AEW President Tony Khan recently spoke with TSN to discuss a number of different topics, including how he’s excited to see wrestling legend Tully Blanchard get back into the ring and team with what he believes is one of the best tag teams of all time, FTR. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
Says he’s excited to see Tully Blanchard back in action:
When Tully was first going to come back to manage, the spike piledriver [spot] was one thing I really wanted him to bring back because I knew it was something that he could do safely. I knew he’d be able to do that because he was still moving around pretty well. But the more moving around he’s done, he’s really had the itch to do this, and I’m really excited for that. Tully is one my all-time favourites and he’s one of FTR’s all-time favourites, certainly, and it’s such a great collaboration he has with them. Jurassic Express are red-hot, and I just think it will be a really fun match.
Praises FTR:
They’re tremendous. They’re such great pros. They make such a great team and they’re a perfect example of synergy, right? Because I think, A. Cash is great. B. Dax is great. But A plus B together is greater than A or B separately – synergy! People use the word all the time, but I don’t think they know what it means. Together, they are the definition of it to me. Together, they are greater than the sum of the separate parts – and then Tully even more so, when you put him with them.
How he’s high up on Jurassic Express:
I can’t say enough good things about what Jurassic Express has done in the last year and how far they’ve come from the beginning of AEW over the past two years,” Khan said. “[Jungle Boy] is one of our top stars already and the sky’s the limit. Jungle Boy can go. He’s really got the crowd behind him and he’s got such an engaging charisma as an athlete. People really believe in him and now the crowd’s behind him that extra little bit more, too, with that great theme song [Baltimora’s 1985 hit “Tarzan Boy].
On Brodie Lee’s tribute show and making Brodie Jr. smile:
I don’t know if any of us will ever be quite the same. We all still think about Brodie every day. But it took a lot out of me, I’m not going to lie. I can’t imagine how much it took out of his family. I’m going to tell you the truth – there was tremendous pressure to make that show really great. The show was an emotional two hours, celebrating Huber’s life with his wife Amanda and son Brodie Jr. present. The program culminated with a tribute video set to Tom Waits’ Ol’ ‘55 and Huber’s son given his father’s TNT title with a set of Huber’s boots left in the ring. Khan says Huber’s memory lives on in his children, Brodie and Nolan, and the company has done whatever they can to support Huber’s family. The thing I’m most proud of is the smile on Brodie’s face every time he’s here in AEW,” Khan said. “We did that great tribute to Jon, tribute to Brodie Lee, but really, every time little Brodie is here with us and visits us, we try to make him feel at home. He has so much fun here. I think that’s the greatest victory that any of us can claim, more so than any other thing we celebrate about the company. What I’m proudest of is seeing Brodie Jr. happy.
