Former WWE, TNA and WCW personality Jim Cornette recently discussed Tony Khan and AEW on the Drive Thru podcast. Cornette is extremely vocal about his hate of the All Elite product, and he referenced when Khan spoke to him potentially to come in for an ‘advisory’ type of role.
“The first time I ever spoke to him on the phone? I said ‘Tony [Khan], I’m the only one it’ll tell you the truth because I don’t want a job” Jim Cornette began on the podcast. “That was two years ago, I was 57, now I’m 59. That’s almost 60.”
Jim Cornette on Road Life
“I was not going to be getting on aeroplanes and flying around” Cornette continued. “Or driving around to a wrestling promotion’s events that were being held all over the country. That’s regardless who it was, I’m f*cking not interested in that.”
Cornette would discuss how he could’ve helped in a consultancy role, but wasn’t interested. Jim Cornette has in the past worked in a similar capacity for some of the biggest promotions in the world, so this referenced conversation between he and Tony Khan, although not publicly acknowledged by AEW or Khan, is very likely to have happened.
“Am I going to stay home and write my thoughts down via email? Or phone them in and take a cheque for it? Well, if it was a goddamn real promotion Pinocchio? Absolutely, if there was a way I could help” Cornette stated. “You couldn’t do anything with this show, even if you were on the f*cking ground there. Unless the first thing was fire half the f*cking roster and start over.”
Do you agree with Jim Cornette? Do AEW need to “fire half the f*cking roster and start over?” Let us know in the comments
We could be getting a little closer to a partnership between All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Harold Meij recently announced that he is stepping down as the President of New Japan Pro Wrestling. The news has led to some AEW fans believing that Meij’s departure could perhaps open the door for some type of relationship between the two promotions.
Tony Khan recently spoke to Dave Meltzer for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and said he thinks Meij’s departure could be a positive development towards a working relationship between the two organizations.
“I’m not sure yet,” was Tony Khan’s reaction to the Wrestling Observer. “But my initial gut feeling is it could be good.”
There were several references to NJPW made on last night’s edition of AEW Dynamite. The “Ace of New Japan” Hiroshi Tanahashi sent in a video congratulating Chris Jericho on his 30-years in wrestling. There were also references to NJPW matches involving Lance Archer and Jon Moxley on Dynamite.
Moxley and Archer will meet for the AEW World title on next week’s “1-Year Anniversary” edition of Dynamite. They faced each other at this year’s Wrestle Kingdom as well.
The references to NJPW on this week’s Dynamite led to much speculation from fans but Dave Meltzer noted they likely have nothing to do with a potential relationship between the two promotions.
Not necessarily, that was Jericho's doing. He loves Tanahashi. Ultimo Dragon was on as well. https://t.co/SDgsNULf2r
We have a few more highlights from the media call that AEW President & CEO Tony Khan hosted on Thursday to promote Saturday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view. Khan discussed some title-related plans AEW has in the works, and surprises that will be revealed soon.
* Khan said he believes Saturday’s All Out event will be some of AEW’s strongest work. He’s really excited for big things that are coming over the next week, including Wednesday’s post-PPV Dynamite episode, but he couldn’t provide further details because it would spoil All Out.
He also said AEW has more surprises planned for the coming weeks, and he’s excited about those as well.
* Khan was asked about Chris Jericho’s recent comments on how Brian Cage’s FTW Title really means nothing in the company like other titles do. Khan said the FTW Title has not been booked like other titles in AEW, but he’s been working on a different kind of project that he’s excited about.
He noted that he feels great about Cage and the FTW Title, and while AEW hasn’t established that title yet, they have a lot in store for it and he’s excited for what’s to come.
You can click here for Khan’s earlier comments on the Brock Lesnar/AEW rumors, which AEW PPV did better than WrestleMania 36, and more.
You can click here for Khan’s comments on the NWA/AEW relationship, PAC being away from the company, and more.
As reported before, AEW President & CEO Tony Khan hosted a conference call earlier today with members of the pro wrestling media to promote Saturday’s All Out pay-per-view.
You can click here for Khan’s earlier comments on the Brock Lesnar/AEW rumors, which AEW PPV did better than WrestleMania 36, and more. Below are more highlights from the call:
* Khan revealed that there will be a live crowd at Britt Baker’s dentist office for the “Tooth & Nail” match against Big Swole on the All Out pre-show. The cinematic-style match was originally planned for the main card earlier this summer, but Baker hasn’t wrestled much in recent months and the change was made. He sees it as a big opportunity for both Swole and Baker, who we will see a lot more from in the next few months. He said while this will be a cinematic match, the actual pay-per-view will be wrestling-heavy and not storyline-heavy. Khan said the “Tooth & Nail” match will be great and it will be fun, and it will be free for everyone to enjoy.
* Khan said he would love to have Serena Deeb back after her match with NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa on Dynamite this week, adding that they both hit a home run. Deeb received rave reviews backstage, and he was proud of them for putting on a strong performance in the second hour position that the company trusted them with. He’s very excited about Rosa facing AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida at All Out on Saturday.
* There is not a working relationship between AEW and the NWA, past the good personal relationship he has with NWA Owner Billy Corgan. They have had a strong relationship for years, before Khan got into wrestling. Khan revealed that he was introduced to Corgan by another good friend – former WWE star Chris Nowinski of the Concussion Legacy Foundation. He talked more about Nowinski and how he respects his work, and had Nowinski come to speak to the AEW roster. He sees AEW and NWA as two different companies, but he wished Corgan the best with everything he’s doing. Regarding Rosa vs. Shida, he thinks this will be one of the best matches on the card and he thought the match maked sense for both promotions when it was pitched. He believes Rosa is the perfect contender for Shida at All Out, but it was Kenny Omega who first recommended Rosa for the match. Khan agreed, called Corgan and they made it happen.
* Khan said he, and everyone else in the company, are really missing PAC, who is still in the UK due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. He believes PAC’s absence has been a great opportunity for Eddie Kingston, who he sees as a good mouthpiece for The Lucha Bros, but also one who can fit well in other roles. While it’s unfortunate that PAC can’t be here right now, it means other wrestlers are able to step up, and they have been stepping up.
AEW CEO & President Tony Khan spoke to members of the media earlier today to promote Saturday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view event. Below are a few highlights from the call:
* Khan said he “can’t comment right now” on the speculation that Brock Lesnar may be headed to AEW, if he’s talked to Lesnar or if he’s interested in bringing Lesnar in. Lesnar is now a free agent from WWE but it’s believed that he will be back to work for the company soon.
Khan said he’s been a big fan of Lesnar’s work for years, and he sees Lesnar as one of the greatest “big man workers” in the business. He also doesn’t think people talk enough about how Brock is a great worker. Khan added that he has a significant amount of respect for Lesnar, but he can’t comment on the speculation or interest right now.
* He said he believes the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view in May “kicked the crap out of” WWE WrestleMania 36 in April. He talked about how both companies were dealing with different circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he believes AEW promoted their event better, and produced a better product.
* Khan promised that the new one-hour AEW TV show will premiere some time in the next year. He does not have an exact date and said they still have a lot of work left to do, including market research testing. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a lot of plans getting delayed, but the second AEW TV show is still in the works.
Stay tuned for more highlights from Khan’s media call.
Former WCW President and WWE Executive Director of SmackDown Eric Bischoff recently appeared on AEW Dynamite. ‘Easy E’ appeared in a segment with Orange Cassidy and former AEW ‘Le Champion’ Chris Jericho.
One of the more interesting aspects of this week’s 83 Weeks podcast was Bischoff’s take on Tony Khan. Eric Bischoff and Tony Khan have previously had heated words online but after a recent Patreon-exclusive podcast the two are now on amicable terms, at least publicly.
“That was really interesting. Now, you know I got to meet Tony [Khan] because of you (co-host Conrad Thompson). You put us together to do a thing on Patreon” Eric Bischoff would begin on 83 Weeks.
Eric Bischoff on Tony Khan
“I enjoyed talking to him then. But when I was backstage, and it was most noticeable for me… I hope Tony doesn’t mind me sharing this! I doubt that he would, but in case you do Tony I apologize” Bischoff continued.
Bischoff would then discuss the time just before he appeared for the segment on AEW Dynamite. “But while I was getting ready to go out? We’ll call it in the ‘gorilla position,’ but when I was standing backstage? Ready to be introduced for the segment? I was within earshot of Tony when he was at at the gorilla position and on monitors.”
