Malakai Black Explains Why He Wanted AEW Doing House Shows
Malakai Black is the man to thank for pushing AEW to start doing house shows.
AEW has gone in the opposite direction of almost every wrestling company in modern history. Instead of starting off small with untelevised local events and then growing big enough to get TV deals, AEW started with a TV and PPV deal and only now is in a comfortable enough of a position to be able to do untelevised house shows.
Initially, AEW head booker Tony Khan was reluctant to do house shows. However, he changed his mind after enough prodding from Malakai Black.
Black appeared on the HardLORE podcast and explained how he got Tony Khan to finally agree to do house shows.
“It was at my request that we’re doing live events. Initially, [Khan] was like, ‘Maybe.’ And I kept hammering down on him and others started chiming in too. … Eventually, he told me, what was it four or five months ago when I sat down with him, he basically said like, ‘We’re going to start doing live events in 2023’ and I was like, ‘Okay, put me on them.’
As for why he was so adamant about this idea, Malakai Black explained it was because he can have more fun with live crowds since there aren’t any limitations brought about by TV.
“There’s nothing more fun than live events because you can interact with the crowd. I think that a lot of young guys that are coming through now will need to learn how to work for cameras and learn how to get comfortable in front of an audience in a way that they don’t forget about, like, ‘Hey, take a breather and give people the opportunity to process what it is you just did.’
That doesn’t mean stand still and do nothing, but it’s all these little, little things that a lot of the younger kids in that locker room are now going to be able to pick up and get better because that’s the only way you’re going to get better.”
The first AEW house show/live event takes place on March 18th in Troy, Ohio.
h/t 411Mania for the transcription