Tony Khan Reviews AEW's Bloodiest Matches, Talks Swerve Vs. Hangman & Moxley Vs. Cope

If there's one thing that All Elite Wrestling has used to its advantage compared to a company like WWE, it's that they can go the extra mile when it comes to violence. Some of AEW's most celebrated matches have seen roster members fly through panes of glass, lose buckets of blood, and take unimaginable risks in order to send the fans home happy. AEW President Tony Khan was a recent guest on "The Way of the Blade" podcast, hosted by Phil Schneider, the author of the "Way of the Blade" book which documents wrestling's bloodiest matches, in light of a special AEW version of the book being released later this year. To start off, Khan looked back on the 2023 Texas Death Match between Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page, one of the bloodiest matches in AEW history.

"There were some ridiculous moments, some indelible, incredible moments in this Texas Death match and I loved it. I do think it's interesting to look back at it, I think it was a pivotal match in both Swerve and Hangman's wrestling careers, and have become incredible rivals, and I think it was a great match on a great show, very different to anything else presented at that event."

The Full Gear 2023 match went viral for its brutality, but not as viral as when Jon Moxley got Spike lodged in his back during an episode of "AEW Dynamite" earlier this year, which Khan called iconic. "That was a great wrestling moment. It was memorable, it helped drive box office for us. It was our highest rated episode of the year, it went viral; it's one of the most watched videos of the year, I thinks it's probably the most watched video of the year for AEW, and it's a fantastic moment. It made new fans."

Arguable no match has epitomized AEW's love for blood and violence more than the first-ever Anarchy In The Arena match from Double or Nothing 2022. The Jericho Appreciation Society went against Eddie Kingston, the Blackpool Combat Club, Santana, and Ortiz, in one of the most chaotic matches in wrestling history. However, Khan knew the risks of the bout going into Las Vegas, stating that this match inadvertently made the rest of the year very challenging due to various circumstances. 

"It's a very special match," Khan said. "Certainly Eddie Kingston walking out with the gasoline is one of the most memorable moments ever in pro wrestling and it's an iconic image, but everyone in that match, everyone involved was just fantastic. It took a real toll on the company, it did alter things because this was a dangerous match. Bryan Danielson did get hurt here and it hurt the company at the time. It was something that we needed to work through, it was a challenging time and that was one of the main reasons it was a challenging time. Then Jon Moxley, who was in the match, stepped up in a major way for the company in 2022, and that match was incredible. Eddie stepped up in a major way in 2022, and a lot of other people made a major difference."

The Anarchy In The Arena stipulation has remained a fixture of the Double or Nothing pay-per-view ever since, with each match escalating on the one that preceded it, as Matt Jackson has worn exploding shoes, Jack Perry has been set on fire, and Darby Allin has been hung upside down above the ring, all while having a broken nose. 

Please credit the original source when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.