“I couldn’t help overhear Tony” Bischoff would elaborate. “[He was] talking to probably Keith Mitchell in the truck or somebody in the truck. I’m assuming it was Keith. Tony’s…into this. Tony’s the guy with the chequebook who’s a big fan who’s ALSO a good producer. And more importantly, loves producing.”
Bischoff would finish by praising Khan further, saying “It is his passion in the product. He’s obviously a very intelligent and experienced businessman so check those boxes. But when you have passion, and you like producing and you’re willing to grab it by the balls? As opposed to putting someone else in that position and hoping that they’re going to do the work that you want them to do? Therein lies the magic. By the way, that’s what I did to a large degree, that’s a mistake that I made in WCW.”
Do you feel that AEW has had a good run in terms of production over their short tenure? Do you agree with Eric Bischoff? Let us know in the comments
AEW has lost a major supporter at WarnerMedia as Kevin Reilly is gone from the company.
The Hollywood Reporter reported today that his departure is due to a major restructuring under newly-installed CEO Jason Kilar. Per the report, the series of moves will prioritize HBO Max and streamline Warner’s content operations.
Kilar has decided to combine content studios and programming across Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, TruTV, HBO, and HBO Max under one banner, which is the newly-created Studios & Networks Group.
The group will oversee all WarnerMedia TV series and film development, production and programming.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter on Twitter wrote, “This news is gigantic. Can’t express how big. Reilly was the one who greenlit AEW, really was the guy who was a large part of why there is an AEW.”
Reilly was a big factor in AEW getting their TNT TV deal. Before his departure, he had worked as the Content Chief at WarnerMedia, and as the President of TNT, TBS and TruTV.
AEW had been set to introduce a third hour of programming to WarnerMedia, but hasn’t happened yet and there’s no word yet on how Reilly’s dismissal might impact AEW on the network.
AEW President & CEO Tony Khan has gone on record in the past that the idea of bringing back wrestling to the company started when he and Reilly meeting at a party in Los Angeles where Khan pitched the idea.
AEW President Tony Khan recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The company owner would appear on the show to discuss a number of topics surrounding AEW, including Fight For The Fallen and working in Daily’s Place.
One of the questions posed to Khan was how AEW manages to get a better ‘atmosphere’ at their shows than WWE accomplish at the Performance Center. AEW has been hosting weekly episodes of Dynamite and pay-per-views from Daily’s Place Amphitheater in Jacksonville, FL. The venue is home to the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars, which are also owned by the Khan family.
Tony Khan on COVID-19 Testing
“There’s not hundreds of people in the building, but there are people around the ringside area who’ve been tested,” Khan began on the broadcast. “And we’ve got the staff and the wrestlers who aren’t on Dynamite necessarily; but people who are on Dark and people who are GOING to be on Dynamite, or have been on Dynamite, but just aren’t on this particular episode.”
Tony Khan would elaborate further, saying “for story reasons there’s often people planted in the crowd, as you’ve seen. But yeah it’s been great for us, it [Daily’s Place] creates a great atmosphere and thankfully we’ve got this pool of people that have already been tested for COVID. It’s safe for them to be there, and when we don’t have to worry about having those people at ringside? it definitely adds a lot to the presentation.”
Tony Khan has addressed PAC’s current status with All Elite Wrestling. Speaking with NYPost.com, Khan explained how current travel difficulties have been impacting the promotion. He pointed directly to how the coronavirus pandemic is responsible for keeping PAC from attending AEW Dynamite shows.
Khan confessed he missed PAC. He explained how current travel limitations are causing a lot of problems at this time. He stressed that, if PAC were to attempt to travel, he would be stuck for two-weeks at a time in quarantine. Khan believes that ultimately creates an unsustainable travel schedule for the wrestler.
“As I understand it, if he were to go back to England, if he were to come here and he was able to get in, do a quarantine after travel then he would also, when he tried to go home, he’d be in a two-week quarantine before he could do anything.”
Tony Khan continued, “So it just doesn’t seem like a sustainable situation right now because PAC lives in England, so until travel is sustainable and he could do what he used to do, which is come here and stay and do a few shows and then go back to England and really commute across the Atlantic, it’s very challenging right now.”
The AEW President stressed how until international travel becomes truly safe, AEW won’t “rush him back” to television.
Tony Khan has dropped a hint at some more notable talent signings being done by AEW.
