PCO Explains Previous Comments About Turning Down AEW Multiple Times

As previously reported, following PCO appearing the The People vs. GCW and smashing TNA’s digital media belt, he noted that he previously turned down a deal with AEW on three separate occasions. In an interview with Fightful, he explained his comments, noting that he was first contacted by AEW in October 2018.

PCO said: “I had people attacking me about drawing the house. ‘Yeah, TNA gave you a platform.’ I worked my ass off for that platform. I worked three years for Ring of Honor. I don’t want to brag when I say I turned down AEW three times. Not that I wanted to turn them down, but the first time they reached out to me was October 2018, that’s a long time ago, ‘Would love to have you on big matches. Can you save the following dates; May 25 Las Vegas, August 31 Chicago, October 1 New York City.’ Also, ‘Keep Memorial Day open.’ That’s a text I got from AEW. I had another one November 29, 2018, they texted me, ‘We would really like you in 2019 and beyond. We want to make you a money offer. Sidebar, a match with you and Kenny Omega.’ November 27, I was at Sinclair. ROH flew me from Montreal to Baltimore and had me go to Sinclair with the President and General Manager Greg Gilliland, Delirious, we spent a whole day together. They show me their dojo. I was there with the students. When I left Baltimore, me and Joe [Koff] shook hands on a deal. I gave him my word. He said, ‘Your phone my ring now. You might have some other offers.’ I said, ‘I’m happy with the offer. I can promise you this is like a contract with me. I’m going to shake your hand and you can sleep on it.’ A couple of days after, that’s when AEW wanted me. After they offered me everything, I said, ‘I’m sorry guys, I just signed.’ I hadn’t signed, but I gave my word. ‘I gave my word. It would not be fair to ROH after they flew me to their office and made me one of the greatest offers I’ve had in my career. Promised me tons of things on the creative side.’ I didn’t know AEW was going to become big. They didn’t have the TV deal. I worked for ROH for three years. Awesome, awesome money.

“TNA called me after the pandemic and ROH had to close down. I started right away with TNA and did three years with TNA. During that time, I had other offers. April 20, 2022, ‘Carl, Tony Khan, wanted to bring you in for May 11 in Long Island, New York.’ I said, ‘I’m under contract with TNA. They don’t want me to go. I can’t do it. I’m under contract and signed.’ On November 3, 2022, ‘Hey Carl, just asked TNA and Scott D’Amore if you could work the big Chicago show.’ I was under contract with TNA and told Scott, ‘Unless you can organize some sort of trade to let me go work there on national TV, I’m going to respect TNA’s decision.’ I ran everything by TNA. I never put my ego in front of the company and said, ‘I don’t care about TNA anymore. I can have national TV and I’m going no matter what.’ I didn’t do that. I had a few other phone calls, sometimes they would call me a few days before, but I was always under contract with TNA. For me and AEW, it was almost mistiming. When they were ready for me, I was signed with ROH. If they wanted me to do something, I was signed with TNA. I was never a real free agent. I don’t want to say I turned them down three times because that’s not the truth, but the fact that I was under contract, I had to turn them down and had no other choice, even though I would have loved that platform. I got attacked on Twitter, ‘Yeah, he turned down AEW three times.’ I just couldn’t make it. I respect TNA too much and I have a huge respect for Scott D’Amore. It was different management. It takes time to get to know somebody. It took a year to get to know the new management. I was very disappointed at the end.”