Special thanks to the Leverage Agency for sending these to us.
SHAD KHAN STATEMENT ON AEW, Tuesday, January 8, 2019
I am the lead investor, a supporter and a backer of All Elite Wrestling, and I anticipate great things today and into the future for AEW and everyone who has worked passionately on this week’s launch. I know AEW will be welcomed by wrestling fans here in the U.S. and throughout the world who are ready for something new and authentic. AEW will work hard to deliver on that promise.
As important, I am the father – the proud father – of Tony Khan, who will serve in a leadership role at AEW during the 2019 launch and in the years ahead. Tony will assemble a great team to take AEW over the top, for the benefit of everyone who loves the wrestling industry, while continuing to serve in his current capacities with the Jaguars and Fulham.
AEW will operate as an organization completely independently from my other interests. It will not deter attention or divert resources from any of my businesses, teams, projects or investments. At the same time, AEW will enjoy the same full commitment I given to everything and everyone in my life – my family and friends, my business and, in recent years, to sports, hospitality and now entertainment.
TONY KHAN STATEMENT ON AEW, Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Wrestling fans are a community unlike most others. I’ve been a part of this community since I was 7 years old, and I can tell you that wresting fans see the world every day through a special lens. We see wrestling in Hollywood films and tv shows, we see elements of wrestling in the presentation of sports and in the marketing of grandiose star athletes, and we certainly see wrestling in politics.
The wrestling community is a constant; its members are diverse, we are physically located on all corners of the planet, yet we are constantly connected. Recently, a new family has formed, bonded by love and respect for wresting but armed with a vision and resources that have never before been available to the wrestling community. Our objective is to connect our community closer than ever before through All Elite Wrestling, or AEW.
AEW does not mean any less of a continued commitment to existing obligations and duties that I have, or my family has, to our business and sports interests. That will never be the case. What’s important is that every individual decision we make as family, whether it’s ownership or investment in a team or property, is 100 percent beneficial to those specific interests. I will always welcome that accountability and responsibility, as nothing is more important than serving our supporters and friends.
AEW will launch with a roster of the top wrestlers in the world. While they’ll clash in what will be some of the most intense and fast-paced contests ever sanctioned in the squared circle, they’ll also share a common goal: to make this the true golden age, to make this the greatest time ever to be a wrestling fan. Likewise, as a business, by treating our wrestlers with respect and warmth, we also seek to make this the golden age for the performers themselves.
I urge everyone who believes in what we’re doing, or wants to believe in dreams coming true, to support AEW by spreading the word and passing the wrestling bug onto someone else. My message: Get in on the ground floor with AEW today and help lead our movement to grow the wrestling community and ensure that the voices of the wrestling fans, their creative minds and their remarkable ideas, will always be heard.
Editor’s Note: The line “Do they need TV for long term growth? Possibly. ” has been edited as it was an original misrepresentation of our stance. The original line was “Do they need TV for long term growth? Absolutely. “
Being The Elite’s Youtube Channel has officially announced the launch of All Elite Wrestling. The promotion is said to be owned by Tony Khaun with Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks said to be on the executive team as well as talent for the promotion. More news on talents, distribution, and more are set to be announced soon. With all this hype, AEW has left more questions than answers.
Will They Have or Need TV?
This is a question that has been asked time and time again: Can AEW get some sort of TV distribution deal? Will they need a TV deal? Me personally, I don’t think they will need a TV deal. At least in the short term.
Is a TV deal necessary for the promotion to get off the ground? No. I don’t think so. I’m not sure how many people ordered All In on the Fite app, but I’m sure that collectively AEW can start running shows that can make them profitable.
Think about this: On Twitter, they have a combined 1.8M followers. On Youtube, they have over 300,000 followers. If 10% of them sign up for a Patreon at $15 a month, that would be $2.7M a month or $32.4M a year. Of course, this is using the rule of 10% and hoping that 10% of their following would actually sign up for this.
That $32M a year could fund Youtube shows. They can find venues where they can sell out and make money on the ticket, sell ad-space online, and of course their merch store would be a huge money maker for them.
