Tony Khan Highlights CM Punk’s Vital Role in AEW: “He’s a Crucial Asset and a Major Attraction”
Tony Khan, the president of AEW, recently discussed the exciting prospects his company has in store, including the launch of a new Saturday night show on TNT. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Khan shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming events, with the debut episode of Collision marking the highly anticipated return of CM Punk.
“We haven’t seen CM Punk in a long time, since All Out last September,” Khan acknowledged. “He looked great in his last match. To the fans, he’s very important. He’s very important to the company, too. He’s been a big draw for us and historically throughout his career, and the launch of the new show happens to line up with the schedule of his rehab for his triceps injury.”
Khan also shed light on the collaboration between AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery, which led to discussions about developing more content, particularly a show on Saturday nights.
“We have an amazing opportunity with AEW on Saturday nights on TNT, starting June 17, and it was truly the brainchild of [Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president] David Zaslav. He asked about more AEW, specifically Saturday nights, on TNT,” Khan revealed. “When it was pitched to us by TNT, I was so excited. It’s so exciting that the timing [of Punk’s return from injury] coincides with the launch of Collision.”
Regarding ticket sales, the June 17 show in Chicago has already seen 8,000 tickets distributed, with 994 distributed after Punk’s announcement. However, other upcoming shows have seen mixed sales. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that the announcement of Punk has yet to have as significant an impact on ticket sales in other cities. For instance, the June 24 show in Toronto has only reached 1,762 tickets, while the June 29 show in Hamilton, ONT, has 730 tickets sold. Khan believes other factors may be affecting sales in Toronto and Hamilton, as TSN’s Steve Argintaru noted.
It remains to be seen whether TSN, the network that airs Dynamite in Canada, will also broadcast episodes of Collision. AEW Rampage is only available on the TSN App and not on regular television.
On another note, just under 13,000 tickets have been distributed for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door II on June 25 at Toronto’s ScotiaBank Arena. Khan acknowledges the challenges faced during last year’s event but expresses confidence that this year’s show has the potential to be the best collaboration between the two companies.
“Last year’s Forbidden Door was a challenging time with a number of injuries and travel obstacles, and we were able to come together to put together the best event of the year in wrestling,” Khan shared. “This year’s Forbidden Door will be the best event either company has ever participated in.”
