.

• Sting Praises “Electrifying” CM Punk, Grateful to Retire on His Terms

Tony Khan always admired the athletic ability of Orange Cassidy but he was iffy on his gimmick at first.

Cassidy garnered a lot of attention on the indie scene. Many fans loved his gimmick of being the chill wrestler who puts his hands in his pockets. Others felt that OC had no shot of getting over on television.

Cassidy has been well received since coming to AEW and his gimmick hasn’t been as over the top as it was on the indies. Still, OC is allowed to be himself and has garnered success.

Tony Khan Didn’t Get Orange Cassidy At First

Tony Khan appeared as a guest on Busted Open Radio and said that he wasn’t sure what to make of the Orange Cassidy gimmick initially.

“The gimmick is very entertaining and people love it but the thing I really love about Orange Cassidy is how great of a wrestler he is when he really wants to try [laughs]. It’s what really made me fall in love with Orange Cassidy.

“I didn’t understand it at first either and I’ll be the first to admit that.

“The first time I ever really talked to him was after a PWG show I think and I had really not gotten to know him very well, and I spent a lot of time with him and talking to him about how I saw the character and how I would want to see Orange Cassidy in AEW.

“One thing I’m really proud of is if you’re an independent wrestling fan then you probably would know this or maybe looking back this would make sense to you, the Orange Cassidy in AEW is very different from the independent Orange Cassidy from pre-AEW.”

On the Dec. 22 Holiday Bash episode of AEW Dynamite, OC will be going one-on-one with Adam Cole. OC and Best Friends, who recently joined the NJPW faction CHAOS, have been in a feud with The Elite.

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AEW President Tony Khan has commented on the possibility of Danhausen joining All Elite Wrestling.

The very nice, very evil grappler is one of the most popular performers on the independent scene. He was on board for the latest Jericho Cruise. This marked his first appearance in an AEW ring and got fans wondering if he’ll ever join the company in an official capacity.

Khan was interviewed for CBS Sports this week and said the Danhausen-AEW situation is something to keep an eye on.

“Well, he was on the Jericho cruise, interacting with a lot of the AEW wrestlers and that was great,” said Khan. “He’s had an injury recently, I know, so it’s something to keep an eye on, for sure.”

Khan acknowledged Danhausen’s popularity, stating, “He’s got a big following and he does sell some merch. He’s a very nice guy, so he’s got a lot of things going for him.”

Tony Khan’s response is a bit ambiguous, so it’s difficult to get a read on whether or not there is real interest in Danhausen at this time. Danhausen is currently recovering from a broken tibia and fibia, so he won’t be wrestling for several more months.

Orange Cassidy is another comedy wrestler and he’s carved out a niche for himself on the AEW roster, so Danhausen could fill a similar role if they decide to bring him in.

• Bray Wyatt Comments On Potential Match With Danhausen

Watch Shak’s complete interview with AEW President Tony Khan:

AEW boss Tony Khan says he would’ve had interest in Kevin Owens had he not re-signed with WWE.

Owens had a decision to make regarding his in-ring career. His WWE contract was running out and he had the choice of staying with the company or testing free agency. Ultimately, he signed a new deal with WWE which is said to last for three years.

Tony Khan Praises Kevin Owens

Speaking to Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Tony Khan said that Kevin Owens is a great talent and that he would’ve looked into possibly signing him had he been available.

“I would have been interested in that. He’s a great wrestler. I think he ended up signing for what I believe is probably a lot of money. I think that’s great and good for him. We have a lot of people spotlighted here and he’s great. Any company he goes to he’ll be a great wrestler for them.”

Owens’ new deal with WWE is said to be quite lucrative. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that Owens’ contract is in the $2-3 million range per year.

The report also noted that the feeling is AEW wouldn’t have matched such an offer. WWE has been releasing plenty of talent as of late so it’s clear that the company wanted KO to stick around and didn’t hesitate to throw out a hefty offer.

KO will be featured in a WWE Title match at the Day 1 PPV. He’ll challenge WWE Champion Big E. KO won’t be the only challenger as this will be a fatal four-way match. Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins will also be competing for the gold.

Tony Khan is aware of the report claiming that WWE as well as FOX and USA Network executives have great interest in MJF.

