A brief history of Tony Khan’s important announcements for AEW

With another one on the horizon, we take a look back at all of Tony Khan’s previous “important” AEW announcements.

“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

That famous quote from “The Godfather, Part III” could apply to a lot of things about pro wrestling, but it certainly pertains to Tony Khan and his habit of teasing an “important announcement” for an episode of AEW Dynamite. In other words, the fact that he revealed one for tomorrow night’s show isn’t a surprise at this point.

Will this announcement fit a generally accepted set of criteria as “important”? To see if it might, let’s take a quick spin back through his previous proclamations.

(Note: This doesn’t count when TK has promised major announcements on behalf of someone else, like “Taz makes his huge announcement that will shock the wrestling world!” Because those he does tend to oversell. Also, I’m not guaranteeing I’ve even got these all because, well, there have been a fair amount.)

May 17, 2023

What Khan said: That AEW would make a “blockbuster” announcement involving an expansion into new programming

What it turned out to be: “AEW Collision,” the company’s Saturday night primetime show

Was it important?

Certainly. AEW getting a second primetime showcase was a huge deal and cemented the idea that its broadcast partner, Warner Bros. Discovery, valued what the company was doing. However, the importance level of this one loses points for two reasons: One is that nearly everyone has already guessed this ahead of time, and the eventual name of the show had already leaked. The other is that Khan did the equivalent of burying the lede and blew this out into several additional announcements, including the location (Chicago), the fact that CM Punk was returning and the main event for the debut episode. Just give it to us all at once, thanks.

April 5, 2023

What Khan said: That he’d make a “huge” announcement on the 4/5 episode of Dynamite; AEW sold it as a “very important announcement”

What it turned out to be: AEW All In London

Was it important?

If one of the biggest wrestling events of all time isn’t important, then nothing is. A high point in attendance for AEW to date and a massive statement toward its ambitions as a company, this is the one above all others that honestly lived up to the hype.

Feb. 22, 2023

What Khan said: That he had a very important announcement that was “something I’m very excited about and it’s great for the company”

What it turned out to be: The “AEW: All Access” reality show

Was it important?

Kind of? It was probably good for the company, and we here at Wrestling Junkie even liked the show itself. But it didn’t have a ton of staying power, and to say a lot of AEW fans found this particular reveal underwhelming isn’t exactly a hot take.

April 20, 2022

What Khan said: He actually played this one relatively quietly from what we can see on social media, but AEW promoted it as “a HUGE announcement”

What it turned out to be: With help from Adam Cole (bay bay) and the president of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Khan confirmed that a co-branded PPV called Forbidden Door would be held on June 26 in Chicago

Was it important?

Yes. Even with some of the top NJPW stars unavailable, the first Forbidden Door was a critical and commercial success, and the follow-up in 2023 was arguably even better. It’s an event that wrestling fans can now look forward to annually, and that’s a good thing.

March 2, 2022

What Khan said: “I have a big announcement for everyone (especially those of you who love pro wrestling)”

What it turned out to be: Khan had purchased Ring of Honor

Was it important?

For ROH? Definitely. There’s no guarantee it would still be around if not for Khan acquiring it. For AEW? That’s much less clear more than 18 months in. The line between the two brands is more distinct now than it was initially, but there still isn’t really an identity for ROH other than “talent that AEW doesn’t have time to squeeze into its own programming.” And taping the matches after Collision, when the audience is tired or just leaves in large numbers, isn’t ideal. Still, this one certainly created waves of excitement when it hit, so we’ll count it as important, sure.

Feb. 9, 2022

What Khan said: He had been teasing something about a free agent coming through the Forbidden Door and then “slamming the door shut,” while AEW also said he had a “huge announcement” for Dynamite

What it turned out to be: Good question!

Was it important?

Unless we recall this episode incorrectly (and to be fair, it pre-dates Wrestling Junkie by a couple months), there was no actual announcement. What Dynamite did feature was the debut of Keith Lee and an appearance by “Switchblade” Jay White. Lee has had an up and down stint in AEW, to be honest, and White became a main event player only after joining full-time in 2023. So we’re putting this one in the non-important category under the circumstances.

Oct. 6, 2021

What Khan said: “I have a huge announcement that’s a long time coming tonight!”

What it turned out to be: The introduction of the TBS Championship, the company’s second women’s title

Was it important?

We’d say so. Though AEW’s handling of its women’s division has arguably grown worse int he two years since this announcement, a second title was needed at the time. It helped elevate Jade Cargill into a star, the kind who would then leave the company and sign with WWE. But hey, at least it worked out for everyone involved in the short term.

Walking through them one by one shows that Khan actually has a pretty good track record on these. Yes, he can certainly be a bit heavy-handed with the promotion of them at times, and he runs the risk of going to this well too often. But overall, there have been more hits than misses, which bodes well for whatever he’s going to reveal on the Nov. 1 episode of Dynamite.