The AEW President and CEO did a recent interview with Bleacher Report Live where he discussed his desire to keep expanding the All Elite Wrestling roster despite having a pretty star-studded talent roster.
Khan stated that he thinks they have a great roster but he doesn’t think people should expect that you’ll never see more people debuting.
Instead, he thinks the promotion is evolving and bringing in some great wrestlers while also introducing some new great stars. He listed the likes of MJF, Darby Allin, Jungle Boy, Orange Cassidy, and The Best Friends as stars who have become big names and done well for them.
“What I’d like to do is take the best of what we have…then don’t be surprised to see more new people and new faces.”
He continued by bringing up how Ricky Starks was a great signing and totally organic as he earned an opportunity and was somebody they were looking to book in a match against AEW TNT Champion Cody Rhodes.
“That’s a good example, but I think there’s going to be some other guys, maybe people you’d even be more familiar with down the line.”
AEW President Tony Khan recently addressed concerns surrounding the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in Florida. Not only does Khan’s AEW promotion run in the state but his family’s Jacksonville Jaguars do as well. During an interview with the NY Post, Khan addressed the situation.
“I think we are dealing with the same issues as a lot of the other pro sports that are building bubbles in Florida,” Khan said. He continued to say that the rising rates are concerning to him as someone who lives in the state.
“I think logistically you don’t like to see it, so as a person that lives in Florida it’s concerning. I have not really left my own little bubble here and that is the key thing,” Khan continued.
Khan also spent some time discussing the different ways his various companies have handled live events during the pandemic. The Jaguars are potentially planning to have the stadium at 25% capacity meanwhile Fulham F.C is playing games in front of no fans.
“The Jaguars are making a choice for their stadium, whereas, they are planning in a few months and we’re kind of going week to week here (at AEW) and I think that’s a general kind of plan for the Jags. We haven’t for the Jags released a seating plan, what that 25 percent would look like and I think there are still a lot of questions to be answered before we get into playing football games. Fulham, on the other hand, we’re playing with no fans in England and piping in crowd noise, which the broadcast people have enjoyed.”
Khan’s AEW has an important card tonight from Florida. The Fight For the Fallen event will help raise money for COVID-19 relief. The Khan family has already donated $1 million to the cause. Jon Moxley will defend the AEW World Championship on the show against Brian Cage.
Tony Khan recently appeared as a guest on the 83 Weeks podcast with Conrad Thompson and Eric Bischoff. Early in the show, Khan addressed a recent public conflict between him and Bischoff. The conflict stemmed from an interview the AEW President took part in with the Financial Times.
“WCW was badly mismanaged,” Khan said to the Financial Times. “They teased audiences with matches that never materialized and lost tens of millions of dollars on talent, some earning six figures without ever working. It was a real disservice to fans.”
Bischoff would respond to the comments by pointing out Khan has barely been in the wrestling business for long at all.
Khan addressed his comments early on during his appearance on 83 Weeks.
“Just so you know, and over the course of this conversation I’m sure it will come across, I am such a huge fan of your work and you are such an incredible innovator in the business,” Khan said to Bischoff.
“I wouldn’t be here and there would not be an AEW without you and there would not be wrestling on TNT right now without you,” Khan continued. “You gave me the opening to talk to the President of TNT to talk about the previous success you’d had on his network which he didn’t realize because it’s been 20 years.”
Khan continued to talk about how he had said numerous positive things about WCW during the interview with the Financial Times. The reporter evidently only ran with certain quotes, however.
“I’m such a huge believer in what you built,” Khan said to Bischoff.
The full podcast can be viewed in the player below:
All Elite Wrestling President and CEO Tony Khan has shared his thoughts on this week’s ratings battle between Dynamite and WWE NXT. The two went head-to-head on Wednesday night with concurrent specials. AEW delivered Fyter Fest Night Two and WWE hosted NXT Great American Bash Night Two.
NXT Great American Bash Night Two actually defeated Fyter Fest Night Two in total viewership. This was WWE’s third victory in a row. However, they did not top the key demographic ratings. Khan took to Twitter to reflect on the numbers. He argued how he considers being a top 7 show on cable a “huge win.”
Khan stressed how “A win in the demo is a win in the business, and this is a business.” He noted how the industry as a whole no longer talks about the demographic as much as 20 years ago but explained how it “drives our revenue today.”
Here’s the chart the industry uses to analyze performance. The leftmost color-coded column is 18-49 demo. The rightmost color-coded column is total viewers. The chart’s ranked by 18-49 viewers. We love & value all viewers, in or outside that demo, but that’s how we score the game pic.twitter.com/aipX0MDfjP
He shared the Nielsen ratings chart and stated how AEW loves and values all its viewers, whether they are inside or outside that 18-49 year old demographic. Khan did add, however, that this is how “we score the game.”
Tony Khan revealed he was thrilled about the ratings from this Wednesday night. He tweeted about celebrating with A Little Bit of the Bubbly on Thursdays whenever AEW is in the top 10. He added how “this is the 3rd time in 4 weeks, & I’m grateful for the great #AEW fans that make it possible!”
AEW will host another special episode next Wednesday night with Fight for the Fallen.
CM Punk noticed a tweet from AEW TNT Champion Cody Rhodes so he decided to respond to it.
It happened on Monday afternoon when Rhodes asked fans about who they would like to see answer his next open challenge.
This led to Punk reacting to it in a joking way by bringing up people like former WWE star Domino with valet Cherry, “Fearless” Jack Bull, former HWA star Dean Visk, and former ECW wrestler New Jack.
Sign guy Domino w/ cherry Fearless Jack Bull Dean Visk New Jack
AEW President Tony Khan then commented on Punk’s response by recalling how he witnessed Punk work a house show that also featured Deuce & Domino. He wrote the following:
“Duly noted. Fun facts: I saw you on a house show in Champaign on Super Bowl Sunday 13.5 years ago with Domino and Cherry (and Deuce). Also, New Jack was really really nice to me when I was a 13 year old kid visiting Philadelphia. My dad loved New Jack.
Punk finds himself on the sidelines in the pro wrestling business as FOX Sports decided to cancel WWE Backstage, which Punk had been working on as a part-time analyst.
As of this writing, there’s been no reports about any interest from WWE about bringing him back.
All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan was the latest guest on a special edition of the AEW Unrestricted podcast. Khan opened up about the promotion working with a limited roster thanks to COVID-19. He also reflected on the coronavirus pandemic and the creative decisions AEW had to employ.
Khan explained how several of their female talents live outside of the United States. With travel bans and limitations in place, it meant losing some talent they may have had plans for. However, Tony Khan admitted AEW was “fortunate that a lot of the top women ranked in the division at the time were here.”
Tony Khan added how they had 20 percent of the AEW roster available to them in Atlanta, Georgia as the coronavirus pandemic restricted movement and travel. Although this would have forced changes to planned storylines, Khan is happy with how AEW was able to pivot and change accordingly. This number also meant they had enough wrestlers available to put on the TNT Championship tournament:
“We were able to do this great tournament and tell some great stories,” said Tony Khan. “We were able to do some really good shows and I was proud of some numbers we did on the back end of those shows, especially as we went later in the month on the taped shows. The numbers were going up which proved the stories were compelling.”
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) President Tony Khan joined Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards on this week’s episode of the AEW Unrestricted podcast. The episode acted as a preview for AEW’s upcoming two-week special, Fyter Fest, which kicks off on July 1.
During their conversation, Khan stressed how Fyter Fest will see every single AEW championship defended. He noted how several AEW storylines will be “coming to a head” across those two weeks. Khan also explained how every match will provide a “huge moment” that will see further development to their current stories. Looking to the format of Fyter Fest’s presentation, Tony Khan admitted that “It is the kind of environment we typically have on PPV quarterly.”
As he hyped the event, Tony Khan confirmed that fans can expect the return of Chris Jericho to the commentary table. Speaking on the Private Party versus Santana and Ortiz tag match, Khan shared that “Le Champion” will be providing vocal duties for that episode of Fyter Fest. He juxtaposed Jericho’s ringside presence with Matt Hardy, who will be joining Private Party.
“[…] both teams are being advised by all time legends. Not just all time legends in the wrestling business, but two of the great tag team wrestlers of all time,” Tony Khan stated. “All the great tag teams Chris Jericho has been and Matt Hardy is a Mount Rushmore tag team wrestler. I think it’s going to be an awesome match. Those are two top teams. There has been a rivalry going on for a while between Private Party and Santana/Ortiz that goes way back.”
