Tony Khan explains origins of AEW-Impact relationship

[cero2k]

TONY KHAN EXPLAINS ORIGINS OF AEW-IMPACT RELATIONSHIP
SRC: https://www.f4wonline.com/aew-news/tony ... um=twitter

Tony Khan explained the origins behind the recent relationship formed between AEW and Impact Wrestling.

On Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast, Khan said that it was Omega’s idea to begin the relationship.

"He asked me about it, and I love good ideas," Khan explained. "This was something Kenny brought up that I thought was a great idea. I give 100 percent of the credit to Kenny."

Khan brought up the relationship that Callis and Omega have, noting that Omega has been a “very powerful advocate” for Callis, who has made appearances in AEW as a manager for Omega. Regarding Omega’s recent change in character, Khan compared it to Steve Austin’s run in 2001 as a heel, wanting to present something new.

“He just didn't want to present the same Kenny Omega people have seen,” he explained. “He put so much thought into innovating and changing, and that's why I always say the best wrestlers in the world, Kenny and Jon [Moxley] are the two."

Khan also brought up his appearances with Tony Schiavone on recent episodes of Impact, saying the "paid ads" idea came up while he was backstage at the Impact tapings supporting Omega.

“While I was there, Tony Schiavone, who lives a couple of hours away, I said come hang out with me,” he said. “And I came up with the idea, why don't we buy ads on Impact. It's great. It promotes our show and it also keeps the storyline with them going.”

Omega most recently teamed up with The Good Brothers at this past weekend’s Hard to Kill event. His team defeated Rich Swann, Chris Sabin, and Moose, with AEW World champion Omega pinning Impact World champion Swann.

[Big Red Machine]

I don't buy that it keeps the storyline strong because it doesn't mesh. In AEW, Omega, Callis, & pals are invaders/traitors working for impact. In Impact, Omegs is the arrogant heel pooping on Impact. It makes sense with AEW's story, but it airs on Impact, where the story being presented is totally different.

[XIV]

Omega and Moxley the “Best wrestlers in the world?” Noooooooooooo hahahaha.

I don’t know what AEW get out of this, except being able to flaunt their superiority (only they shat on their tag champions... so.... Impact get a the little rub in return.

[cero2k]

I don't buy that it keeps the storyline strong because it doesn't mesh. In AEW, Omega, Callis, & pals are invaders/traitors working for impact. In Impact, Omegs is the arrogant heel pooping on Impact. It makes sense with AEW's story, but it airs on Impact, where the story being presented is totally different.

it's the same story really, Omega and Callis are building their unit and going wherever they want to go. On Impact the story is different because it's a power struggle with Swann and the roster; on AEW is the champ that is not honoring the title and is bringing in his buddies that don't work there. It wouldn't make sense trying to tell the same story in both shows since the rosters and fanbases are completely different.

[cero2k]

Omega and Moxley the “Best wrestlers in the world?” Noooooooooooo hahahaha.

I don’t know what AEW get out of this, except being able to flaunt their superiority (only they shat on their tag champions... so.... Impact get a the little rub in return.

Hate to break it to you, but those two are up there in the top 10, maybe 5.

I'm the other way, i don't know what Impact get from this, all I see is AEW having their champion look good, free publicity, changing another promotion's planning. AEW never even mentions Impact (or AAA for that matter). It seems like things will change as of last night, but i'm still waiting for a more balanced relationship.

[Big Red Machine]

I don't buy that it keeps the storyline strong because it doesn't mesh. In AEW, Omega, Callis, & pals are invaders/traitors working for impact. In Impact, Omegs is the arrogant heel pooping on Impact. It makes sense with AEW's story, but it airs on Impact, where the story being presented is totally different.

it's the same story really, Omega and Callis are building their unit and going wherever they want to go. On Impact the story is different because it's a power struggle with Swann and the roster; on AEW is the champ that is not honoring the title and is bringing in his buddies that don't work there. It wouldn't make sense trying to tell the same story in both shows since the rosters and fanbases are completely different.

Teling the same story with both rosters (or rather, one that is an inverse of the other) is how you make this sort of thing work (like ROH vs. CZW).
The way they're handling Callis' group specifically between both shows has been very good.
My point is that Tony Khan being angry at Impact doesn't make sense when it's clear that Omega and Callis are also working against Impact.

[Big Red Machine]

Omega and Moxley the “Best wrestlers in the world?” Noooooooooooo hahahaha.

