Controversial AEW Moment Created New Fans Says Tony Khan

Tony Khan has defended one of AEW’s more divisive moments.

On the March 19 edition of Dynamite, Jon Moxley successfully defended the AEW World Championship against Cope in a wild Street Fight.

During the match, Cope suplexed Jon Moxley onto Spike, a bat filled with nails. These nails then became embedded in Moxley’s back as the referee and Wheeler Yuta struggled to get the bat free.

The spot immediately split fans online with some loving the action, while others felt Moxley had finally gone too far. After the show, it was reported that Moxley was fine, despite how nasty the landing looked.

Tony Khan Praises Jon Moxley Spot

During an appearance on the Way Of The Blade podcast, AEW boss Tony Khan was asked about the controversial moment, and he immediately launched a staunch defence. Khan described the spot as a “great wrestling moment” before claiming it created increased interest in AEW.

“When Mox had the spike bat in his back, that was a great wrestling moment. It was memorable, it helped drive box office for us, it was highest rated episode of the year. It went viral. It’s one of the most watched videos of the year. It’s probably the most watched video of the year in AEW.

It’s a fantastic moment. It made new fans and created interest. It was on TMZ. There are people who weren’t watching AEW that saw it. It brought outside fans in and created casual interest.”

During the same interview, Tony Khan revealed that Bryan Danielson continues to work closely with AEW management despite not wrestling. Khan said he was delighted to have Danielson as part of his team, confirming the pair speak almost every day.

The comments came just before Danielson admitted he might never wrestle again after admitting his neck is “wrecked.”

H/t to Fightful