Although Jericho may be providing commentary on July 1, he is scheduled to compete on July 8. He will be facing off against Best Friends’ Orange Cassidy.
Tony Khan has a strong team surrounding him in All Elite Wrestling, but the buck stops with him.
It’s no secret that Khan is the President of AEW. He is active on social media about all things AEW, but (mercifully) does not appear on television as an authority figure.
Earlier this week, Tony Khan tweeted that he signed Ricky Starts to an AEW contract after an impressive showing on this week’s Dynamite.
Wrestling statistician Craig from Pro Wrestling Musings noted that Tony Khan said “he” personally signed Starks, not “we” – as in, the company or the wrestlers who serve as AEW Executive Vice Presidents.
(Full disclosure: Craig has previously served as a correspondent for SEScoops)
Craig wrote, “‘I signed’ not ‘We signed’. Be aware of what you are watching. Yes, it’s a great product. Yes, it’s better than WWE morally. But it is not the same product as All In. Be aware of what you are watching. ‘For the wrestlers by the wrestlers’, it is not.”
Tony Khan Sets The Record Straight
Tony Khan responded to Craig taking issue with him stating that he personally signed Ricky Starks. AEW’s lineage and genesis are linked to the [independent] All In event, but Khan never claimed it’s the same product.
“I’m transparent on how we work,” he replied. “We have a great group of execs in leadership roles, many are star wrestlers, & I work closely with them, & I’m accessible for all staff & wrestlers. This isn’t a public company, I’m in 100% control of everything.”
We never said it’s the same product. I’m transparent on how we work. We have a great group of execs in leadership roles, many are star wrestlers, & I work closely with them, & I’m accessible for all staff & wrestlers. This isn’t a public company, I’m in 100% control of everything
Craig clarified that he is mostly supportive of AEW as a game-changing company. He was simply objecting to the idea of “the at the top being deified.” He then asked Tony Khan to help him with all the backlash he was getting on Twitter for his remarks. Khan replied:
Craig buddy, I never intended for anyone to pile on you or attack your mental health. I was just responding to a tweet in which *you tagged me*. If you don’t want a response, don’t tag me & then it’s less likely. You do great work with stats, please don’t let tweets get you down!
WWE and AEW may have gotten one step closer to having fans attend their shows in the state of Florida.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in March, WWE has been holding TV tapings in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center and Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. The same goes for AEW from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida for Dynamite shows.
On Wednesday during a press conference, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that bars, movie theaters, and other entertainment venues are re-opening. They’ll do so in 64 counties beginning this Friday.
The reason for this is due to the state moving into Phase Two of DeSantis’ three-step plan to re-start the economy. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach are not included in this plan as they’ve been some of the hardest-hit counties in Florida.
DeSantis will allow businesses such as movie theaters, bowling alleys, and concert halls to run at 50% capacity with his new Executive Order. Of course, they’ll have to do social distancing.
Bars are allowed to open at 50% capacity indoors, and at full capacity outside with proper social distancing of 6 feet between tables. This is the same as restaurants and retail spaces.
These new guidelines could let pro wrestling promotions be allowed to have fans attend their shows in the near future as the state is allowing the re-opening of venues such as concert halls.
Don’t expect to see Hulk Hogan or his ex-wife Linda at an AEW event any time soon.
Linda Hogan posted tweeted a message Tuesday afternoon that many are calling racist. In response to the ongoing protests about George Floyd’s death and police brutality towards African Americans, she tweeted:
“watching the looting , it’s all afro Americans, not sure how robbing and stealing set the record straight but if they want to be heard they need to be civilized.”
The tweet has since been deleted, but not before it made waves online and trended worldwide. AEW President Tony Khan was among the people who did not take kindly to Linda Hogan’s viewpoint.
Tony Khan replied to Linda and informed her she is now prohibited from attending AEW shows. In doing so, Khan also revealed that her ex-husband, Hulk, is also on the banned list.
You’ve now joined your husband in being banned from all AEW shows. Congratulations.
Hulk Hogan was persona-non-grata for a few years in WWE as a result of his 2015 racism scandal, but was welcomed back with open arms by the promotion late 2018.
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has opened up on signing a new deal with WWE shortly after making the news known to the public.
He did so while speaking with Raj Giri. It turns out that he signed the deal last week. While he’s now under a new agreement with the company, he made it known that he’s never gone without getting paid by the company.
