Tony Khan addressed the media after RoH Final Battle last night. Khan spoke about many issues including Kenny Omega’s and AEW’s relationship with Time-Warner Discovery.
Yesterday, Omega posted a statement on X from a hospital bed:
I can’t really sugar coat this. I’m out indefinitely. I tried to keep pushing past the pain for as long as I could until it became too much. Luckily doctors caught me when they did. I’ll be here so in the mean time, please enjoy wrestling! pic.twitter.com/kn9ZKUgSls
— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) December 15, 2023
At the press conference Kahn said:
“I spoke to him today and of course we’ve been very concerned. Honestly, it’s hard to focus on pro wrestling with somebody that you care about, somebody that is so responsible for all of this in so many ways. I don’t know if we could have launched AEW and this would have all been possible without Kenny Omega. Certainly, he’s as influential on the launch of AEW as anybody and he’s one of the greatest pro wrestlers in the world and he’s also a really important figure in this promotion and this business so I think we’re all really concerned but thankfully he’s communicating,” he said.
“I think it’s taken a turn for the better. The most important thing is that he got help from the doctors at the right time and didn’t wait any longer because he was in a lot pain. I don’t think anybody knew how sick he was…We’re all praying for Kenny Omega and thankfully it seems like there’s good reasons to be very optimistic, but we were all really worried about him. So, it was honestly really hard the last 24 hours focusing on wrestling when somebody who is a part of our wrestling family has something happening that’s not wrestling like that. So there’s you know, whenever there’s a real life situation like that it always takes the most precedence but we’re thinking about Kenny Omega and hoping he gets well very soon and wishing him the best,” he continued.
Kahn was asked about AEW’s standing and its partnership with Time-Warner Discovery. Earlier this week it was reported that CM Punk had reignited talks between the WWE and TWD about perhaps being the home for Raw going forward. WWE executives met with TWD executives to discuss a possible deal.
“I’ve had really good talks with Warner Brothers Discovery. We’ve been with them for several years. It’s a really exciting time for AEW. We were the number one show on cable on Wednesday in really what are considered both of the key demographics in TV, which are 54. So it was a great week for AEW. I think we’ve been putting out some of the best shows we’ve ever done. Right now we’re on this incredible run. Tonight was a great episode of Rampage. In addition to the great wrestling here on ROH Final Battle. The last few episodes of Collision have been tremendous. I think some of the best in the history of that show and also Dynamite has been on a great roll in recent weeks,” said Khan.
Khan stated that AEW programming has “performed incredibly well for Warner Bros. Discovery” and that they have a “very very strong relationship.”
“I think with media rights and all the things coming up, everyone has to do their due diligence. It’s just part of the TV business but I think where we stand in a position for AEW to have a huge growth here in 2024,” he said. “Focusing on the Warner Bros. Discovery relationship that you asked about we’ve just gone out and crushed it time after time and this has been a great year for us and the really, All In is the biggest thing we’ve ever done. I think it’s one of the biggest things anybody’s ever done in wrestling but you have to also look at all the other huge events we’ve had recently. Month after month, All In was a great show but really since Collision started I think we’ve been able to do so much with five hours of television.”
Khan then went on to pay himself on the back.
“There’s a reason that every single person who stepped into my position until now has gone out of business. I’m the only one left. Everybody who has stepped up and put millions of dollars into this and done it week after week and there’s no off season. You do it 52 weeks a year. It’s a fight and that’s a credit to the fans. I know what it is to be a wrestling fan 52 weeks a year. It’s hard but it’s also the most rewarding thing. That’s why you can’t get away from it for too long. That’s why we always come back to it. We’re addicted and it’s worth the fight. I love the fight and I’m never going to stop fighting it no matter what happens. No matter how things change it’s worth it. It’s the fight Jim Crockett fought and Verne Gagne and Ted Turner and so many other people that have tried and God bless them all. I’m doing this for all of you and I know all of you are here in spirit. Thank you very much,” he said.
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