Tony Khan has a big announcement once again.
Over the course of 2023, Khan repeatedly stated that fans needed to tune in to catch his big news which would be a massive talking point. Many believed that this was the law of diminishing returns as some were more worthy of the hype than others. Still looking to entice the fans, Khan revealed on the January 31st episode of AEW Dynamite that the February 7th episode of Dynamite would see him make his first major announcement of 2024.
With Kazuchika Okada now a free agent and Mercedes Mone teasing multiple returns to the ring, fans are expecting Okada, Mone or both becoming All Elite to be the announcement. With neither making returns at the Royal Rumble, the debuts of both look to be pretty much inevitable.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer referenced the upcoming big announcement and believes it to be what most fans are thinking:
Tony Khan has a big announcement next Wednesday. I presume the announcement is a show in Boston and Mercedes Mone, but could be a double announcement. He’s [Okada] a free agent as of right now, so he can go somewhere. There may be an agreement if it’s AEW, that he doesn’t announce it until after the 24th. I don’t know that there is I’m just saying there might be because he’s still working New Japan shows till the 24th. They could do something to where they tease a big surprise for Greensboro on March 3, and it’s him. Although it’s not going to be that big of a surprise because everyone knows he is going to one place or the other.
Tony Khan’s Announcement Was Scheduled For January
Meltzer continued, noting that there were original plans to announce Mone as All Elite on the January 27th episode of Collision that went head-to-head with the Royal Rumble. However, due to the controversy surrounding the Vince McMahon allegations, the news was delayed to allow maximum impact:
So, him and Mercedes, you know, it’s coming down the wire. I mean, AEW thought that they had had Mercedes for a while. And they were originally, I don’t know if you know this or not, but they were originally going to make the announcement on Saturday. And then they realised that that was not probably the best day to make the announcement because, with the Vince stuff, it’s like, no one’s gonna be talking about this. So it’s better to do the announcement at a time when people will be talking about the announcement rather than get lost in the, you know, sleaziness of the Vince McMahon story that’s all over everywhere.
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