Flair stated that WWE dealing with the coronavirus slowed down the actual official signing. He brought up how everybody went to work on figuring out on their end what to do.
He pointed out how it’s a lot to deal with in wrestling because it’s not a seasonal sport and is year-round. He added that just figuring your way around that has been an act of genius in itself.
It turns out that despite their friendship, AEW President Tony Khan told him that he wouldn’t even ask Flair to join AEW.
“Tony [Khan] told me that he wouldn’t even ask me to come to work there because he knows how tight I am with [WWE]. Our friendship is one thing but he respects my loyalty to the company. That’s how much respect [Khan] has for me and my relationship with the company which speaks volumes to what kind of guy Tony is. The same would apply to my daughter and WWE.”
Flair didn’t disclose the length of the deal but noted that he hopes that WWE keeps him around in some capacity for many years.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected all businesses and even though wrestling companies have found a way to continue their programming, the promotions are losing money on cancelled events and live audiences. During his recent appearance on AEW Unrestricted podcast, president Tony Khan talked about this loss in revenue and discussed the possibility of releasing talents due to it.
Khan first discussed how they were on schedule to do shows with some of the largest audience in the company’s history between Revolution and Double or Nothing. He then admitted that they have lost millions of dollars in live event revenue and there might come a day when they have to let some people go, but he claimed that now is not the time:
“We’ve lost millions and millions of dollars in live events. I don’t take it lightly, but I can’t take it out on the people that work here because it’s not their fault.” said Tony Khan. “We’ve really not let anybody go here as a company, and look, I’m gonna be honest, there’s gonna come a day where somebody, we’re gonna have to, but now is not the time.
This is a hard time for everybody. It’s a hard time for us, but I have to look at the bigger picture. In the big picture, we’re in such good shape. We’re the second healthiest wrestling company in the world, and that’s a really great place to be. And we haven’t let a single person go to do it.”
Tony went on to explain how eventually they are going to have the audience back at the shows but the revenue they have lost in between will not be coming back. Apart from this, he also talked about putting together the recent AEW tapings, being excited for the upcoming Double Or Nothing PPV, and more.
Tony Khan was the guest this week on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. During the show, Khan spoke about the challenges involved in filming empty arena shows recently in Jacksonville, Florida, and Norcross, Georgia.
The last episode of Dynamite to air with a live audience was on March 11th from Salt Lake City in Utah. The company was forced to pivot and move future shows to Jacksonville and then Norcross from that point on.
“What was really hard for me was that I didn’t want to force anyone to come to work under these circumstances,” Khan said on the show.
He also mentioned that the company had to think quickly on what they were going to do.
“I had to figure out by the next morning where we’re going to be because the trucks needed to know where to take the rings and the set,” he continued.
Khan also said he spoke with TNT about AEW continuing to produce content.
“I talked to the network and they were excited for us to keep putting on shows,” Khan said about TNT’s reaction.
Tony Khan on the Quality of Dynamite Shows
Khan continued to talk about how much he enjoyed the first empty arena show they did and the most recent one.
“The two best shows that we’ve done since the shut down I think would be the first one we did and the most recent one,” Khan continued. “I loved them both.”
Khan also talked about sports/wrestling with national tv deals being deemed essential in some states.
“I never considered us or tried to force us to be an essential business. I never tried to stay open against restrictions and so when we heard that Florida and Georgia were going to shut down, we were shutting down too. We needed to tape as much content as we could before that shutdown.”
He continued to talk about how many wrestlers stayed in the area for the tapings and the different challenges they faced.
AEW airs live tonight from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. AEW President Tony Khan confirmed that all wrestlers and employees tested negative for COVID-19 prior to the broadcast.
AEW President Tony Khan has provided some interesting insight about All Elite Wrestling’s creative process.
Khan spoke with Johnny Christ this week on a special Youtube edition of the Drinks With Johnny podcast. They spoke a wide variety topics, including the recent NFL draft. Of course there was also a lot of wrestling talk.
Interestingly, Khan revealed that he has taken inspiration from late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon when formulating AEW’s “no audience” programming. He also shed some light on the importance of letting wrestlers be themselves without over-scripting.
Christ said one of the things he likes about AEW is the wrestlers speak from the heart. He feels like the talent has taken control of their characters, which gives them and the product a more organic feel.
