Tony Khan hypes Big Business, talks AEW roster and creative

AEW is bring a special “Big Business” edition of Dynamite to us tonight (Mar. 13) from Boston… or should I say, Bo$$ton…

Yes, Mercedes Moné is expected to debut for AEW tonight. Despite making that pretty obvious since Big Business was announced, AEW owner, president & head of creative won’t confirm that. But he did confirm to TVInsider’s Scott Fishman that a “new talent or two” debut at TD Garden:

“Of course. I promise I will not disappoint the fans tonight. There has been an influx of huge names, and tonight is the biggest show yet.”

Fishman asked how Khan decides whether or not to bring a free agent on board. given the amount of talent AEW already has vying for limited television time. Khan seemed to reject the premise of the question, saying he’s looking to grow a line-up of wrestlers he already thinks is the best in the business:

“When we launched AEW, it was the first time in many years that so many resources and such a strong roster of wrestlers have come together to form a new challenger promotion. After five years, AEW is now stronger than ever before. Our roster continues to get deeper and better. This has become a popular destination that top stars seek out. This is the perfect time to continue expanding and growing. That is what tonight is all about. AEW Big Business. With such a strong group of wrestlers in AEW today, we’ve come so far from the beginning of 2019.

“Now we have what I believe is the best roster in pro wrestling today. There are still so many great stars out there we are always looking to add and strengthen the group. I think we will continue to try to strengthen whenever we can add someone’s skills to make AEW better. I think that constant innovation and the perpetual strides toward always wanting to get better are a big part of the spirit of AEW. I think tonight’s Big Business show on TBS will showcase that innovation and fighting spirit.”

The AEW boss also used a question about the company’s creative process to address criticism that they put on great wrestling matches but doesn’t build great wrestling programs:

“The company has grown a lot. Our television has expanded first and foremost….We have a lot of content here now every week with Dynamite with Rampage, and Collison on Friday and Saturday. We’ve expanded the roster and signed more talent, which meant showcasing our biggest names on television. I think going into AEW Revolution, it was the most organized and best build to a show we’ve ever had to a pay-per-view. In the weeks of television leading into the event, there were clearly defined major matches and rivalries.

“We have so many talented people in AEW. Week and week out they are delivering great matches. I think at Revolution we were able to present the rivalries leading into the show on our TV show and build them up and highlight them better than ever before. I thought we presented the stories well. The roster is very strong. Coming out of it, I think things made really good sense. They all knew exactly what they were doing.”

One topic Khan wouldn’t touch was the status of Kevin Kelly, who was reportedly fired from his announcing job on Collision after a series of tweets accusing Ring of Honor commentator Ian Riccaboni of libeling him. Asked about Kelly’s “status with AEW”, Khan replied:

“I prefer not to comment on that, but I appreciate you asking.”

Check out Fishman’s entire interview with TK on TVInsider.com.