AEW President Tony Khan recently spoke with Mike Johnson of PWInsider, and discussed the original 60 minute time limit draw between Bryan Danielson and AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page, plus their rematch at next week’s AEW Dynamite on TBS premiere. Below are highlights:
The recent Danielson vs. Page 60 minute draw:
“That is absolutely one of the most important matches ever in AEW, the Hangman Page versus Bryan Danielson, one hour draw and it was a great first match for Hangman as champion, but now he’s going into his second defense and there’s a lot of uncertainties after the one hour draw with Bryan Danielson. I think Hangman Page could be a great champion for us going forward but Bryan Danielson right now also has so much to offer to AEW. He’s one of the most recognizable and one of the most respected professional wrestlers in the history of the sport and he’s been such a huge coup for us since he came to AEW, it’s been really, really great having Bryan here. He has had already in a short time some of the greatest matches in the history of AEW, undoubtedly and I think next week, the debut of Dynamite on TBS, I do expect another great match. I think it’s very much up in the air now that those guys have had the one hour draw and nobody knows what to expect and that’s how we like it. I think it’s a great World title match that we’re presenting and then so much exciting happening in AEW the next few weeks, as we say goodbye to TNT this week at Daily’s Place.”
If there were other plans beyond the 60 minute draw and how the match was received:
“Well, there are a lot of things we could have potentially done in that situation. I guess there’s infinite possibilities, but that is what we were going to do and it was a masterpiece. I’m so pleased with that match. I’m thrilled that the fans enjoyed it. I was absolutely thrilled that the ratings built as the match went on and the peak of the match and such a great rating for the show, for the final quarter of the match, especially. It was just absolutely a big success for us and now it builds to a rematch on such an important stage. This is a huge night for us, the debut on TBS. So the next few weeks are really important and absolutely that match was some something we needed to get right and I think we definitely did. People were looking forward to that match. And for Hangman, it was important for him to go out and have a great debut as champion. I think people were wondering if Hangman’s going to be a one match champ, the answer is no, but he is going to go back now and wrestle that same opponent and I said, “What’s going to happen?” After the one hour bout, I don’t think anybody knows what to expect, which is exactly how we want it. I think it was just a perfect result and assuming that both men were going to be able to last to 60 minutes and give us a great match. And I thought this was the perfect thing to do. Now that they’ve been through it and they put on that great match, I think there’s no question it was the right thing to do.”
Using judges for next week’s rematch in Newark, NJ:
“We’ll have great wrestlers on hand. It shouldn’t be about the judges as it’s about Hangman and Danielson. I think we want great judges on hand, great wrestling experience, people who know the sport and will know what to look for, criteria for judging the winner. I think if this thing goes 60 minutes, again, we want to give the fans a great, really peace of mind knowing that there is going to be a winner this time, even if there is another 60 minute match. So we have all our bases covered and the focus is going to be on Danielson and Hangman, and what is going to be a great, great match next week. So the next few weeks, the last Dynamite on TNT, I think is very sentimental for many reasons, especially to do it at Daily’s Place and with the return of JR and the card we have set. But I do think absolutely a lot of people are going to be focused on that debut on TBS, especially knowing that Danielson versus Hangman II is on the card.”