MJF will tell anyone who listens that his AEW contract will expire in 2024. He even mentioned it following the Long Island show on Dec. 8. MJF got on the mic and said Khan will need to roll out the big bucks in order to keep him.

While MJF is having some fun playing things up, it’s a very real situation that AEW will have to face in a couple of years. Many consider MJF to be a top heel in the wrestling business and at the young age of 25, there is plenty of upside.

Tony Khan Welcomes WWE’s Interest In MJF

Andrew Zarian recently reported that WWE, along with FOX and USA Network execs have their eyes on MJF. Speaking to Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Tony Khan explained why WWE’s interest in MJF is a good thing.

“I think that’s great. I encourage that. I think they should keep talking about him because he’s a wrestler that’s a big part of AEW and is signed here for a few more years.

“So I think please keep giving us that buzz because he’s been getting great ratings for his segments and those have also been featuring CM Punk pretty regularly as they continue to interact.

“They’ve had a war of words and now there’ll be on opposite sides of this huge trios match where you got Sting [and] Darby Allin teaming with CM Punk against MJF and FTR.

“I think that’s great. You know, [WWE] had some wrestlers I really wanted to sign there and I signed him, Bryan Danielson and Adam [Cole] and Ruby Soho.”

As Khan mentioned, MJF is currently in a feud with CM Punk. A match hasn’t been made official between the two but it’s bound to happen.

MJF may have more issues to deal with other than CM Punk, however. His bodyguard, Wardlow, has been showing signs of frustration. Wardlow told Busted Open Radio that his “contract” with MJF won’t last forever.

AEW is slated to hold its first quarterly special on TNT on January 8th, Battle of the Belts, from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC.

AEW President Tony Khan has confirmed the length of the show after there had been speculation regarding whether it would be a one-hour or two-hour broadcast. 

Dave Meltzer previously noted in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the show was expected to be about an hour-long on television and that’s the case. Khan confirmed the news during an appearance on Culture State.

“It’s a one-hour show. It’s a one-hour event, so I can’t put every belt on the line. It’s a great chance on a Saturday night to expand the reach of AEW by giving the fans great championship matches on a Saturday night, which is a night people love watching wrestling, especially for a big event. There is going to be big championship matches. I’m very excited about it.”

AEW made it official this past Friday night on Rampage that Britt Baker will defend her AEW Women’s Championship against Riho at Battle of the Belts. More matches will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tony Khan has given his reaction to an article published by Fox News that brought up the Jacksonville Jaguars firing Urban Meyer as their head coach as well as AEW’s television ratings. 

The article claimed that the Jaguars team owner and Tony’s father, Shad Khan,  had a “rough 15 days of December” with the Meyer situation and AEW ratings “cooling off” since the big talent signings such as Bryan Danielson and CM Punk. The media outlet doesn’t cover pro wrestling very often and there’s no history of them covering AEW’s television ratings.

While Dynamite ratings have dropped off as of late compared to where they had been, the partial reason for that is due to the west coast feed airing the show live at 5 pm because of NHL coverage. Also, while the overnight ratings have been down, AEW’s DVR numbers continue to be strong. 

Khan took to Twitter to give his reaction and first wrote, “Hey @FoxNews it’s amusing hearing you opining about @AEW ratings considering #AEWDynamite on Wednesday has beaten EVERY single @FoxNews show for 6 straight weeks! Here are the recent charts (including this week) to prove it. See you TONIGHT on @TNTdrama10pmET/9pmCT @ #AEWRampage.” 

He followed up with a second tweet: “Thanks @FoxNews, I appreciate that you’ve highlighted @AEW ratings when #AEWDynamite on Wednesdays has beaten EVERY single show on your network for 6 straight weeks. Here are a few more charts, Twitter only let me attach 4 weeks worth to my last tweet! See you TONIGHT #AEWRampage”

The AEW President also shared charts from ShowBuzz Daily that shows AEW regularly beats Fox News programming in the key demo.

AEW President Tony Khan was a guest on Busted Open Radio on Friday and revealed first details about the Owen Hart Cup.

AEW announced a partnership with the Owen Hart Foundation back in September. The deal will also involved AEW being able to use Owen’s likeness for video games, action figures, and more.