I don’t know what AEW get out of this, except being able to flaunt their superiority (only they shat on their tag champions... so.... Impact get a the little rub in return.

Hate to break it to you, but those two are up there in the top 10, maybe 5.

I'm the other way, i don't know what Impact get from this, all I see is AEW having their champion look good, free publicity, changing another promotion's planning. AEW never even mentions Impact (or AAA for that matter). It seems like things will change as of last night, but i'm still waiting for a more balanced relationship.

It's definitely a "theory vs. practice" thing. You'd think this would give Impact more than AEW, but people just don't seem to be interested in the Impact side of things.

As for Omega and Moxley... I'd say that Omega has the potential to be in the top ten, but hasn't been showing it since he left New Japan. I think it's pretty clear that Kenny thrives when he is given 20+ minutes, and AEW hasn't done that for him (for understandable reasons).
I don't know if I'd call Moxley a top ten guy in the world in terms of work-rate, but as a promo, there is currently no one better...including MVP and Taz.

[cero2k]

Teling the same story with both rosters (or rather, one that is an inverse of the other) is how you make this sort of thing work (like ROH vs. CZW).
The way they're handling Callis' group specifically between both shows has been very good.
My point is that Tony Khan being angry at Impact doesn't make sense when it's clear that Omega and Callis are also working against Impact.

I just don't think we're there yet to go full ROH vs CZW. I think that kinda started last night, but so far it's just one group making trouble in two promotions. I also don't think Khan dislikes Impact, he dislikes Callis, but he keeps putting over the tag division for instance.

[cero2k]

It's definitely a "theory vs. practice" thing. You'd think this would give Impact more than AEW, but people just don't seem to be interested in the Impact side of things.

As for Omega and Moxley... I'd say that Omega has the potential to be in the top ten, but hasn't been showing it since he left New Japan. I think it's pretty clear that Kenny thrives when he is given 20+ minutes, and AEW hasn't done that for him (for understandable reasons).
I don't know if I'd call Moxley a top ten guy in the world in terms of work-rate, but as a promo, there is currently no one better...including MVP and Taz.

it's like i mentioned it to you before, i don't think there is much interest in the Impact side of things simply because there is no promotion of it on AEW. People who watched HTK were those who will follow Omega no matter where he goes. I feel AEW needs to make their fans know that Omega is also out there

[Big Red Machine]

It's definitely a "theory vs. practice" thing. You'd think this would give Impact more than AEW, but people just don't seem to be interested in the Impact side of things.

As for Omega and Moxley... I'd say that Omega has the potential to be in the top ten, but hasn't been showing it since he left New Japan. I think it's pretty clear that Kenny thrives when he is given 20+ minutes, and AEW hasn't done that for him (for understandable reasons).
I don't know if I'd call Moxley a top ten guy in the world in terms of work-rate, but as a promo, there is currently no one better...including MVP and Taz.

it's like i mentioned it to you before, i don't think there is much interest in the Impact side of things simply because there is no promotion of it on AEW. People who watched HTK were those who will follow Omega no matter where he goes. I feel AEW needs to make their fans know that Omega is also out there

Maybe I'm reading their fanbase wrong, but I don't think there is anyone who is watching AEW who doesn't know about Impact and that this angle is going on on Impact also. Between that and other online fans who always salivate over interpromotional angles, I would have thought that TNA would have gotten a boost even without AEW plugging them (and if AEW plugging them wasn't part of the deal, you can't really fault AEW for not doing it).

[Big Red Machine]

Teling the same story with both rosters (or rather, one that is an inverse of the other) is how you make this sort of thing work (like ROH vs. CZW).
The way they're handling Callis' group specifically between both shows has been very good.
My point is that Tony Khan being angry at Impact doesn't make sense when it's clear that Omega and Callis are also working against Impact.

I just don't think we're there yet to go full ROH vs CZW. I think that kinda started last night, but so far it's just one group making trouble in two promotions. I also don't think Khan dislikes Impact, he dislikes Callis, but he keeps putting over the tag division for instance.

I'm not saying it has to be like ROH vs. CZW in scale. I'm saying that in the ROH vs. CZW feud, the story was the same from both sides, but each saw their group as the babyface. "You're just garbage wrestlers, but we're skilled athletes" and "you guys are snobs and your long matches are boring" are two sides of the same coin. What is happening with AEW and Impact is not two sides of the same coin because the animosity between Khan and Impact (which Khan has shown in his insulting attitude in his paid ads) doesn't make sense once it's clear that Callis is working against the Impact establishment.