Do they need TV for long term growth? Possibly
I actually think that having fans being able to go “all in” with the guys is a great idea. Gives the audience a sense of ownership and a sense of them being apart of the team. No wrestling company has done that.
Who, Other Than Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, And SCU, Will They Feature?
With the announcement, no real announcement of any talent signings were made. This leaves us to wonder, who else will AEW bring in to fill up the roster?
This is important. Cody has come out and said that he plans to not wrestle as much in the future. The 33-year-old son of a plumber’s son might want to go full time for another handful of years before slowing down.
The Young Bucks are a tag team. Will they eventually want to go solo and try to compete for the top titles in AEW? Or will they stick together as a unit?
What Is ‘Double or Nothing’?
The AEW team has announced that Double or Nothing is coming. Will it be their launch event? Will it just be the planned rally?
I guess we have to wait and see.
The NWA is on the process of rebuilding itself back up. After ALL IN, the NWA is on the high of a lifetime. Cody Rhodes is the third NWA World Heavyweight Champion under the Corgan administration and has the world talking.
SEScoops.com has an article up reporting that the NWA is in the process of bringing back some titles.
The same report states that the NWA will be bringing back the NWA Tag Team Championships that have been vacant for a while.
One has to wonder what the plans are for Cody Rhodes as the NWA Champion. I personally believe that the NWA Anniversary show will have Cody defending the world title against former champion, Nick Aldis. I predicted that in my blog about the NWA needing Cody to be the NWA World Champion.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Cody, The Bucks, and those involved in
Time shall tell.
Saturday, September 1, 2018 will go down in history as the night that professional wrestling changed forever, even if the show was a one-off.
ALL IN was a massive success for everyone involved. And while i haven’t been able to finish all 4 hours of the show, what I have seen is enough to know that this show has changed the game (yes, I know I said that twice now).
The ALL IN – Zero Hour special on WGN America had some technical issues, but it’s forgivable for them to have those issues as this was the first show they’ve produced.
At the end of the night, I walked away extremely proud of the guys involved. They put on a massive show, had very little problems, and made the show feel special without having their own TV outlet to promote their show.
There is a ton of things that IMPACT Wrestling, WWE, and Ring of Honor can learn from the success of ALL IN.
READ MORE: WHY CODY NEEDED TO BE NWA WORLD CHAMPION
The first lesson that can be learned is on story telling. The NWA World Championship Match with Cody Rhodes defeating Nick Aldis to become the new champion was a perfect story told perfectly without the two men ever fighting or without any major over-the-top trash talking.
The job that Billy Corgan, Dave Lagana, Cody Rhodes, and Nick Aldis told with a few promos, a camera crew, and a compelling story arc was impeccable. All the guys needed was an outlet to tell a story and the arc and the rest was done with the imagination of the fans, the desire to see these two men fight it out for the title, and the need for the babyface to come out as champion.
The story in the ring was just as epic. Seeing Nick Aldis take it to Cody, seeing what the title meant to Cody and his continued fighting effort to keep fighting even after his wife tells him that he
And in the end, a quick roll up gave Cody the win. We didn’t need to do a complicated finish or angle, we didn’t need run ins or weapons. All we needed was a story, a match, and a conclusion. And I can’t wait for Cody to defend the title against Aldis at the 70th Anniversary show in October.
The second lesson that can be learned is more for IMPACT and ROH and that is that production matters.
The stage set up that ALL IN had was amazing. It looked like something WWE or an MMA group would have set up. I kept thinking, “Man, this looks a lot like a big budget production being done” and in reality
The final lesson, give the fans what they want. Stop trying to push your agenda and ideas that don’t work. ALL IN was a fun show because there was no agenda. There was no one person that needed to get over. The people who needed to be over were and the ones who needed to not be over were not. The fans were able to choose.
I hope that if there is an ALL IN 2 that these principals are taken into account.
PWInsider.com is reporting that Flip Gordon has signed a long-term deal with Ring of Honor Wrestling.