Owen Hart Cup Details

Tony Khan broke the news that there will actually be two Owen Hart Cup tournaments One men’s singles tournament and one women’s singles tournament.

Dr. Martha Hart, widow of the late Owen Hart, will be on hand to present trophies to the winners.

The finals of the men’s and women’s Owen Hart Cup tournaments will take place in May at the annual Double or Nothing pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

Additional details will be given next week on the Holiday Bash edition of AEW Dynamite. A video package will air on that show featuring Owen Hart from his days in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Khan thanked Rocky Romero for being instrumental in securing that footage.

You can listen to Tony Khan’s comments from Friday’s Busted Open here:

AEW & Owen Hart

Tony Khan previously had this to say about AEW’s relationship with the Hart Family:

“AEW’s relationship with the Hart family dates back to our inaugural pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing in 2019, and Owen’s influence is still felt today,” said Khan. To extend his memory and his legacy even further through this agreement is a powerful and meaningful moment for the entire wrestling community.”

Martha Hart issued this statement on behalf of the Owen Hart Foundation regarding the Owen Hart Cup Tournament(s) and its decision to partner with All Elite Wrestling:

“The Owen Hart Foundation is extremely pleased to partner with AEW in this wonderful joint venture to honor Owen’s substantial international wrestling career and the lasting influence he and his craft has had in the sport.

AEW’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament serves as a tremendous tribute to Owen and provides an incredible way for professional wrestling enthusiasts to celebrate his work in a most fitting way.

We trust that Tony Khan and his amazing AEW team will do a brilliant job with this highly anticipated project. This OHF/AEW partnership is my special gift to all of Owen’s magnificent loyal fans who forever remember him and his inspiring repertoire of talents.”

AEW presents a special Winter is Coming edition of Dynamite this Wednesday night on TNT.

Last year’s installment saw Kenny Omega capture the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley and the surprise debut of Sting. This Wednesday, Adam Page defends that same title against Bryan Danielson. Some fans are expecting another big debut to keep that tradition going as well.

AEW President Tony Khan knows that fans are on high alert for more debuts. According to TK, fans should stay tuned to AEW programming over the next several weeks for some big surprises.

These Next Few Weeks…

Tony Khan spoke with DAZN this week and addressed the rich free agent market. He hinted at having a few tricks up his sleeve in the weeks ahead.

“I’m more than aware that there’s a number of free agents out there,” said Khan. “Wrestlers I admire, too. But I’ve got to say, you’ve just have to keep watching over these next few weeks — and not just, ‘Winter is Coming.’”

In addition To Winter is Coming, AEW has a few more special hows taking place over the next month. AEW Dynamite moves to TBS on Wednesday, January 5th. You can be sure that AEW will pull out all the stops to ensure that’s a memorable broadcast.

Just a few days later, All Elite Wrestling presents Battle of the Belts, a 2-hour Saturday night event on TNT (Saturday, January 8th).

There is no shortage of big names that could appear on AEW television at any time. Although nothing is certain, potential AEW debuts in the weeks ahead could include Wyndham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt), Johnny Gargano, Kyle O’Reilly or even new ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham.

Tony Khan is in awe of two top-tier AEW tag teams and their names likely won’t come as a surprise.

AEW has plenty of highly-regarded tag teams. There’s of course The Young Bucks, there is also Proud N’ Powerful, Men of the Year, Private Party, and many more.

For Khan, however, there are two AEW tag teams that he simply can’t take his eyes off of. They are the current AEW Tag Team Champions The Lucha Bros and FTR.

Lucha Bros & FTR Hailed As Two Tag Team Greats

Tony Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio and he gushed over Lucha Bros and FTR, who had a tag team title match on the Dec. 10 episode of Rampage.

“The world tag team championship match is one of the biggest things we’ve ever put on Rampage.”

Khan went on to praise both teams for being able to click despite having different in-ring styles and personalities.

“They’ve built a great rivalry and I really honestly believe those are two of the great tag teams in recent history. They obviously have very different styles. They represent different things in a different company but in this case, they’ve both come to AEW and worked their way to the top.”

Lucha Bros ended up defeating FTR to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships. FTR still holds the AAA World Tag Team Titles.