[XIV]

Omega and Moxley the “Best wrestlers in the world?” Noooooooooooo hahahaha.

I don’t know what AEW get out of this, except being able to flaunt their superiority (only they shat on their tag champions... so.... Impact get a the little rub in return.

Hate to break it to you, but those two are up there in the top 10, maybe 5.

I'm the other way, i don't know what Impact get from this, all I see is AEW having their champion look good, free publicity, changing another promotion's planning. AEW never even mentions Impact (or AAA for that matter). It seems like things will change as of last night, but i'm still waiting for a more balanced relationship.

Which is insane. Kenny is the most overhyped wrestler of all time. Seriously, he’s not that good. Steady midcarder at best. He’s running on the spot bullshit is just terrible, his work in the US hasn’t been interesting, his in ring stuff is routines and stuff, he’s just average.

Jon Moxley just has hardcore matches. That’s it. That’s all he knows how to do.

Neither are that good. That’s my opinion. And I don’t think it’s that unpopular of an opinion.

TNA are getting AEW level stars appearing on their show. Something they’ve lacked in numbers for a long time. They’re getting plenty!

[Big Red Machine]

Omega and Moxley the “Best wrestlers in the world?” Noooooooooooo hahahaha.

I don’t know what AEW get out of this, except being able to flaunt their superiority (only they shat on their tag champions... so.... Impact get a the little rub in return.

Hate to break it to you, but those two are up there in the top 10, maybe 5.

I'm the other way, i don't know what Impact get from this, all I see is AEW having their champion look good, free publicity, changing another promotion's planning. AEW never even mentions Impact (or AAA for that matter). It seems like things will change as of last night, but i'm still waiting for a more balanced relationship.

Which is insane. Kenny is the most overhyped wrestler of all time. Seriously, he’s not that good. Steady midcarder at best. He’s running on the spot bullshit is just terrible, his work in the US hasn’t been interesting, his in ring stuff is routines and stuff, he’s just average.

Jon Moxley just has hardcore matches. That’s it. That’s all he knows how to do.

Neither are that good. That’s my opinion. And I don’t think it’s that unpopular of an opinion.

TNA are getting AEW level stars appearing on their show. Something they’ve lacked in numbers for a long time. They’re getting plenty!

With Moxley, I, too, have been disappointed that he has been mostly a hardcore guy in AEW hasn't done much to show the technical side he had in FCW.

With Omega, do you mind if I ask how much of his New Japan stuff you have seen?
I ask this because you referred to his in-ring stuff as "routines," but the reason I have regarded him (and Okada and Ospreay, and, to a lesser extent Ibushi) as easily one of the best guys in New Japan is because so everyone else's matches feel like they are routines but Omega's don't.
(For example, whenever Naito's on offense, it's just every Naito match you've ever seen, while with the guys I mentioned-and especially with Kenny and Ospreay- I thought they did a much better job of making their matches "a blend of my match and your match" the whole time instead of just "it's my usual match when I'm on offense and your usual match when you're on offense).

[XIV]

I have seen maybe 8/9 of Omega’s Japan matches. My issue with him is this. In Japan, he’s clearly some kind of stand-out star, however, he’s brought their routines back to the US with him. It never feels like a competition it feels like a well rehearsed routine in most matches and that for me isn’t good. He brought too much of Japan back to the US, and unfortunately, the Japanese style only works now and then to Western audiences viewing them, they want different things.

Nakamura works in WWE because he’s the only guy doing it, but he’s adapted somewhat (even if he has been vastly under-utilised).

Omega’s current thing just isn’t working. As Randy Jackson would say “it’s a little pitchy for me dawg”

[NWK2000]

Which is insane. Kenny is the most overhyped wrestler of all time. Seriously, he’s not that good. Steady midcarder at best. He’s running on the spot bullshit is just terrible, his work in the US hasn’t been interesting, his in ring stuff is routines and stuff, he’s just average.

If I'm necroing an old topic I'm sorry, but I think Kenny's AEW run from All Out to basically when he turned on Adam Page is meant to play into those feelings? The fact that he's kinda flubbed at the main event level but put on amazing matches is part of the overarching story AEW is trying to tell, and with that in mind Kenny and Don Callis basically turning him into Hollywood Rock is kinda meant to highlight the up and down nature of his run so far.

