Tony Khan Notes AEW Creative Does Not Have "27 Hollywood Writers"
Tony Khan says tonight will be a historic night for AEW. The company will be broadcasting a live episode of Dynamite from Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida. It'll be the last Dynamite to air on TNT before the show moves to TBS starting next Wednesday. Tonight will also see the first taping of Rampage at Daily's Place.
"We haven't been back here since the summer and since then, the company has changed completely," Khan told 1010XL/92.5 FM's XL Primetime. "We've signed some of the biggest stars we've ever signed and I think it's gonna be very surreal for the fans, for the first time, this week in Jacksonville to see CM Punk walk out on AEW in Daily's Place for the very first time; when Bryan Danielson walks out on AEW in Daily's Place in Jacksonville for the first time.
"And Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish, one of the great trios, certainly in recent wrestling history. I think they've had some of the greatest matches maybe ever in wrestling as a trio and they are debuting here in AEW. They used to be a trio for the competition and it's a big coup for AEW to sign them. And I think it's very fitting that their first match ever would be here in Jacksonville, which has been the longtime home of AEW."
Tony Khan said it's special anytime AEW returns to Daily's Place in Jacksonville. He takes pride in the personal, hands-on approach he takes when it's time to put together the shows.
"I don't have 27 Hollywood writers sitting around writing sketch comedy for the show," Khan explained. "We do great wrestling matches. It's the wrestling that a lot of people here in Jacksonville and the southeast grew up on and that's the wrestling I grew up on too. I love it. We've got a really great opportunity now to bring that to fans all over the world.
"So, for me, it starts at the top, and because I am a big wrestling fan I try to put on the matches that I believe all of you, the fans, want to see. I try not to screw over the fans. I don't advertise matches that aren't gonna happen. We don't false-advertise stuff. We try to give fans the matches they want to see.
"We try not to just do the same matches every week – rematch, rematch, rematch. I know some of you are familiar with that, where you know the wrestling company is still around and it's the same guys wrestling each other every night and the same girls wrestling each other every night, over and over. It's not like that here. We have fresh matches, fresh stories, and really try and make it about the wrestling and not about the sideshow. And I think that's what a lot of the fans have really gravitated toward."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit XL Primetime with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.