FTR wasted little time picking a fight following the loss. They were joined by Tully Blanchard in attacking Sting and Darby Allin backstage at Rampage.

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AEW boss Tony Khan has revealed why it has taken him this long to showcase Hook inside the squared circle.

Hook has the internet wrestling community buzzing. Fans online can’t get enough of Hook and neither can live audiences.

The young prospect, who is the son of Taz, finally made his in-ring debut against Fuego Del Sol on the Dec. 10 episode of Rampage. The general consensus is that he did not disappoint, demonstrating solid mat skills and transitions.

In fact, he looked very much like his father at certain points. He even ended the match with a Tazmission, which he’s calling the “REDRUM.”

Why Was Hook’s In-Ring Debut Delayed?

It’s clear that Hook has some skills in the ring but Tony Khan says that patience is key. He told Dave LaGreca and Mark Henry on Busted Open Radio that the timing was finally right.

“It’s really important we haven’t rushed him. There’s been plenty of times where I thought Hook in training and in practice looked fantastic.

“He’s got every bit of the skill it would take to wrestle on Dynamite or Rampage but the reason I held off till tonight for Rampage on Long Island, I really felt like to give Hook this chance to debut tonight in front of the big audience, give him a chance to debut in his hometown [was ideal].

“I think people are gonna see the way the crowd reacts to Hook tonight and all the fans watching at home when Rampage and Dynamite come to their city, they’re gonna see how fans have reacted to Hook and that’s how they’re conditioned to see him as a star.

“I really wanted to give him a great debut. I think Hook is a great, great prospect and I’m really excited about his debut tonight.”

As you can tell, that interview was conducted hours before Rampage aired. Khan was quite pleased with Hook’s performance and has given him a full-time deal.

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AEW head honcho Tony Khan will be lending a helping hand to ROH.

Ring of Honor is preparing for a hiatus. The company will be holding its Final Battle PPV event this Saturday (Dec. 11). This will be the last event for ROH before the company goes dark. ROH hopes to return in April.

ROH will be releasing all of its on-air talent in the midst of its “reconceptualizing” phase. We’ve already seen Jay Lethal get out of his contract early to take a deal with AEW.

Tony Khan Helping Out With ROH Final Battle

Tony Khan spoke to the folks at Busted Open Radio and while he didn’t go into much detail, he did reveal that he’ll be helping out ROH with the show (h/t F4WOnline).

“I’ll be doing some things to support them in their last show to make it a good show for them. …Over the weekend, I am going to lend some support to them and try and help them out because it’s the right thing to do.”

As it turns out, Jay Lethal is part of the help from Khan. He will be taking on Jonathan Gresham.

ROH could use some additional help as a big blow was dealt to the Final Battle card. ROH World Champion Bandido will miss the show after testing positive for COVID-19. Bandido recently competed in a AAA Mega Championship match.

Tony Khan sees Sting as a wrestling veteran who deserves to be treated with respect and he is not afraid to call out WWE for their treatment of the former WCW star.

The AEW president recently appeared on My Mom’s Basement podcast. He discussed things such as why WWE officials reached out to him recently and more.

Speaking of Sting, Khan claimed that the former WCW champion has had a great comeback, before criticising how WWE used the Icon:

“What a great comeback Sting had…it had been a while since Sting won wrestling matches…the last time we saw Sting, he wasn’t winning. Back in his last run [WWE] in the competition, they screwed him out of multiple matches, let’s be honest.

He should have been presented better, and that’s one thing I won’t back down on.” said Tony Khan, “Sting deserves to be treated like one of the great legends in wrestling, and I set out to do that from the beginning with him.”

After avoiding it for over two decades, Sting finally joined WWE in 2014. He stayed with the company till 2020 and wrestled a total of 4 matches for the promotion.

Out of the four matches the former champion wrestled for WWE, he won only bout fair and square when he teamed up with John Cena to defeat Seth Rollins and Big Show. Prior to it, he picked up a DQ victory over Show and lost singles matches against both Rollins and Triple H.

H/t to SportsKeeda for the transcribed quotes

Tony Khan recently noted that WWE reached out to him recently. According to comments Khan made on My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox, WWE wanted to interview some current AEW wrestlers for upcoming documentaries. AEW has previously permitted Chris Jericho to appear on “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s podcast on the WWE Network.

“They wanted to interview some of the people that wrestle here that used to wrestle there and some people that have had history there or [with] the other libraries that they own,” Khan said on the show. “So, we’ll see. I think I’m open to talking.”

Khan continued to say that he is considering granting WWE’s request. He noted that the call was very respectful.

“As long as everything’s classy,” Khan continued. “And just the way they approached me was very classy. So I have nothing bad to say about that. So, I don’t know if we’ll see that … but I’m considering some of these requests on some of these biographies and it was actually a very nice call I received the other day.”

Khan also recently addressed WWE running the UBS Arena before AEW did. More on that story is available in the link below.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

Both AEW and WWE have run the new UBS Arena in Long Island in recent weeks. WWE’s episode of RAW in the arena on November 29th sold or distributed 5,887 tickets. AEW’s show last night from the same arena sold or distributed 9,583 tickets.

Tony Khan spoke to News 12 recently about outdrawing WWE in the UBS Arena. Khan says that he isn’t trying to compete with WWE, rather they keep trying to go head-to-head with him in various ways.

“I just came to run a show on Long Island and it’s like hey, you know, they jump in the front of the line, run a show ahead of me, try to beat me in a market. Well how did it work out?”

Khan also spoke about the week that WWE extended an episode of Smackdown (airing that week on FS1) so that it would go head-to-head with Rampage.

“You try to compete, like [a] 30-minute window, head-to-head on FOX, FS1 against TNT and I didn’t make that choice for them to extend the broadcast by 30 minutes. I was very surprised to see it. My comments were genuine when I saw it. I’ve been expecting something like that and luckily, we had CM Punk and Ruby Soho and some great stars lined up to wrestle that week or I might have had to change the card and granted, Matt Sydal, CM Punk’s opponent for example, not the biggest star in wrestling.”

AEW vs WWE Ticket Sales

The Twitter account @WrestleTix has been providing updates on WWE and AEW ticket sales.

As illustrated in the charts below, AEW averaged larger attendance for their shows than WWE in November and September. WWE beat AEW in the same category in October, August, and July, however. Bolstered by a John Cena tour and a highly attended SummerSlam event, WWE beat AEW by a wide margin in the summer months.

Khan’s full comments to News 12 can be heard in the video below:

AEW boss Tony Khan was on edge at the conclusion of the street fight between Cody Rhodes and Andrade El Idolo.

Rhodes vs. Andrade closed out the Dec. 1 episode of AEW Dynamite. The show emanated from the Gas South Arena in Duluth, GA. Fans got even more than they bargained for.

The ending of the match saw Brandi Rhodes return to set a table on fire. Cody planted Andrade with a reverse DDT off the turnbuckle for the win. It was Cody who took the brunt of it, however, as he landed back-first onto the flaming table.

Tony Khan Was Nervous After Cody-Andrade

Once the match concluded, all Tony Khan wanted to know was whether or not everyone was alright. Even Arn Anderson took a spill during the match.

Thankfully, everyone is okay but Khan admitted on Busted Open Radio that things were a bit dicey backstage.

“It was amazing. It was such a great street fight and thankfully both guys will be okay and they both will be able to wrestle again because that was a crazy match.

“That’s the kind of stuff that can shorten careers, end careers. So, we’re very grateful for both Cody and Andrade El Idolo.

“Great street fight main event and absolutely Cody sent the fans home very happy from that match. I really, really enjoyed the street fight although it was pretty nerve-racking backstage.

“But thankfully everything came out okay and when you have a match like that, that’s all you can really hope for is that the wrestlers come out okay.”

The flaming table spot certainly has its supporters and detractors. Some believe that Cody taking the worst of the spot took away from the ending. Just don’t tell that to Bully Ray.

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AEW boss Tony Khan has heaped praise on Jim Ross and sent well wishes as he begins treatment.

In late November, JR announced that he will be stepping away from the AEW booth for a while as he starts radiation treatment for his skin cancer. Ross has battled skin cancer before and has overcome it.

