Tag: Tony Khan

AEW Announces Expansion Of Its Talent Relations And Development Team

AEW made a big announcement Wednesday morning, as owner Tony Khan revealed that four familiar names have been appointed to new talent and developmental-related positions in the company. These include a new face who hadn’t previously been in the AEW fold, as Impact Wrestling veteran Madison Rayne has been hired to help coach the women’s division. In addition, QT Marshall has been named Vice President of Show and Creative Coordination, Tony Schiavone will be a Senior Producer and Special Advisor to Talent, Pat Buck is now the VP of Talent Development, and Christopher Daniels will maintain his role as Manager of Talent Relations. The full press release is below:

AEW ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF TALENT RELATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM — Roles for Sonjay Dutt, QT Marshall, Pat Buck and Tony Schiavone will Increase Under Expanded Talent Relations Team; Madison Rayne Joining to Coach Women’s Division

August 3, 2022 – AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan announced an expansion to AEW’s talent relations team with the promotions of key staff members including Sonjay Dutt, QT Marshall, Pat Buck and Tony Schiavone. In addition, Madison Rayne will join AEW as a coach in the women’s division. As AEW continues its meteoric rise, the expanded talent relations team will strengthen the infrastructure required to facilitate the development, health and safety of AEW’s outstanding roster.

The following promotions and additions are effective immediately: Sonjay Dutt (Retesh Bhalla) has been promoted to Vice President of Production and Creative Coordination. In this role, he will coordinate communication of AEW storylines, liaise between post-production and key staff to maintain content workflow, produce ancillary content and mentor new producers. Dutt joined AEW in 2021, bringing more than 20 years of experience in professional wrestling – both in-ring and as a producer – and continues to serve on-screen as manager to Satnam Singh and Jay Lethal.

QT Marshall (Michael Cuellari) has been promoted to Vice President of Show and Creative Coordination. He will help to manage show elements including planning programs and storylines, character development, overseeing extras and live event logistics coordination. Marshall, an AEW original with more than 20 years of experience, will continue to wrestle as the leader of The Factory with Anthony Ogogo, Nick Comoroto, Aaron Solo and Cole Karter.

Pat Buck (Pat Buckridge) has been promoted to Vice President of Talent Development. In this position, he will liaise with talent and production, oversee all coaches, provide input on matches and promos, and lead the talent relations team. Buck brings nearly two decades of experience serving wrestling promotions as a talent, trainer, producer and promoter.

Tony Schiavone has been promoted to Senior Producer and Special Advisor to Talent. In this capacity, he will work directly with talent as part of the Talent Relations team. Schiavone is one of AEW’s most tenured members and has nearly 40 years of experience, with an iconic voice that has guided fans through professional wrestling’s most incredible moments.

Madison Rayne (Ashley Nichole Lomberger) will join AEW as a coach in the women’s division, and kick-off her new role tonight in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Madison has competed in numerous professional wrestling promotions where she has held multiple championship titles, including 5-time Women’s World Champion. She has more than 15 years of experience in professional wrestling, and is also a proud mom to a daughter.

Christopher Daniels, an AEW original who brings more than 30 years of industry experience, will continue to serve as Manager of Talent Relations. The Talent Relations team will also remain in close contact with AEW’s Legal and Talent Resources team – led by Margaret Stalvey, Chris Peck and Megha Parekh – who help to support the physical and mental health, safety and security of talent. AEW is also committed to supporting talent beyond the ring, and offers access to world-class physicians, trainers and mental health clinicians.

The news comes in the wake of reports of tension behind the scenes in AEW, as former Ring of Honor World Champion Jonathan Gresham demanded his release from the company, citing lack of communication with Khan. Meanwhile, WWE has also seen a recent shake-up in the talent relations department in the form of Paul Levesque, fka Triple H, whose ascendency has already paid dividends in the form of the returning Dakota Kai.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Tony Khan Reportedly Open to an AEW and WWE Supershow

AEW’s Tony Khan said it was unlikely, but he’d be open to discussing the possibility of a cross-promotional show between his company and WWE.

According to the President of AEW himself, Tony Khan, he’s open to the idea of AEW and WWE working together to put on a supershow, much like he did with NJPW for Forbidden Door. While he admits the idea seems far-fetched, he’s not opposed to it and would be open to discussing with the higher-ups in WWE.

The comments stemmed from a conversation Khan had on the The Ringer’s “The Masked Man Show.” podcast where he was asked about AEW stars appearing on WWE programming recently for the 20-year celebration of John Cena. Khan said he was approached about it and said yes because it was for a good cause. When the follow-up question was about whether he would be open to a pay-per-view with WWE, he didn’t shy away from answering yes.

Khan said, “I’m not sure if that’s gonna happen (AEW and WWE doing a joint show). But, I would be open to talking about that type of thing. It’s not crazy but it’s a bold prediction.”

Like the scene from Dumb and Dumber where Llyod Christmas was told by the female lead that it’s a million-to-one odds she’d ever be interested in him, his response was, “so you’re saying there’s a chance”. AEW and WWE working together seem incredibly unlikely, but Khan is not ruling it out as something worth considering down the line. As for whether WWE would like to pursue it, that might depend on who is in charge. Being a publicly-traded company, every decision is about revenue and the shareholders. If there’s a good financial reason to do so, WWE might be open to it as well.

The question fans will immediately ask is, what matches would make the most sense? Bobby Lashley teased on Raw this week that no one could beat him for his United States Championship, including anyone from another promotion. He seems to be thinking about it already. From there, Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Riddle, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair would be names at the top of WWE’s list. For AEW, CM Punk, Hangman Page, Kenny Omega, Jade Cargill and Britt Baker would be among the more intriguing options.

Source: TheSportster

Tony Khan Releases Official Statement On Jeff Hardy DUI And Status In AEW

Tony Khan and AEW have released an official statement on Jeff Hardy’s DUI and what will happen now with his contract in the company.

AEW has addressed reports that Jeff Hardy was pulled over and charged with a DUI just days prior to his scheduled match on Wednesday’s Dynamite. Speculation was that AEW would be distancing themselves from Hardy and clearly, Wednesday’s Triple Threat tag match is now no longer taking place as originally advertised, but on Tuesday, AEW President Tony Khan has released a statement about the incident and Hardy’s status with the company moving forward.

The statement reads as follows:

“We were able to resume contact with Jeff Hardy this afternoon. AEW does not condone Jeff’s alleged behavior. We’ve made it clear to Jeff we will assist him in getting treatment for substance abuse issues, which he has indicated he’s open to receiving. In the interim, he is suspended without pay, and he can only return to AEW upon successfully completing treatment and maintaining his sobriety.”

The statement goes on to share a help hotline number for anyone who might be dealing with or knows someone dealing with similar issues.

AEW removing him from the active roster and offering help is the key takeaway from this statement from Khan. That the most important thing is to help him get the treatment he clearly needs is glaring at this point. That Hardy has also acknowledged that he needs and is open to getting help is also important. He declined going into rehab when WWE told him it was accept treatment or be released from his contract.

Addiction is clearly an issue for Hardy and it appears to be something he needs help with. AEW requiring he get that help before being able to return to work is the right first step in this whole process. Whether he’s able to maintain his sobriety is another thing and the hope is that he can because there are a lot of fans pulling for Jeff and want to see him back and wrestling again in AEW.

For those who need help with substance abuse issues, please call 1-800-662-HELP.

Source: TheSportster

Update On MJFAEW Situation, MJF And Tony Khan’s Meeting Will Take Place

According to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of “Wrestling Observer Radio,” MJF and Tony Khan are set to meet tomorrow following the controversy surrounding AEW’s Double Or Nothing weekend.

Problems between the two sides began at the AEW Double or Nothing fan fest this past weekend as MJF no-showed a meet and greet, despite people having bought tickets. While he wasn’t the only wrestler not to appear, Samoa Joe also didn’t turn up, his situation was different as he seemingly knew he was supposed to be there and opted not to appear.