According to the report, ROH has signed Gordon for two years. That will keep Gordon thru at least the summer of 2020.
Most recently, Gordon challenged for the NWA World Championship against Nick Aldis and impressed many of the ROH higher-ups in the organization. In a recent video with Cody Rhodes, Rhodes mentioned that he sees Gordon as a future franchise player in the industry.
JOIN NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING STARS THE YOUNG BUCKS AND CODY AS THEY ASSURE VIEWERS ‘THE BULLET CLUB IS FINE’ WITH AN EIGHT-HOUR MARATHON OF BULLET CLUB ACTION ON SATURDAY, JULY 7 AT 12pE/9aP ON AXS TV
‘The Bullet Club Is Fine Marathon’ Leads Into AXS TV’s LIVE Broadcast of NJPW’s ‘G1 SPECIAL IN SAN FRANCISCO’ on July 7 at 8pE/5pP
Cody Faces IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks Defend the IWGP Tag Team Title in a Rematch Against EVIL and SANADA
Los Angeles (June 13, 2018) – New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) superstars and leaders of the Bullet Club—The Young Bucks (brothers Matt & Nick Jackson) and Cody are teaming up to host an eight-hour marathon celebrating some of The Bullet Cub’s greatest matches this year on Saturday, July 7 at 12pE/9aP. “The Bullet Club is Fine Marathon” will feature eight of the group’s best matches from this year leading into AXS TV’s live broadcast of NJPW’s biggest U.S. event ever – the G1 SPECIAL IN SAN FRANCISCO at 8pE/5pP from the Cow Palace in Daly City, California.
The rivalry between Cody and fellow Bullet Club member and newly crowned IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega comes to a head at the G1 SPECIAL IN SAN FRANCISCO as the two face off in the main event. Other matches announced so far include IWGP Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks in a rematch against former title holders EVIL & SANADA, IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Jay White vs. Juice Robinson, and a special tag team match pitting Kazuchika Okada & Will Ospreay vs. Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI.
“The Bullet Club is Fine Marathon” is as follows (subject to change):
| 12pE – New Beginning in Sapporro 2018 | Kenny Omega vs. Jay White |
| 1pE – Honor Rising: Japan 2018 | Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. Cody & Marty Scurll |
| 2pE – Strong Style Evolved | Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) |
| 3pE – Sakura Genesis 2018 | Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. Cody & Hangman Page |
| 4pE – Wrestling Dontaku 2018 | Cody vs. Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page |
| 5pE – Dominion 6.9 | The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. SANADA & EVIL |
| 6pE – Dominion 6.9 | Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada (2 hours) |
| 8pE – G1 SPECIAL IN SAN FRANCISCO LIVE on AXS TV | |
The company owned by the Young Bucks have filed for a trademark for “All In”. Killing The Business, Inc. filed the trademark on 5/24/2018.
The company has Dana Massie (Matt Jackson’s wife) listed as President.
Commentary: This could be a sign to show that there will be more of the “All In” branded events from the Bucks and Cody. I hope that is the case. More places for wrestlers to work the better.
Daniel Bryan recently appeared on the Talk Is Jericho podcast. Part of the discussion was Daniel talking about his plans for the independent scene had he not been cleared by WWE.
“…so Bullet Club is very hot, but they need somebody to go against… something that would draw money and interest and bring independent wrestling to another level… so that’s what I was thinking, a long-term thing. We could do that for a couple years.”
Many believe that Daniel’s openness to leaving WWE lead the WWE to clear him for in-ring action.
Would you have wanted to see Daniel Bryan take on the Bullet Club?
“WAGS Atlanta” Takes Viewers Inside the Exclusive World of Atlanta’s Athlete Royalty
Los Angeles, CA – November 2, 2017 – E! kicks off the new year with some high stakes relationship goals and some down-home southern hospitality when “WAGS Atlanta” (Wives and Girlfriends of Sports Stars Atlanta) premieresWednesday, January 3rd at 10p ET/PT. The series follows the relationships and glamorous lifestyles of Ariel Anderson, Niche Caldwell, Kierra Douglas, Kaylin Jurrjens, Kesha Norman, Brandi Rhodes, Shuntel “Telli” Swift, Sincerely Ward, and Hope Wiseman. These nine tight-knit Atlanta-based wives and girlfriends of today’s hottest professional athletes live life unapologetically, with no boundaries and no filters within the infamous social life of Atlanta.