Tony Khan Rooting For Jim Ross

Tony Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio and said that despite taking time off for treatment, Jim Ross remains invested in the AEW product.

“With JR this past week making that announcement there’s a lot of people rallying around him too. JR I think is a great voice in wrestling.

“In talking to him, he was talking about the buzz around the show today too. Jim doesn’t wanna just sit back and get these treatments and step away from wrestling.

“He’s still very much involved even though he’s not gonna be calling the show tonight. That’s another thing.

“For fans who are new to AEW, even though he won’t be in the booth tonight, one thing that has made people feel comfortable, made them feel at home watching wrestling is the voice of JR and the voice of Tony Schiavone out there.

“We’re all gonna miss Jim for the next several weeks very much. But I agree with you, he adds so much to the matches he calls, to the shows he calls, and JR I think is the greatest voice in wrestling.”

At first, JR didn’t anticipate missing any time on AEW TV. He then realized that keeping up with all of his treatments while making shows each week was a tall order and it’s best for him to simply focus on his health.

JR is hoping to make his return on the Dec. 29 episode of AEW Dynamite. Of course, that’ll be the final Dynamite show of 2021 and the last episode on TNT. The program will move to TBS on Jan. 5.

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Tony Khan has responded to social media hot takes criticizing Adam Cole’s booking in AEW.

Adam Cole made his AEW debut at the end of the All Out PPV back in September. Since that time, he has realigned with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks of The Elite.

While Cole has been getting fantastic crowd reactions, some believe he isn’t being presented as a headliner.

Over AF

Tony Khan responded to someone on Twitter who expressed his belief that Cole isn’t being utilized to his fullest potential.

“It’s false equivalence, Will. They try to move the line with ridiculous points aiming to dispute the credibility of something credible. Adam Cole is over af, he’s pushed & has many more young fans watching him than he did on Tuesdays. Would we argue if they said water wasn’t wet?”

Adam Cole’s take

Adam Cole addressed the banter about him. He wrote on Twitter, “No matter where I’ve gone…no matter how long it takes… I’ve always become “the guy.” Always.

Adam Cole was seen in action at the Full Gear PPV. He teamed with The Young Bucks to take on Christian Cage and Jurassic Express. The Superkliq ended up losing the match.

AEW was able to scoop Cole up once his WWE contract ended. Cole had competed on the NXT brand where he was the promotion’s main champion over a year.

As of late, Cole has once again joined forces with Bobby Fish. Fans, however, have taken notice of Cole seemingly leaving Fish high and dry when things don’t go their way.

Do you think Adam Cole is being underutilized by AEW?

It was recently revealed that the Young Bucks have signed contract extensions with AEW that will take them into 2024. According to comments made by Wade Keller of PW Torch, some talent in the company with expiring contracts are wondering what type of deal they will get when their current contracts expire.

“There are people I’ve talked to in AEW who are looking at their contracts and wondering what their deal is gonna be next time when their first deals come up,” Keller said. “And how much leverage they’re gonna have with WWE or New Japan or heck, GCW with their ticket sales these days or the indie scene as an option to book yourself. It’s gonna be interesting to watch.”

With the Young Bucks now having re-signed, AEW reportedly wants to get the other 2 EVPs to re-sign as well. Keller continued to say that he’s heard Tony Khan wants to lock up Cody Rhodes and Kenny Omega for more years as well.

“I have heard the intent and the hope is that Cody and Kenny and Tony all come to deals,” Keller said. “There’s not signs that any of them want to leave or are disgruntled to the point that they shouldn’t be able to come to an extension but I don’t know the situation.”

“Maybe Cody and Kenny already signed extensions and they kept it quiet. Actually, I’m pretty sure that hasn’t happened now that I think about it from people I’ve talked to. I think Cody and Kenny might be next in terms of signing extensions.”

The Elite Sign With AEW

Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and the Young Bucks were all named EVPs of the company in addition to signing as talent in early 2019/late 2018. The promotion was officially announced on New Year’s Day in 2019. The announcement was made in a video posted to the “Being the Elite” YouTube channel. Hangman Page signed with AEW as a talent only. Then-Elite member Marty Scurll was still under contract to Ring of Honor and would eventually re-sign with that promotion before being officially released in early 2021.

