SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath-the-surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.
AEW’s big announcement
When Tony Khan makes a promise, he intends to deliver.
Khan will make an announcement on Wednesday night’s episode of Dynamite that he believes will be pivotal to the company’s success.
“This is something I’ve dreamed of for years,” says Khan. “It’s a huge milestone for AEW, and I can’t wait to talk about it. There will be fans around the world who will be excited—it is one of the most important announcements ever in AEW.”
AEW is entering a significant stretch of programming, especially with Vince McMahon once again stifling Paul “Triple H” Levesque’s creativity in WWE. This spring and summer represent a massive opportunity for AEW to expand its fan base, especially with important stories playing out like Bryan Danielson working as a heel, Jamie Hayter’s title run taking shape and an influx of talent from New Japan Pro-Wrestling en route to the Forbidden Door sequel in June.
Khan was asked about the possibility of AEW branding its own signature, multiday event, similar to what WWE has built over the years with WrestleMania. AEW has a history of honoring wrestling legends, particularly ones long dismissed or forgotten about by WWE, and Khan also owns Ring of Honor, which has an outstanding roster.
Though it is not imminent, it is the type of event that could help reshape the industry.
“We could do one event spanning a weekend and we could also do multiple events across a week,” says Khan. “It’s something we’re considering, especially as we keep entering so many new debut markets. We’re looking forward to expanding and holding more huge events.”
This past weekend’s Supercard of Honor was a resounding success for Ring of Honor, highlighting Claudio Castagnoli, the Lucha Bros and Samoa Joe. It illustrated the ongoing journey of Mark Briscoe, who paid tribute to his brother, Jay, in his match against Samoa Joe by searching for the hot tag, only to see his brother is no longer with us. The card also featured AAA mega champion El Hijo del Vikingo, as well as New Japan star Katsuyori Shibata, which is unique considering that NJPW never works with AAA, instead opting to partner with CMLL in Mexico.
“I think New Japan Pro-Wrestling and AAA trust me and know we’re going to do right by their talent,” says Khan. “That trust and honesty has allowed us to build relationships with different companies, and that’s why they send their top stars, champions and legends to AEW and Ring of Honor. Including international stars is very important to us, and we just featured that on Dynamite when Kenny Omega wrestled Vikingo in a critically acclaimed match. Wrestling promoters feel comfortable sending their wrestlers to AEW, and those international relationships have helped AEW grow.”
In addition to Khan’s announcement, this week’s Dynamite will also feature Hayter defending her title against Riho, Ricky Starks continuing his jump to the next level in a match against Juice Robinson, AEW’s Komander against Sammy Guevara and FTR putting their AEW careers on the line for a shot at The Gunns’ tag-team titles.
“It’s going to be a special night for AEW,” says Khan. “All Access will be on after Dynamite, which is a great chance to see Adam Cole’s recovery. It’s going to be a great night from start to finish.”
The (online) week in wrestling
- WWE has agreed to a massive merger with UFC’s parent company, Endeavor.
- Beating Brock Lesnar is exactly what Cody Rhodes needs after losing to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
- A heel Bryan Danielson in the Blackpool Combat Club adds a whole new element to AEW, especially in a rematch against Kenny Omega where he is the villain instead of the babyface.
- The Briscoes were honored by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn after their main-event victory Saturday night at WrestleMania.
Kevin Owens mentions The Briscoes during Wrestlemania Press Conference:
— Dark Puroresu Flowsion (@PuroresuFlow) April 2, 2023
“Their names are Mark & Jay Briscoe. We lost Jay recently. I really hope we made them proud tonight”pic.twitter.com/5JzQZyYPbi
#AndNEW!!!
— ROH - Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) April 1, 2023
The #ROH Pure Champion is Katsuyori Shibata @K_Shibata2022, after a stellar battle versus Yuta on #ROHSupercardOfHonor LIVE on PPV!
Order #ROHSuperCard NOW!
🔗: https://t.co/2bT4S0BioZ pic.twitter.com/LuwCDdJp2n
- Congratulations to Jordynne Grace, who emerged victorious at the Tri-City Classic bodybuilding meet.
Congrats to @JordynneGrace for placing FIRST in true novice, the women's physique open, and overall women's physique at the National Qualifier Tri City Classic! pic.twitter.com/ddL4qB8J0w
— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) April 2, 2023
Charlotte Flair: “There is so much buzz about Tiffany [Stratton]”
Flair wrestled a spectacular bout against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 39 on Saturday.
The only other match that compared was Sunday’s main event of Roman Reigns against Cody Rhodes. This was a real clash of titans, where Flair and Ripley worked a furious, hungry and physical style.
Flair ensured that Ripley looked like a star, and she could not ask for a better start to her reign as SmackDown women’s champion. Primarily used as a special attraction, Flair is expected to stay off-camera for now, until the right situation—perhaps at Money in the Bank in London in July—calls for her return.
When Flair does come back, the time away will work in her favor. She could have fresh feuds with so much of the roster, which is a thought that has crossed her mind.
“There’s Bianca [Belair], there’s Liv [Morgan], there’s Raquel [Rodriguez],” says Flair, who spoke with Sports Illustrated before WrestleMania. “There are so many options.”
Another compelling opponent is Stratton, who was a candidate to appear on the Raw following WrestleMania. Only 23, she has displayed incredible promise in NXT.
“There is so much buzz about Tiffany,” says Flair. “I’m excited to see where she goes.”
Tweet of the Week
RIP Bushwhacker Butch
— On This Day in WWE (@OTD_in_WWE) April 3, 2023
Listen to that roar for the Bushwhackers! They were so over on the WWF
pic.twitter.com/Tdx0bUXb9X
The Bushwhackers brought a lot of joy to pro wrestling. RIP to Butch.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
