Tony Khan is not worried about fans not knowing AEW’s newest stars.
The AEW boss made some big international signings in recent months. Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Moné joined AEW this year and added to AEW’s impressive roster of stars.
While they may not be known to the casual audience quite yet, that is not an issue for Khan.
Tony Khan spoke with Christian Zilko of IndieWire recently. He explained that the internet has made it easier for fans to know the top international stars. In this “digital era,” they can familiarize themselves with these foreign wrestlers more easily.
“It’s been very exciting to bring a lot of the top free agents in, and many of them are international stars that are being introduced to some fans on American television for the first time ever.”
“I think now, in a digital era where the information is at our fingertips and entire libraries of matches are at our fingertips, it’s more feasible than ever for fans to familiarize themselves and for these wrestlers to connect with the domestic audience upon arrival.”
Tony Khan: Wrestling Companies Really Hate Each Other
In the same interview, Tony Khan revealed why wrestling has become more popular in recent years. He cites the rivalry between AEW and WWE, claiming the companies “hate each other”.
“There’s a number of big factors that would play into why wrestling has seen such a great renaissance in recent years,” Tony Khan said. “I think it comes from the great competition in wrestling right now, and the fact that there are so many great stars competing right now.
“Everyone knows that the most real thing in wrestling is the competition between the companies. The companies hate each other, and it will be a natural resource that powers the industry. They want to beat each other and take everybody’s free agents, and that makes it interesting for everybody else.”