H/T To Wrestling Inc. for transcriptions.

Wrestling fans who were in attendance for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite were treated to some post-show shenanigans after the cameras stopped rolling.

Following the Dynamite and Rampage tapings, AEW President Tony Khan and CM Punk came out to the ring. Punk had Britt Baker’s red “leather” jacket with him, which actually fit better than you might expect.

Punk thanked the Chicago crowd for coming out and once again being one of AEW’s most vocal and rowdy fanbases.

They announced that AEW will return to Chicago on Wednesday, February 2nd for another live edition of Dynamite. Tickets for that show go on sale this Saturday.

CM Punk said it’s still surreal to be able to perform in front of the best wrestling fans on earth.

“The only thing I can really say that means the most is from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much,” said Punk. “It’s still surreal and still very, very good to be in front of the best professional wrestling fans in the world.”

Check out this ringside footage of the post-show happenings, courtesy of super-fan Brock Lesnar Guy:

WWE contracts typically allow the company to cut a talent whenever they see fit (provided there isn’t a no-cut clause in the contract). A wrestler is typically unable to quit working for WWE whenever they see fit, however.

During a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, AEW President Tony Khan said that anyone signing with WWE these days are only signing a temporary arrangement, not a real contract.

“Anyone who signs a contract (with WWE) these days, is not signing a real contract. It’s a temporary arrangement. People who come wrestle with me, a lot of these people are frankly lifers and they know that,” Khan said.

The AEW President also noted that there is far more job security working as a talent for AEW than there is in WWE.

“There is a lot more security with a contract here. I can’t say I’m going to extend every contract or bring every person back, but I also haven’t been doing mass layoffs.” 

Khan also noted that he can’t sign everyone who WWE lets go. He’s had to be selective of the new names he brings in.

“I’ve been very selective in the people I’ve signed and every time there has been a mass layoff on the other side it’s terrible and I can’t say I would be able to take on every one of these people,” he continued.

In addition to the 80 wrestlers cut from the WWE roster this year, ROH has also announced they will not be putting talent under contracts moving forward into 2022. Khan and AEW have already signed longtime ROH veteran, Jay Lethal to a deal. Lethal will not be working ROH’s final shows of the year and has signed on full time with AEW.

H/T To Fightful for the transcriptions.

Tony Khan addressed TNT’s reaction to AEW Rampage’s ratings during the post-event media scrum from Full Gear. The AEW President noted that the network is happy with the numbers, even if they are lower than what Dynamite brings in.

“The numbers that we do are still one of the top shows,” Khan said regarding Rampage’s ratings. “I think sometimes people think that the number that you do for Dynamite should be the exact number you do for Rampage, but it’s really an apples to oranges comparison.”

“It’s frequently the number one show in its time slot and it’s beating everything we’ve faced head to head. Very often it’s been one of the top shows, if not the number one show a number of times even out of that time slot on all of Friday night TV.”

This Friday’s edition of Rampage brought in 515,000 viewers on TNT and a 0.20 in the 18-49 demographic. The previous week the show averaged 599,000 viewers on TNT and a 0.22 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

“They’re really happy with the show,” Khan continued to say of TNT’s reaction to Rampage’s ratings.

“The fact is for the time slot it’s in, it’s performed really well and they’re really happy with it so I’m thrilled with it because it’s a great franchise for us.”

The average rating for AEW Rampage over the last 10 weeks is 601,100 viewers and a 0.24 in the key demographic, according to results tallied by the Wrestling Observer. This week’s edition of Rampage will be taped following a live episode of Dynamite on Wednesday from “Hangman” Adam Page’s home state of Virginia.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

CM Punk defeated Eddie Kingston at AEW Full Gear on Saturday night. While there were many in the crowd chanting for CM Punk, there were arguably more of them cheering for Eddie Kingston. There were noticeable boos in the arena at times that Punk would be on offense.

During the post-event media scrum from Full Gear, Khan compared CM Punk getting booed at Full Gear to the Rock getting booed at WrestleMania 18 in Toronto. Khan attended WM18 live and noted that he was one of the only people in the crowd that night cheering for the Rock.