It was then reported that a plane ticket had been purchased for MJF to leave Las Vegas. However, he did not board the aircraft and fulfilled his duties at AEW’s Double Or Nothing where he competed in the opening match against Wardlow. He was defeated in convincing fashion as Wardlow hit a record 10 Powerbombs during his latest symphony of destruction. The win allowed Wardlow to get out of his contract with MJF and officially join the AEW roster, all in storyline, of course. MJF ended up being stretchered to the back.

MJF reportedly turned up just before his match and then left the building immediately after it. During the post-show media scrum, Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman asked Khan about the MJF situation, but the AEW President declined to comment.

MJF is apparently set to be taken off the road for at least the next couple of weeks by AEW, although the length of his AEW TV absence could be extended.

Tensions between MJF and AEW have been well-known for several months, with the three-time Dynamite Diamond Ring winner having made several comments during interviews and on social media about his frustrations. He has also alluded to the possibility of joining WWE when his contract expires in January 2024.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Tony Khan Says Ring Of Honor Isn’t A Subsidiary Of AEW, Provides Update On Promotion’s Future

Ring Of Honor owner Tony Khan has hinted at what’s in store for the beloved promotion.

Ring Of Honor owner Tony Khan seems pretty adamant that he doesn’t expect ROH to play second fiddle to AEW, the other pro wrestling promotion he owns.

“Is Ring of Honor as big as AEW right now? No. Is it selling as many PPVs? No. But that was incredible growth for Ring of Honor, a company that has over 20 years of history now,” TK said during the May 26 media call to promote AEW Double or Nothing (h/t Wrestling Inc.) “And they sold a ton of PPVs over the years, and that was, of all the shows they’ve promoted, one of the biggest Ring of Honor shows. It was the biggest show by far in years. When we get all the final numbers in, it’s going to be probably 20 times or more than the recent Ring of Honor PPVs. So we’ve been able to rebuild and get Ring of Honor, I think, to a stronger place it’s been in many years.”

Tony Khan announced his acquisition of ROH in the opening segment of the March 2 edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS. During the post-AEW Revolution media scrum on Sunday, March 6, Khan confirmed that he will be booking Ring Of Honor when the beloved promotion returns from hiatus … an event that is yet to occur.

Aside from the Supercard of Honor event — which had been scheduled way before TK finalized his acquisition of the promotion and was referenced by the man himself in the above quote — ROH is yet to return. Ring Of Honor titles have been defended on AEW TV and at various independent shows, but we still don’t know when the company will return to producing weekly shows.

“I would love to get Ring of Honor weekly TV series, or streaming series, wherever it ends up going, very soon,” Khan said in response to a question regarding ROH’s future. “And it’s something I’m working on, and I think it would be awesome for the fans, in addition to the great shows they get from AEW. There are a lot of Ring of Honor fans around the world that can’t wait until the TV comes back. And I am hopeful we’ll have Ring of Honor TV and continue the great calendar of Ring of Honor PPV events. Supercard of Honor was a big success for us, and I’d like to bring Ring of Honor back to PPV as well and follow up on it. I don’t know when the TV will start back up on a weekly basis, but that is my goal, to get it going again. It’s something I’m working on.”

Source: TheSportster

Tony Khan To Make “Major Announcement” On Next Week’s AEW Dynamite

The card for next week’s AEW Dynamite was revealed last night and it is filled to the brim with action and announcements. It was promised that Tony Khan, the Founder and President of AEW, will be appearing to reveal a major announcement for All Elite Wrestling.

When it comes to the matches, the ongoing feud between Andrade El Idolo and Darby Allin looks to be coming to a head when they face each other in a coffin match. This will only be the second coffin match ever in AEW and Darby’s second time competing with such a stipulation.

Rising AEW star Hook will also be making his way to Dynamite to compete for the first time. On the show Rampage and on pay-per-view buy-in shows, Hook remains undefeated, so it will be interesting to see if he can keep up the winning streak with a new wave of challengers.

You can see the full card for next week’s AEW Dynamite below:

Wardlow vs. The Butcher

Hook makes AEW Dynamite in-ring debut

* Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Qualifier
Britt Baker vs. Danielle Camella

* Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Qualifier
Jungle Boy vs. Kyle O’Reilly

* Coffin Match
Darby Allin vs. Andrade El Idolo

Tony Khan to make a major announcement

Tony Khan Confirms Samoa Joe Has Joined Both ROH And AEW

Tony Khan recently spoke with the media following Ring Of Honor’s Supercard Of Honor show about signing Samoa Joe.

The former WWE Superstar debuted at the end of the event, and Khan made it clear that he’s excited to have him on the roster for both of his promotions.

“I am very excited to have Samoa Joe in both Ring Of Honor and All Elite Wrestling,” he exclaimed. “I think his timing was impeccable, and I’m sure the champ (Jonathan Gresham) agrees. But I am very excited, and we are going to hear from him shortly, and you’ll get to hear from him as well. But I know I am very excited about having Samoa Joe in AEW. Samoa Joe is going to be on Dynamite on Wednesday, and it was great to have him here on Supercard.

“I thought it made a great night of great wrestling a bit more special. And it was a really cool moment to see Samoa Joe in the ring. I think with Jonathan Gresham and Lee Moriarity. A few different generations of great wrestlers, and great Ring Of Honor stars. All people that potentially could be competing also in AEW. I am very excited about a great championship match to end a great PPV tonight.”

Jonathan Gresham joined Tony Khan in being pleased about the situation. He admitted that there are people on the roster that he sees as originals, with Joe being one of those. He is also pleased to have these veterans passing on their knowledge to the next generation of talent.

“For me, I am just very excited,” Gresham said. “From the locker room to people that are making special appearances. Like tonight, Samoa Joe. Christopher Daniels is in this locker room, Jay Lethal is here, B.J. Whitmer is here. To me when I became conscious to how wrestling can be, in my mind, how wrestling should be, I call these men, these great men, the originals. They still possess the fire and the spirit of what I believe wrestling is built upon.

“Having them here in this company, to teach the next generation, to help us understand how to be pro wrestlers, it means the world to me. I am exactly where I am supposed to be, and I am very happy these guys are coming back to an umbrella that has someone who cares so passionately about the sports and the essence of this business. Tony Khan, and Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson, and all these guys are keeping the business of pro wrestling alive, and I am happy to be part of it.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Tony Khan And MJF Reportedly Clash Following Audacious Interview

Tony Khan was reportedly unhappy with MJF following the latter’s interview with Ariel Helwani.

AEW’s locker room may not be as harmonious as it seems on the surface.

According to a recent Fightful Select report, AEW president Tony Khan got into a “heated argument” with MJF following the latter’s controversial conversation with Ariel Helwani on The Ariel Helwani Show last week. TK reportedly chastised one of his company’s most exciting young stars for failing to obtain permission from AEW’s media department before participating in the interview.

During his aforementioned appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, MJF opened up about his AEW contract status. When asked if he would consider signing an extension to his current AEW deal MJF said there was “no chance” of that happening. He then specified that it would have to be “an absolutely astronomical number” and even then he likely wouldn’t sign because he wants to test the market.

Per Fightful, AEW sources said there would not have been an issue with the content of the MJF/Helwani interview if the wrestler has gone through the proper channels prior to the interview taking place.

In the same interview, MJF complimented WWE’s revamped developmental program NXT 2.0. “There’s so many charisma machines on that program. There is. I don’t know why you’re laughing,” MJF gushed as Helwani chuckled at his suspiciously excessive praise. “They had a make out competition this past Tuesday. Gripping television.”

UPDATE:

In an update from Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, the issues that arose between Khan and MJF “are now said to be settled.”

Meltzer noted that although the story is true, “there was no fight” or physical altercation between MJF and Khan.

During the interview, MJF confirmed that his AEW contract expires on January 1, 2024, and admitted that he’s not afraid to “stir the pot” until then.

