Tony Khan has defended a divisive spot from a recent Jon Moxley match.
Jon Moxley’s AEW World Championship defence against Cope on Dynamite sparked controversy after the pair amped up the violence with the introduction of ‘Spike.’ Cope brought the nail-filled bat into the ring and attacked Mox multiple times in the midsection.
Things then went to another level when Cope suplexed Moxley onto Spike, and the nails became embedded in the champion’s skin. It took Wheeler Yuta and the referee some time to free Moxley from the nails, and when they did, blood trickled down his back. Somehow, Moxley continued the bout and, with some help from The Deathriders, was able to defeat Cope and retain the title.
The graphic nature of the Spike spot led many to question why it was allowed to go ahead, and they considered it to have gone too far for a wrestling match.
Tony Khan Defends Jon Moxley Being Suplexed Onto Spike
During an appearance on the Way of the Blade podcast, Tony Khan argued that the spot was a “great wrestling moment,” and noted it had helped drive box office for the company and “created casual interest” from outside fans.
“When Mox had the spike bat in his back, that was a great wrestling moment. It was memorable, it helped drive box office for us, it was highest rated episode of the year. It went viral. It’s one of the most watched videos of the year. It’s probably the most watched video of the year in AEW.
“It’s a fantastic moment. It made new fans and created interest. It was on TMZ. There are people who weren’t watching AEW that saw it. It brought outside fans in and created casual interest.”
H/T to Fightful for the above transcription.