All Out only thing on Tony Khan’s mind

Tommy "Milagro" Martinez

Bryan Danielson, Tony Khan and Ricky Steamboat on August 7, 2024. X photo
Bryan Danielson, Tony Khan and Ricky Steamboat on August 7, 2024. X photo

It’s been less than two weeks since the All In pay-per-view, and All Elite Wrestling is getting ready for its next offering with All Out this Saturday, September 7th, at the Hoffman Estates Arena. This will be the sixth appearance for the promotion in Chicago, Il, and the card has quite the main event with Swerve Stickland and “Hangman” Adam Page in an unsanctioned, lights-out main event in a steel cage.

Of course, other matches could potentially be a sleeper and/or steal the show on the PPV, from Will Ospreay vs. Pac to Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander. Slamwrestling.net asked which match in his mind has that potential. “I think that’s a loaded question,” he replied, “because I don’t know if there is one match.”

“I’m really excited, and there’s a lot of build-up to them. Hopefully, people won’t aggregate just the beginning of that quote, and talk about the matches,” Khan continued, “because, for anybody who says that the matches aren’t coming with a lot of story and build-up behind them, that’s simply untrue. And there’s a lot of build into this show, into many of the major matches, and not every story is the same. Not every match evolved the same way, necessarily, but there’s a lot of build in story behind the top matches across this show, and there are a lot of top matches and big things and big stories happening in AEW.”

Most of the focus of this Q&A was on the feud between Strickland and Page. “I will say it’s been quite a long night trying to keep Hangman out of jail to be there for this big match,” Khan said, referring to Page’s actions on the recent episode of AEW Dynamite where he torched Strickland’s childhood home. “I think it’s going to be out of this world, and it’s definitely something that the fans want to see. Hangman versus Swerve. We prepared for a steel cage match. We’re not going to be able to sanction that. It’s going to be a lights-out steel cage match, and I think the fans are going to be really excited to see it if we can keep Hangman out of prison for what he did last night.”

Following on the heels of that PPV is the fact that after All Out will be their Grand Slam signature event. In times past, it was more of a two-part special event on AEW’s Dynamite programming at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, but next year it will be featured in 2025 as a PPV in Australia. “We’ve had great success in New York, and I think as we get closer to Grand Slam coming out of All Out, we’ll see huge pickup there as well,” Khan responded, “and I think it’s early to say what the future of Grand Slam is, or the delivery of Grand Slam Australia. I think that’s a huge event, and [I’m] really looking forward to that and we’ll have to think carefully about the domestic distribution here in America for an event taking place in Australia.”

“We have a lot of excitement about going there for Grand Slam falling All Out this year,” he concluded “and could certainly continue with Grand Slam New York as well as Grand Slam Australia.”

Among other things discussed during the Q & A session was the future of AEW’s media distribution, and that came up when MJF stated in an interview that AEW had the potential to become the second most profitable wrestling company in history. “I think it is reasonable,” Khan replied. “I know as to whether those cash flows happen overnight when the new deal kicks in. I can’t say those things for sure yet, and there’s still a lot to be figured out. But I do think the die is cast that AEW is going to be the second most profitable wrestling company at this point, of all time, which is very impressive for a promotion that is five years old and has been on television for less than five years. It’s amazing how quickly we’ve expanded and the expansion of the television product from two hours a week to five hours a week.”

Other topics Khan covered during the call involved:

Having the current AEW World Champion, Bryan Danielson, on the roster.

“I cherish every day that AEW has Bryan Danielson as the AEW world champion,” Khan said.

Sting’s role with the company.

“Sting has retired undefeated in AEW as a world champion,” Khan replied, “and I think Sting had this incredible send-off from wrestling, but he’s still very much a huge part of the AEW family. Sting and Darby Allen have formed a friendship that extends to real life, and Sting is a close friend of mine as well, and I’m very blessed to have Sting as part of the AEW family.”

Jon Moxley’s return to AEW and his cryptic remarks on Dynamite recently.

“Well, it says something. It’s definitely something to watch on AEW TV every week; something to keep an eye on all of our shows,” Khan said. “Having Jon Moxley back in AEW, however, this plays out, is good for the fans and good for the future of the show.

“It was a big thing for Jon Moxley to go become the IWGP World Champion and make history. It’s something nobody has ever done, and for all we know, maybe nobody will ever do it again. But it is historic to be the first ever person to hold [the] AEW world title and the IWGP world title, and he’s been a great champion for all those companies, and so much more than a champion. We’re very fortunate to have Jon Moxley in AEW.

“Whatever he’s referring to and whatever he’s doing,” Khan concluded, “I think AEW is a better place with Jon Moxley here. And Jon Moxley coming to AEW is one of the reasons we’ve been successful as a promotion. Whatever he’s referring to when he speaks to Tony Schiavone, whatever he’s been doing, however this plays out; I am eternally grateful to John Moxley, founding father of AEW and a trailblazer in professional wrestling and a great author.”

This is the current AEW All Out 2024 Card:

AEW International Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Pac

AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson) (c) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta)

Chicago Street Fight: Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander (with Stokely Hathaway)

Four-way match for the AEW Continental Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. 3 Opponents to be determined on AEW CollisionMJF vs. Daniel Garcia

AEW TBS Championship: Mercedes Monรฉ (c) vs. Hikaru Shida * Kamille is barred from ringside.

AEW World Championship: Bryan Danielson (c) vs. Jack Perry

Unsanctioned Lights Out Steel Cage: Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) vs. “Hangman” Adam Page

TOP PHOTO: Bryan Danielson, Tony Khan, and Ricky Steamboat on August 7, 2024. X photo

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