AEW owner Tony Khan talked about the second anniversary of Dynamite this week. And it seems that Tony is quite proud of the achievements the promotion obtained in such a short timespan.
Tony Khan Celebrates The Second Anniversary Of AEW Dynamite
Khan wanted to created a show that enveloped the most exciting aspects of wrestling. And it seems the businessman certainly succeeded in doing that.
“I knew there was a vacancy in the lives of a lot of wrestling fans. For me personally, it had been a long time since I woke up on any particular day of the week and looked forward to a wrestling show. It had been a long time since I cared about who was the champion. I’m a big wrestling fan, and I thought that if I were feeling that way, then it could be representative about the way a lot of wrestling fans felt. So I wanted Dynamite to capture that excitement. My goal from the beginning remains the same now—I want wrestling fans to know they can count on us on Wednesday nights.”
Of course, Tony Khan did not only create a promotion that captivated an audience. He also created a promotion that thrived in less than favorable conditions.
Growing in a Crisis
Weirdly enough, AEW became massive during a time of global crisis. Even though fans were not allowed in arenas, the promotion thrived on its outstanding product.
Khan is very aware that the promotion’s growth is nothing short but a miracle. Of course, he is also aware that it comes down to the hard work and dedication of talent.
“I certainly had aspirations for AEW to hit certain heights, but we’re further than I’ve ever dreamed. We’ve signed Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Adam Cole and Sting all in a one-year period. We’ve added legendary names like Christian Cage and Matt Hardy, and stars of the present—Andrade El Idolo and Malakai Black—and the development of the women’s division, especially being joined by Ruby Soho and Thunder Rosa. We’re really proud of where we are after two years, and we’re so grateful that the roster worked so hard through the pandemic.”
Tony also talked about how he got his love for wrestling. Interestingly, it had everything to do with Paul Heyman’s Extreme Championship Wrestling.
“At that point in my life, I was transitioning between schools,” Khan says. “I was about to attend this great academic high school in Illinois, but I didn’t want to leave my friends from my old school. My parents really wanted me to have that opportunity, and they said if I went willingly and tried my hardest, they’d do something in return that meant a lot to me. So that was easy for me because I wanted to go to the ECW Arena.”
Khan certainly made a boyhood dream a reality. Now his promotion rivals one of the biggest and most established promotions in the world.
We cannot wait to see what he will do next.