Posted in: Sports, WWE | Tagged: aew, all elite wrestling, wrasslin, wrestling

Tony Khan Wants AEW to Usher in the True Golden Age of Wrestling

Published Tue, 08 Jan 2019 10:05:27 -0600

Tonight, competing for attention with both WWE Smackdown Live and WWE Hall-of-Famer Donald Trump's prime time presidential address, All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the new wrestling promotion founded by Cody Rhodes, the Young Bucks, and billionaire money mark Tony Khan will hold a rally in Jacksonville, Florida (home of Khan's Jaguars NFL franchise) which will reveal new details about the promotion and, probably, announce the signings of some major players.

In addition to Rhodes and the Bucks, SoCal Uncensored have also reportedly signed with the new promotion. Tonight could see the announcement of Kenny Omega joining his friends, if he doesn't take a WWE contract instead. Other surprises may be in store as well. Maybe even a TV deal?

Ahead of that rally, Khan, as well as his father, Shad Khan, have released statements on AEW.

From Tony Khan:

Wrestling fans are a community unlike most others. I've been a part of this community since I was 7 years old, and I can tell you that wresting fans see the world every day through a special lens. We see wrestling in Hollywood films and tv shows, we see elements of wrestling in the presentation of sports and in the marketing of grandiose star athletes, and we certainly see wrestling in politics.

The wrestling community is a constant; its members are diverse, we are physically located on all corners of the planet, yet we are constantly connected. Recently, a new family has formed, bonded by love and respect for wresting but armed with a vision and resources that have never before been available to the wrestling community. Our objective is to connect our community closer than ever before through All Elite Wrestling, or AEW.

AEW does not mean any less of a continued commitment to existing obligations and duties that I have, or my family has, to our business and sports interests. That will never be the case. What's important is that every individual decision we make as family, whether it's ownership or investment in a team or property, is 100 percent beneficial to those specific interests. I will always welcome that accountability and responsibility, as nothing is more important than serving our supporters and friends.

AEW will launch with a roster of the top wrestlers in the world. While they'll clash in what will be some of the most intense and fast-paced contests ever sanctioned in the squared circle, they'll also share a common goal: to make this the true golden age, to make this the greatest time ever to be a wrestling fan. Likewise, as a business, by treating our wrestlers with respect and warmth, we also seek to make this the golden age for the performers themselves.

I urge everyone who believes in what we're doing, or wants to believe in dreams coming true, to support AEW by spreading the word and passing the wrestling bug onto someone else. My message: Get in on the ground floor with AEW today and help lead our movement to grow the wrestling community and ensure that the voices of the wrestling fans, their creative minds and their remarkable ideas, will always be heard.

And from Shad Khan:

I am the lead investor, a supporter and a backer of All Elite Wrestling, and I anticipate great things today and into the future for AEW and everyone who has worked passionately on this week's launch. I know AEW will be welcomed by wrestling fans here in the U.S. and throughout the world who are ready for something new and authentic. AEW will work hard to deliver on that promise.

As important, I am the father – the proud father – of Tony Khan, who will serve in a leadership role at AEW during the 2019 launch and in the years ahead. Tony will assemble a great team to take AEW over the top, for the benefit of everyone who loves the wrestling industry, while continuing to serve in his current capacities with the Jaguars and Fulham.

AEW will operate as an organization completely independently from my other interests. It will not deter attention or divert resources from any of my businesses, teams, projects or investments. At the same time, AEW will enjoy the same full commitment I given to everything and everyone in my life – my family and friends, my business and, in recent years, to sports, hospitality and now entertainment.

If you can't be there in person, tonight's AEW rally will be live-streamed on the Being the Elite YouTube channel, AEW's Twitter, the Young Bucks' Facebook page, and Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes' Instagram. It starts at 5PM Eastern. Bleeding Cool will bring you any news coming out of the event as it happens, so check back later.