Tony Khan Lets AEW Talent Get Creative
Tony Khan said there needs to be an overall structure to AEW’s story telling. However, he does not want to write dialogue that is not believable for a specific wrestler. He would never hand a wrestler a piece of paper and tell them to memorize 6 paragraphs to recite.
Khan singled out Darby Allin as a prime example of a talented performer that needs to speak in his own words. “I can’t speak for Darby Allin, nobody can but Darby,” Khan said.
Darby Allin’s character development in AEW has been fueled by his ominous vignettes. He puts those together himself. “That’s the genius of Darby,” Khan said. He reiterated that AEW needs an overall structure and he loves that side of the creative process. But the talent needs leeway to flourish creatively.
Johny Christ said promos are what sold him on wrestling as a kid. When you see a wrestler who is fired up and speaking passionately, you have no choice but to get invested. Christ said he’s seeing cooler promos in AEW than “elsewhere.”
Tony Khan wrapped up by saying, “we have some really creative people” in AEW. In recent weeks, they have been working with a skeleton crew. Everybody stepped up and that has made him proud. He gave another example of Chris Jericho coming up with the Bubbly Bunch series. Jericho was given a chance to get creative and it’s working.
You can check out the full episode of Drinks With Johnny Live below:
Eric Bischoff remains outspoken about All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and company president Tony Khan.
Bischoff’s 83 Weeks podcast released a video on YouTube this weekend featuring the former President of WCW answering questions from fans. One of the questions was from a fan who was hoping to get a response from Bischoff on comments Tony Khan made in an interview with the Financial Times.
To recap, Khan told the Financial Times that he looks to mistakes WCW made for lessons.
“I’m not taking positive business lessons from other companies. Most of the lessons I’m taking are examples of what not to do…WCW was badly mismanaged. They teased audiences with matches that never materialized and lost tens of millions of dollars on talent, some earning six figures without ever working. It was a real disservice to fans.”
Eric Bischoff did not take kindly to Tony Khan’s remarks and had this to say in response:
“That’s an interesting thing for Mr. Khan to say,” Biscoff began. “He’s been in the professional wrestling business for…what time is it? It’s about a cup of coffee, I think. I think your coffee could still be warm at this point.”
“So far he’s spent – from what I’ve heard, I don’t know if its accurate or not, I want to make sure I say that- somewhere between $30 and $50 million to prove that he can be competitive with WWE’s developmental territory.”
“Call me in a couple of years and tell me what you’ve done that’s really unique. Call me in a couple of years when you’ve changed the industry.”
Bischoff continued:
“Call me in a couple of years when you’re #2, #3, #4 in all of cable programming for the night in primetime and then let’s talk about it.”
Bischoff’s comments can be heard in the player below:
All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan has revealed that veteran announcer Jim Ross will be returning to Dynamite next week.
Taking to Twitter, Khan praised the commentary work of Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone. The two worked together on this week’s episode of the TNT show. He noted how their debut together has been great and that the company has plans for the two to continue providing vocal duties on Dynamite. He then stated that Jim Ross would be returning to call Jon Moxley’s matchup against Inner Circle member Jake Hager.
“We have much more @IAmJericho & @tonyschiavone24 commentary to look forward to on tonight’s show on TNT now + in the coming weeks. Also @JRsBBQ will return next week to call the @JonMoxley v. @RealJakeHager No Holds Barred Empty Arena #AEW World Title match next week on Dynamite!”
We have much more @IAmJericho & @tonyschiavone24 commentary to look forward to on tonight’s show on TNT now + in the coming weeks. Also @JRsBBQ will return next week to call the @JonMoxley v. @RealJakeHager No Holds Barred Empty Arena #AEW World Title match next week on Dynamite!
Jim Ross has been staying safe in self-quarantine due to coronavirus concerns. He recently opened up about the decision, sharing it came after a lengthy decision between himself and Tony Khan. There is no further indication that Ross will be announcing other matches that night.
Like WWE has been doing in the run-up to WrestleMania 36, AEW has been pre-recording episodes Dynamite. This decision was made so they can still air episodes of Dynamite amidst the coronavirus pandemic. This has allowed for minimal exposure to their wrestlers and staff.
Jon Moxley attempts to defend his AEW World Championship against Jake Hager next Wednesday night on Dynamite. The two will clash in a No Holds Barred Empty Arena matchup.