“So when you’re as talented, as over, and as much of a draw as me, if I want to I can bite off Tony Khan’s fingers. He knows where his bread is buttered,” MJF said. “And if that offends somebody in the locker room, which I know it does, oh well, cry about it. Get more over than me. Oh wait, that’s right, you can’t. Because I’m literally the best talker in the business, and one of the best wrestlers in the history of the business bell to bell.”

MJF emphasized that he’d end up “wherever the money is” after his AEW contract expires in 2024.

Sources: TheSportster and Wrestling Inc.

Tony Khan Might Have Trick Up His Sleeve For ROH Supercard Of Honor

Tony Khan says he may have a trick up his sleeve for Ring of Honor’s Supercard of Honor pay-per-view.

It’s the first ROH show since AEW’s President, CEO, General Manager & Head Of Creative announced earlier this month that he has agreed to purchase the company.

“I promise to work hard to make ROH Supercard a great ppv + a show to carry on the incredible 20 year legacy of @ringofhonor,” Khan tweeted Wednesday. “I’ll continue to make announcements on the card; I might even have a trick up my sleeve (which I wouldn’t announce).”

Four matches have been announced for Supercard of Honor. Jonathan Gresham and Bandido will meet to decide the undisputed ROH World Champion. The Briscoes will defend the ROH World Tag Team Championship against FTR. Also, Jay Lethal will face Lee Moriarty and Alex Zayne is set to square off against Swerve Strickland.

Other talents announced for the show are Joe Hendry and Ninja Mack.

“I had not scheduled this pay-per-view, the Ring of Honor Supercard, but I really think that is important for me because they’ve sold tickets and made a commitment to the fans to still do the show,” Tony Khan said last week. “I see it as a transitional show in many ways, and I’m really excited about it because it is the first show under the new management, and it’s also a transition show before I will relaunch what I hope to be a really great, new Ring of Honor television product. A weekly series, wherever it does air or stream.”

Supercard of Honor will be held on Friday, April 1 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Dallas, Texas. The show will be available to purchase on FITE TV and PPV.com, as well as via InDemand Cable and Satellite providers. The show will also be streamed for members of Ring of Honor’s HonorClub service.

The Supercard of Honor pay-per-view broadcast is scheduled to begin at 8 PM Easter/7 PM Central. A pre-show on Ring of Honor’s YouTube channel will begin one hour earlier.

This year’s Supercard of Honor is the fifteenth installment of the annual event. It will also be the first Ring of Honor since the start of a self-imposed hiatus for the company last December.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On Tony Khan Purchasing Ring Of Honor

More details have been revealed about Tony Khan purchasing Ring Of Honor on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.

Dave Meltzer noted that the deal was put together two weeks ago, and the following day is when Khan started dropping hints. Both AEW and WWE were contacted regarding the sale, but Khan obviously put together the better offer.

The tape library was mentioned as being important to AEW, and the company does want a streaming service in some form. Ring Of Honor’s old footage is something that can help with that due to having more content. Plus, Ring Of Honor owned the footage for ALL IN, which was a crucial night for AEW’s own history.

It is not believed that WWE would have run Ring Of Honor as a separate brand. However, when the company was hot in 2018, WWE made a pitch, as Triple H wanted to buy the company. There were talks that went nowhere, as Vince McMahon wanted to buy somebody bigger. WWE ended up trying to buy New Japan Pro Wrestling, Stardom, and Pro Wrestling NOAH. The company also tried to buy AAA, but nobody would sell to them for the price that WWE was willing to pay.

In a press release, Tony Khan spoke about acquiring the ROH video library. Khan said he is exploring way to make the library available to fans.

“Ring of Honor’s influence on modern professional wrestling is etched permanently in the history books, and this acquisition ensures that its legacy will be kept alive and treated with the utmost respect,” Khan said. “This deal adds thousands of hours of content to our rapidly growing library and creates new opportunities to expand our footprint on a national and global scale, while having the potential to produce new content under the ROH banner.

“I will immediately begin exploring opportunities to make ROH’s video library available to fans, who’ll have the opportunity to witness the beginnings of the careers of some of AEW’s biggest stars.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.