“I remember being the only person out of 70,000 cheering for The Rock in Toronto,” Khan said. “My friend looked over me like, ‘what are you doing?’ And I was like, ‘somebody has to.’ And that’s how I felt about Punk getting booed tonight (vs. Kingston). There were way, way, way more Punk people tonight than there were Rock people in Toronto, though. I can attest as I was there for both shows.”

Is AEW Planning Shows in Canada?

Khan also noted during the scrum that he is hoping to run AEW shows in Canada. He noted that he is biased towards Toronto, however, as his father owns a hotel there.

“I would love to come to Canada,” Khan responded. “There are a number of great wrestling cities all across Canada. It’s a great country for wrestling. I have so much respect for so many Canadian wrestlers from different cities. I’m very biased towards Toronto because my father owns a Four Seasons Hotel there.”

2 out of the 4 AEW World Champions have been Canadian. AEW is also planning to honor legendary Canadian wrestler, Owen Hart, with the Owen Hart Cup. Details as to the format of the tournament and where the finals might be held have not been announced yet, however.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

In the build-up to AEW Full Gear, Tony Khan did a lot of media and spoke about his approach to long-term booking. At the recent media-scrum following Saturday’s PPV, Khan noted that he knew who AEW’s first 4 world champions would be. The idea of Hangman beating Omega for the title is something that had planned since even before Jericho beat Page to become the inaugural title holder.

Speaking at the Full Gear post-event media scrum, Khan had the following to say:

“Chris Jericho and then Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page. No, honestly, and if you look back, they all set up,” Khan said of his first 4 planned world champions. “Chris wrestled Kenny and then it built to Kenny coming back later to wrestle for the title, teaming with Hangman. Hangman also wrestled Chris. Then it built to Chris and Jon. Jon won the title and while that was happening, Kenny and Hangman had their partnership, their story, and Jon made all those great defences through the pandemic and was such a great pandemic champion.”

“Last year, Kenny and Hangman had that great match in the Eliminator final and then we came full circle to this and I think it all made sense.”

Bryan Danielson Beating Miro May Have Caused Some To Doubt If Page Would Win The Title.

Khan also noted that Bryan Danielson winning the World Title Eliminator tournament may have put some doubt in people’s minds about if Hangman was going to win the belt. Danielson’s win seemingly would set up a rematch with Omega, after their time-limit draw at Dynamite Grand Slam.

“People clearly wanted to see Hangman be crowned, but when Bryan Danielson won the Eliminator Tournament, you had to ask yourself, ‘Are Kenny and Bryan Danielson going to wrestle again?'” Khan continued.

Danielson’s win against Miro now sets up Danielson vs Page for Hangman’s first title defense.

“These things are all pretty well thought out in advance. The first four I would have told you all in advance would be Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, and Hangman Page.”

In a previous interview, Khan noted that while he tries to plan things out in advance, unexpected injuries, fan reactions, and more can cause him to deviate from his plan. He noted that 2 out of 3 times he draws something up, it goes as he wanted it to. 1 out of 3 times, he’s forced to do something different instead.

H/T To Fightful for the transcriptions.

AEW Dynamite is moving to TBS and with it may come a new look.

Dynamite is transitioning from TNT to TBS beginning on Jan. 5, 2022. AEW Rampage will remain on TNT and the network will also be receiving special live events here and there.

Now that Dynamite is moving to a new channel, albeit under the same umbrella, it’s left many wondering if there will be a new look.

Changes To AEW Dynamite?

AEW boss Tony Khan spoke to media members during a conference call. Khan revealed that he might be making changes to the presentation of Dynamite next year.

“The great wrestling and the great wrestlers and what people love about Dynamite, for the most part, I think that’s all going to be the same. But the look of the show, you know we may do some tweaks in presentation and it’ll be fun.

“We’ll do our best and if you don’t like it, then we’ll go back to what we have [laughs]. I think we’re gonna look at the presentation of the show going into TBS but the wrestling, the wrestlers, all the stuff you love about the show, for the most part, I think will be the same.

“Hey, if I mess with the look of the show and you don’t like it I can always go back [laughs].”

The finals of the TBS Women’s Championship tournament will take place on Jan. 5. Jade Cargill, Thunder Rosa, and Ruby Soho have emerged as favorites to win the tourney.

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