Tony Khan AEW media call: All Out opener revealed, ‘big’ spring 2027 event teased
The opener for Saturday’s AEW All Out has been revealed.
AEW head Tony Khan said during Thursday’s pre-event media call that Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. FTR will open the pay-per-view from Toronto that kicks off at 3 PM Eastern.
He was also asked if he was interested in running a big event in 2027 while WWE was in Saudi Arabia for WrestleMania where indies could host shows around it, Khan said he was “very interested” in that and said they will run a “big show in the spring of 2027.” He then talked about Revolution, but it’s unclear if meant that was the show and if it will have a bigger presence than in years past.
He also casually mentioned Revolution again during an answer about whether he would be interested in running Toronto’s Rogers Centre.
Khan was also asked about a political question from a non-wrestling reporter and whether he feels his company is more left-leaning with Brody King’s recent anti-ICE t-shirt and the Hangman Page character, and how politics plays into AEW given WWE’s more right-leaning affiliations.
Khan said wrestlers are presented as their authentic selves like King and Page. Khan said he loves wrestling because it brings fans from all walks of life together, and that AEW is a place where everyone can come and enjoy wrestling.
Here’s some other highlights from Khan’s hour-long media call (audio below):
- Khan was non-committal on whether they would continue to move PPV times if WWE opposed them and put over the financial success of both All In and Forbidden Door running earlier in the afternoon. He said fans seemed to prefer it as well and that he made the move for the benefit of the fans.
- Khan took umbrage with recent reports that Wardlow was set to challenge for the AEW World title at All Out. He confirmed Wardlow was indeed injured, but didn’t provide any details.
- Khan said it will be the most-attended All Out in AEW history, but didn’t add anything about the gate.
- Asked if the Tailgate Brawl will be a regular pre-PPV thing, Khan intimated that it depends on how it performs on Saturday on HBO Max and TNT.
- Asked about ticket prices, Khan said AEW has always been about being affordable for families “because we are a family-friendly company.”
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.