AEW President Tony Khan says that he believes that “wrestling is hotter than ever.” Khan made the comments appearing on a recent episode of Busted Open Radio.
During the appearance, Khan initially discussed the news that AEW is set to return to the road this summer.
In a new press release, AEW announced that shows in Miami, Austin, and Dallas had been scheduled for July.
AEW will head to the James L. Knight Center on July 7th, followed by a trip to the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas on the 14th. On July 21st, AEW pitch up at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.
Reacting to the news, Tony Khan said he was excited to head out on the road. However, he added that the company will also keep returning to Jacksonville.
“Yeah, it’s going to be great,” Khan said when asked about touring. “I’m really excited for those shows. The show is on the road, but we’re going to keep coming back to Jacksonville too. The fans have been great here and we’re going to stop through regularly. I plan to not be a stranger here. We’ll continue to do shows around here because I think the fans have supported us so great, in this area and people driving in from Orlando, Daytona and the surrounding areas. And tonight will be no exception.
“Its huge what they do, because fans all around the world watch Dynamite live and on DVR every week. The support we get from these live fans makes the show go round. Virtual fans are awesome, it’s great. But there’s nothing like having these real, live fans that we get here. And the Jacksonville fans have helped keep wrestling alive this past year. It’s been awesome and now we’re thriving.”
Tony Khan went on to express his belief that wrestling is hotter than ever, adding that it’s currently a great time for wrestling.
“Wrestling is hotter than ever,” Khan said. “This past week, to have three different wrestling shows ranked number one on their night, and to have AEW be a part of it, it’s huge. And it’s a great time for wrestling. I feel like we were all there, part of the peak era of fandom, and now it’s a splintered audience. Things are very fragmented, it’s hard to get as many people to watch something as there used to be.
“But I believe that, and I see it first hand with the NFL and the great numbers we do, if you deliver a quality, compelling product consistently, people are going to show up and watch it. And that’s why we built audience and we’re up year over year. And I feel like with the great card we have tonight and the big pay per view card ahead later this month, it’s a great time to come and join AEW as a fan. Hopefully people like what they see tonight. I feel it’s one of our best cards.”
The most recent episode of AEW Dynamite saw multiple matches announced for AEW Double or Nothing. The pay-per-view will see the return of Stadium Stampede while the AEW World Title, and the AEW Women’s World Title will both be on the line.
The marquee event is set to take place on May 30th.
H/t to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.