Tony Khan Reflects On Milestone AEW Dynamite Episode, Love For WCW

It's already been a big Wednesday for AEW, with the promotion announcing they would be running a show in the famed Arena Mexico later this June. But the main course remains tonight's "AEW Dynamite: Spring Breakthru" episode, which not only features several major matches, but will also see AEW break "WCW Monday Nitro's" record for most episodes of a primetime wrestling show aired on TBS or TNT.

Given some of the criticisms AEW, and its owner Tony Khan, have received from former WCW executive Eric Bischoff over the years, it would seem natural that Khan would take the moment to enjoy a victory lap. So it was a bit of a surprise when Khan, during an appearance on "The Takedown on SI," started singing the praises of WCW and "Monday Nitro."

"I'm a big fan of WCW," Khan said. "I grew up watching their shows. And 'Nitro' was a huge part of my childhood. And long before 'Nitro,' I watched WCW, and I wish I could say I watched it long after, but that was kind of the end of the run. And I certainly learned a lot watching those shows. 

"I think it's where some of the most exciting, high flying, athletic wrestlers of all time broke in, and broke in on TV and became mainstream TV stars across America. And those are some of the biggest wrestlers of all time now. And I think it really helped usher in a faster pace, more exciting style of wrestling. And I do think that, over the years of 'Nitro,' some of the most exciting moments and memories of pro wrestling happened on the show. So I have a ton of positive memories of 'WCW Nitro' from growing up."

Khan also admitted that "Nitro" had served as an influence on "AEW Dynamite," in particular pointing to names like Sting and Tony Schiavone being integral parts of both shows, along with "Nitro" showcasing a more modern wrestling style that Khan feels AEW has incorporated into their own presentation. As such, Khan views tonight's "Dynamite" as not just a milestone for AEW, but a celebration of wrestling on TBS and TNT over the years.

"I really, really, absolutely had so much respect for everything it took to put 'Nitro' on the air and keep 'Nitro' on the air for all those years," Khan said. "And that's why I think this is a really important milestone. It's amazing what 'Nitro' achieved, and to be on TNT for 288 weeks, I know how hard that is, first hand. It's really hard. And it's a celebration of everything...really all the wrestling, looking back, over 50 years on TBS specifically, and 30 years of wrestling on TNT. And now AEW's become a huge part of this conversation, and this is a huge milestone for TBS and AEW on Wednesday."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Takedown on SI" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription