Ahead of the inaugural iteration of Redemption, Tony Khan held a media call Thursday afternoon to speak on Montreal, QC’s AEW PPV debut and the current momentum AEW carries.
Here is the card as it stands:
1. Thekla (c) vs. Willow Nightingale for the AEW Women’s World Championship
2. Mark Davis (c) vs. Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship
3. Kenny Omega (c) vs. Kevin Knight for the AEW Men’s World Championship
4. “The Painmaker” Chris Jericho vs. Tommaso Ciampa in a No Holds Barred match
5. Kyle Fletcher (c) vs. Bandido for the AEW International Championship
6. Christian Cage and Adam Copeland (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli and PAC for the AEW Men’s World Tag Team Championships
7. Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay vs. The Young Bucks
8. Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Maya World for the AEW TBS Championship
9. Jack Perry vs. The Beast Mortos vs. Komander vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Nick Wayne vs. El Clon in a six-way match to determine the #1 contender for the AEW International Championship
10. Jay White and Juice Robinson vs. The Dogs in a Double Chain tag-team match
Khan opens with his excitement for AEW to make their PPV debut in a new city.
With Redemption slated to start an hour earlier than usual, Khan wants to try a different time leading in to All In, which will be in London, England this August. The time zone difference next month will definitely be an adjustment for a lot of AEW fans.
Swerve Strickland is out of action for the time being but will be at Comic-Con this weekend with Tony Khan. He should return to AEW programming soon.
AEW Heels is currently on hiatus. Khan is unsure of when it will return but will ask those in the know.
Samy Guevara’s status with AEW has not changed, contrary to reports. Part of the issue was Beast Mort’s visa being held up. There are a number of current free agents. AEW was not in Guevara’s Twitter (X) bio to begin with, according to Khan’s memory.
Anna Jay and Tay Melo are in a different situation. Anna Jay is currently injured and went for an MRI last week. Tay Melo had told Khan that she wanted to step away from wrestling. This happened a few weeks ago, not in 2025 as was reported. Inaccurate reporting has mistakenly clouded fans’ opinions of all three.
A lot of big names are currently free agent wrestlers. Khan is excited about the potential for this PPV and the road to AEW All In. He says this is a “big summer” for AEW.
Kenny Omega’s in-ring career could be winding down. Khan emphasizes the “could be”. Omega’s career could have ended with his diverticulitis. At the time, in-ring competition was the least of AEW’s concerns when it came to Omega. The comeback is always a special moment in sports and in pro wrestling. Kevin Knight might be on the other side of the ring Sunday, but everyone will have to applaud Omega’s dedication to persevere.
Thekla’s star in AEW has risen faster than most other wrestlers. Her challenger Sunday, Willow Nightingale, had her amazing momentum stalled by an untimely injury. Nightingale’s momentum has been steadily rising through her years in AEW. She represents the “very best of AEW”. Thekla represents the growth and momentum of the promotion.
Kevin Knight’s quick ascension is due to Khan’s high confidence in The Jet. Already someone who’s held a number of titles, despite being signed to AEW within a week of Thekla’s signing. Free agents always have the chance to quickly get to the top fof the promotion if they work for their spot.
“Hangman” Adam Page made his return two weeks ago on Collision. The show referenced it last week. Khan expects Page to be visible on AEW programming again in the very near future. He and Omega are the only AEW wrestlers to hold the AEW Men’s World Championship, the Men’s Tag Team Championships, and the AEW Trios Championships.
The Young Bucks took on Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay last summer. They are a very different tag team this year. Sunday, they take on Ospreay and Jon Moxley. Khan himself has been a victim of The Young Bucks. They are “back to being who they were at the very beginning” of AEW. The Death Riders’ story is so unique to professional wrestling. Jon Moxley is as intelligent a wrestler as Khan has seen. The talented people around him in the Death Riders have benefitted from Moxley’s leadership. Khan mentions Moxley and Omega as one of the founding feuds of AEW, a rivalry that has lasted into the present-day. Kenny Omega himself has changed, as have the Young Bucks. Both sides have gone through all sorts of adversity through their time in AEW and are vastly different and vastly better wrestlers than who they were even a few years ago.
A Crockett Cup-style tournament is something AEW could consider with the number of top level teams through AEW, ROH, CMLL, NJPW, and others. Great identities all visible all through-out women’s wrestling, pure wrestling, and tag-team wrestling with AEW and its partners. One of Khan’s biggest goals at the moment is building up tag-teams in the women’s division.
Also part of Moxley’s stable, Claudio Castagnoli and PAC have their eyes on Adam Copeland and Christian Cage this Sunday. The Death Riders will look to make their mark in multiple spots on this Sunday’s card. Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay vs. The Young Bucks is one of the matches Khan is looking forward to most on the inaugural Redemption card.
