Tony Khan Discusses Importance Of Wrestlers Having To Earn Title Matches In AEW

Tony Khan recently appeared on The Way of the Blade podcast, and one of the topics he discussed was his focus on the importance of making wrestlers have to earn championship matches in AEW storylines.

Khan joined the podcast to discuss the NWA World Heavyweight title match between Ric Flair and Ted DiBiase in Mid-South, and the AEW president noted his appreciation for the type of storytelling that leads to a competitor having to earn a title bout (via Fightful):

“I’ve tried to make it feel that way. The title shots don’t come that easy. If you think about it, like in AEW it’s — and I really do love Mid-South and like some of the ideas, some of the show, and in some of the things I’ve done, I’ve definitely been inspired, influenced, and I know not everyone loves everything about it. I try to make it a good show, you know, for different audiences, different fans and not, — I’m not saying this self-servingly, but I try to create the perception of our title, which is not a coincidence.

“It looks a lot like in terms of being a giant big, giant belt, that is a beautiful belt. My favorite title of the 1980s and my childhood is definitely the North American Title, that 26, sometimes they say 27 pounds of silver and gold, and so I appreciate that the idea of title shots being hard to come by. So I’ve tried to create that, you know, it’s not like everybody gets a shot at the title. If you think about it, people have gone a long time without getting on and you know, so anyway…”

Speaking of rankings, Hangman Page currently holds the top spot in the AEW men’s rankings.