In the eight episode season, viewers will see these ambitious, strong-minded women build their brands and navigate friendships and their high-profile romances, all while taking the Atlanta social scene by storm alongside their leading men. Bonded by long-time friendships, the ladies of “WAGS Atlanta” work to make their own dreams a reality – empowering each other, celebrating their successes, and working to find ways to balance their own careers and interests with the demands of their partner’s sports schedules. From business owners to interior designers, these women are making their mark and redefining what it means to be a power couple. It’s not all glitz and glamour however, these couples encounter tough situations including infidelity, suspensions, and ultimatums, forcing them to fight for their relationships in order to prove that a southern belle and a big-time baller really can have it all.
Get the stats on E!’s newest WAGS:
Ariel Anderson is the younger sister of Kierra Douglas. Like her sister, she is no stranger to the football world, following in her sister’s footsteps Ariel danced for a professional football team for years. While Ariel claims that she is currently single, she has been linked to several football players in the past. Ariel teaches classes at the dance studio she shares with Kierra, but is looking for a larger role in the business.
Niche Caldwell and Wide Receiver, Andre Caldwell, have been together since college and have two children together. Niche is a model and an interior designer, who admittedly will judge your house the moment she walks in. Niche is brutally honest and doesn’t mince words when she talks to or about you – call it messy, but she believes the truth will set you free.
Kierra Douglas is married to Wide Receiver, Harry Douglas. Born and raised in Atlanta, Kierra was a former dancer for two of the city’s most beloved sports teams. Kierra has a Business Degree and owns two businesses in Atlanta: a growing clothing boutique and a popular dance studio that she operates with her mother and younger sister, Ariel.
Kaylin Jurrjens met husband, pitcher JJ Jurrjens, at the young age of 19 and has been a WAG ever since. Kaylin is a model as well as a former cheerleader for two professional sports teams, and she has previously won the coveted title of Miss Georgia and placed in the Top 15 in the Miss USA pageant. Kaylin loves to have a good time and never takes herself too seriously!
Kesha Norman has been with C. J. Mosley, Defensive Tackle and an 11-year football veteran, for 4 years. The couple has a two-year-old daughter together but have struggled with infidelity issues in the past. Kesha is a stay-at-home mom, who also manages 12 rental properties and a trucking company that they own.
Brandi Rhodes is married to current wrestling star and actor Cody Rhodes, and is the daughter-in-law of the late wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes. Brandi is a pro wrestler herself and former wrestling announcer, but struggles with being married to a famous wrestler and the challenges that entails.
Shuntel ‘Telli’ Swift is with Heavyweight Champion, boxer Deontay Wilder. Deontay (“The Bronze Bomber”) worked hard for his title and proudly takes the belt he named “Sophia” everywhere he goes. Although, Telli draws a line at Sophia sharing their bed. Telli, first and foremost takes care of her man and family. And Deontay shows his appreciation by showering her with luxurious gifts.
Sincerely Ward is the cousin of retired football player Derrick Ward. Sincerely is a single lady but has been previously linked to several football and basketball players, but athletes are not the only ballers Sincerely is attracted to, having dated owners of private airlines, gas companies, and luxury jewelry designers. Sincerely owns several holistic spas and designs and runs her own resort wear collection.
Hope Wiseman is one of the single gals in the group but has previously dated a football player. Hope is a former investment banker who now owns a medical marijuana dispensary with her mother. After meeting when they were cheerleaders at a professional football team, Ariel Anderson and Hope became the closest of friends.
“WAGS Atlanta” is produced by Machete Productions with Amber Mazzola, Paul Yuan, and James Dubose serving as Executive Producers, along with co-executive producer Lynsey Dufour.