[XIV]

Which is insane. Kenny is the most overhyped wrestler of all time. Seriously, he’s not that good. Steady midcarder at best. He’s running on the spot bullshit is just terrible, his work in the US hasn’t been interesting, his in ring stuff is routines and stuff, he’s just average.

If I'm necroing an old topic I'm sorry, but I think Kenny's AEW run from All Out to basically when he turned on Adam Page is meant to play into those feelings? The fact that he's kinda flubbed at the main event level but put on amazing matches is part of the overarching story AEW is trying to tell, and with that in mind Kenny and Don Callis basically turning him into Hollywood Rock is kinda meant to highlight the up and down nature of his run so far.

I’m not convinced AEW are that smart...

Yes, he intentionally stayed away from singles. But, it’s not just about his run, it’s about his work within his AEW time.

[NWK2000]

Which is insane. Kenny is the most overhyped wrestler of all time. Seriously, he’s not that good. Steady midcarder at best. He’s running on the spot bullshit is just terrible, his work in the US hasn’t been interesting, his in ring stuff is routines and stuff, he’s just average.

If I'm necroing an old topic I'm sorry, but I think Kenny's AEW run from All Out to basically when he turned on Adam Page is meant to play into those feelings? The fact that he's kinda flubbed at the main event level but put on amazing matches is part of the overarching story AEW is trying to tell, and with that in mind Kenny and Don Callis basically turning him into Hollywood Rock is kinda meant to highlight the up and down nature of his run so far.

I’m not convinced AEW are that smart...

Yes, he intentionally stayed away from singles. But, it’s not just about his run, it’s about his work within his AEW time.

I can see why you'd think that, because most of the time it does feel like AEW is ambling from angle to angle, but I feel like if you have a guy who main evented the Tokyo Dome on your roster, you wouldn't have that guy be a midcarder unless you intentionally decided to keep that in your pocket for a big run later.

[XIV]

If I'm necroing an old topic I'm sorry, but I think Kenny's AEW run from All Out to basically when he turned on Adam Page is meant to play into those feelings? The fact that he's kinda flubbed at the main event level but put on amazing matches is part of the overarching story AEW is trying to tell, and with that in mind Kenny and Don Callis basically turning him into Hollywood Rock is kinda meant to highlight the up and down nature of his run so far.

I’m not convinced AEW are that smart...

Yes, he intentionally stayed away from singles. But, it’s not just about his run, it’s about his work within his AEW time.

I can see why you'd think that, because most of the time it does feel like AEW is ambling from angle to angle, but I feel like if you have a guy who main evented the Tokyo Dome on your roster, you wouldn't have that guy be a midcarder unless you intentionally decided to keep that in your pocket for a big run later.

He does need to get rid of the girls with brooms though. Who gives a shit about that link to some psy gimmick? Half the people watching have no clue wtf that’s all about and it’s just weird and looks like shit!

[cero2k]

Maybe I'm reading their fanbase wrong, but I don't think there is anyone who is watching AEW who doesn't know about Impact and that this angle is going on on Impact also. Between that and other online fans who always salivate over interpromotional angles, I would have thought that TNA would have gotten a boost even without AEW plugging them (and if AEW plugging them wasn't part of the deal, you can't really fault AEW for not doing it).

actual 'interpromotional' just started two weeks ago, before that it was just Omega cutting promos from a bus. I'm sure that most of the AEW fanbase knows about Impact (maybe not the younger crowd), but what i'm saying is that AEW hasn't promoted Impact at all or (aside from the first show) made you think that you should follow AEW's champion wherever he goes.

Impact runs down Dynamite's card every week, AEW can't even promote their champion main eventing other promotions

[cero2k]

I'm not saying it has to be like ROH vs. CZW in scale. I'm saying that in the ROH vs. CZW feud, the story was the same from both sides, but each saw their group as the babyface. "You're just garbage wrestlers, but we're skilled athletes" and "you guys are snobs and your long matches are boring" are two sides of the same coin. What is happening with AEW and Impact is not two sides of the same coin because the animosity between Khan and Impact (which Khan has shown in his insulting attitude in his paid ads) doesn't make sense once it's clear that Callis is working against the Impact establishment.

I actually feel the sentiment is similar. One side is "the rich kids from Jacksonville think they can come and belittle us", while the other, as we can see in this topic, is "why is AEW dealing with those nobodies?". I see two fanbases defending their promotion.

The feud is just now getting built. Khan takes digs, but it's never to the roster, it's to Impact management (Callis especially), but i'm sure that the AEW fanbase probably sees that promo is completely agree with Khan.