Tony Khan on being ‘very considerate’ with potential AEW signings & his goal on what time PPVs should end
Ahead of a night where speculation is the Motor City Machine Guns will make their return to AEW, Tony Khan talked about what he said he looks at now when it comes to signing free agents.
Talking on the Roar Around The Ring ahead of Dynamite in Detroit, Michigan, Khan talked about his depth of talent and how there is “a lot of competition in AEW right now.”
“And so, we have to be very considerate about who we sign and about who comes in to compete because right now there’s already so many great wrestlers competing for these spots on TV and on pay-per-views,” he said.
At last check, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin are free agents but intimated in a video recently that they have found a new home. Both are from Michigan. If they do return either Wednesday or during Thursday’s live Collision, it would be their first appearance since 2022’s All Out when they teamed with Jay Lethal against FTR and Wardlow in a trios match. It was their only match in AEW.
There has been other speculation about The New Day, Kairi Sane and others potential signing with AEW as they are now free agents as of last week.
PPV start times
With Redemption in the rear view, Khan was asked about his philosophy on start and end times which was different for this past Sunday. The main card started at 7 pm Eastern and ended at approximately 11:55 pm Eastern, a shift from the 8 pm start time that often saw cards pushing the 12:30 or 1 am Eastern mark.
“My goal for the last one was if I start an hour earlier, I’m 100 percent sure I’ll be done before midnight Eastern, and I was. So, I thought that was great. That’s the goal. That’s all we need. I’m done before midnight Eastern and it’s before 9 pm on the West Coast. I think that’s great,” he said.
His next PPV — August’s All In — will start at 1 pm Eastern as it will take place from London’s Wembley Stadium.
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.