Tony Khan Says AEW Will Focus More on Serious Product and Less on Comedy Segments

– Tony Khan says that AEW is not going to be particularly heavy on comedy backstage skits, instead centering their product on the ring. Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio on Tuesday and discussed how AEW will devote some time to backstage stuff, but that they will be more focused on telling compelling stories in the ring.

“We’re going to provide, as I’ve always said, a serious, sport-based product with the best wrestling, with the best bell-to-bell, you know, along the lines that you saw at this show,” he said. “To be straight-forward about something, something you’re going to notice more and more in our shows is they’re going to take place in and around the ring. Like, we’re not gonna go out of the arena, we’re not going to spend half the show backstage you know, in dressing rooms or backstage choreographed segments. I’m really interested in focusing on the matches, and there’s plenty of time outside the matches to focus on storyline advancement, to focus on the funny sketches. And we can do all that. Nobody does that comedy better than our guys. There’s nothing funnier in wrestling than [Being the Elite], but there’s a time and a place for it.”

Providing an example, Khan said, “That’s why before the Bucks and the Lucha Bros went out to settle their issue — which is a very serious issue between these teams, and go out and have a very serious, very fast-paced, excellent wrestling match — to tell the issue that’s taken place between these two teams — that’s why we weren’t doing comedy bits before these guys went to the ring. Because it was a serious match, and a great match. And there’s a time and a place for everything. That’s why we didn’t have Matt [Jackson] making Michael Nakazawa matches in the middle of the match.”

“That stuff is amazing,” he added. “People love BTE but you don’t want to do ‘haha’ funny when you do a serious wrestling show. We have a great balance between the two and we’re going to keep doing that.”

EXCLUSIVE: "We're going to provide a serious, sports-based product with the best wrestling…it's going to take place in and around the ring." @AEWrestling President & CEO @TonyKhan says with #AEW shows, he's interested in focusing on the matches, not the other stuff.#AEWDON pic.twitter.com/SFZ43Dnysi

— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) May 28, 2019