During a recent appearance on the “Battleground” podcast ahead of tonight’s episode of Dynamite, AEW President Tony Khan opened up concerning the decision to raise Darby Allin to AEW World Champion, explaining why he felt the timing was right. He also touched on the evolution of Jon Moxley, highlighting the changes in his character and overall presentation.
You may try some highlights from the podcast below:
On why now’s the proper time to make Darby Allin the AEW World Champion: “Well, I believe without delay, Darby Allin is red hot. He’s the one that had the center to step up and fight MJF. He’s a one who successfully perhaps outsmarted MJF, outworked MJF obviously, and was in a position to take the championship. We’ve seen a protracted line of wrestlers line up now that need a shot at Darby Allin and that championship, and that suits Darby Allin very uniquely. We’ve seen when Darby Allin was the TNT Champion multiple times. It is a guy who takes on all comers, who will fight anybody, anyplace, any time, and now we have so many great wrestlers here in AEW willing to step as much as the challenge.
“Darby’s first defense of the championship, I believed, was an exceptional match. Darby Allin, last week, versus Tommaso Ciampa for the world title was an incredible important event, for my part, on Dynamite last week. And that is the sort of pace Darby Allin fights when he’s a champion. We’ve seen this before with Darby, but never because the world champion until without delay. It’s really amazing to see him on this mode as a world champion that may tackle anybody and is willing to tackle great matches each week on AEW TV.”
On the metamorphosis of Jon Moxley: “Well, Jon is one of the vital charming TV personalities I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen Jon Moxley bring wrestling fans to the screen every week. He’s very charming, and now we’ve seen Jon Moxley take a fascination in Will Ospreay. We saw Will Ospreay leaving with the Death Riders, not his personal alternative, at that time, last week. After which this past week, it was very interesting; our camera crew was in a position to follow and get footage of the Death Riders talking to Will Ospreay. Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay, it was a really interesting conversation, and a few really interesting things Jon Moxley needed to say this past Saturday on AEW Collision, and I’ll be really curious about following up on that within the weeks to return.”
“Jon Moxley has been in AEW from the very first show. When he arrived in AEW at Double or Nothing, our first-ever event, it was an ideal option to end our first show, and Jon Moxley is someone who’s been here since day one. He has reinvented himself. He has modified, and to see where we were initially of 2025 with Jon Moxley as the largest villain in AEW, the person who was the world champion on the time and held the world championship hostage, and was the largest villain in AEW, and it felt at times that he was almost attempting to take down AEW, holding the belt in a briefcase, but that was the other of what Jon was attempting to do. After which it became apparent that Jon Moxley was waiting for somebody to step as much as him. He was forcing people to step as much as him. He was making people higher, after which he went into the Continental Classic. Some people thought Jon was at a low point, but actually, Jon was seeing things clearly for the primary time in a protracted time.”
“And Jon won through the Continental Classic, and at the start, plenty of people would still consider Jon as AEW’s biggest villain. Yet through the tournament, because it went on, people got behind Jon. And after we got to Worlds End, Jon became the gang favorite within the tournament. And it was the primary time in a protracted time that we had a constructing of fans chanting ‘Moxley, Moxley!’ After which, when Moxley won the Continental Classic, at the tip of the tournament, the speech that he gave in some ways was the exact opposite of every thing Jon had said a yr earlier about AEW because he had created and compelled the change he had desired to see. And when he spoke glowingly and said AEW was the most effective wrestling company on this planet and gave these passionate speech at the tip of his Continental Classic victory, that was certainly one of the best wrestling interviews, just for my part, I’ve heard. And the best way that the gang got behind Jon, regardless that they didn’t realize that’s what was going to occur initially of this tournament, I believed it was incredible.”
On Jon Moxley redeeming himself: “I actually thought Jon Moxley ended the yr on the best of notes, becoming Continental Champion and redeeming himself within the eyes of plenty of fans, who thought Jon had gone to a dark place. And now the fans cheer for Jon Moxley again, whether he’s doing the proper thing or not. And on this case, I believe he’s doing something very interesting, and it stays to be seen what the longer term holds with Will Ospreay and the Death Riders, but it surely’s a really interesting thing that’s happening without delay. And Jon Moxley is so vital to AEW. Will Ospreay is so vital to AEW, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for the Death Riders.”
On what separates an awesome free agent from someone who is correct for AEW: “Well, timing is a big aspect of things, and there’s a timing aspect at all times in these items. I believe for AEW fans, AEW is where the most effective wrestle. So, having the power to herald top free agents from all around the world was at all times something really exciting. We’ve got an awesome roster of ladies and men at all times trying to expand and grow when there’s a chance and anyone’s going to are available and add and make it a greater wrestling company.”
On is there’s one city AEW hasn’t been to yet that’s on his list to go to: “We’ve had some awesome events in England. We’ve traveled to England and anytime we return there, I absolutely love doing that. There are plenty of great cities in Mexico that now we have not been to yet. We’ve been to Mexico City, but I believe there are more opportunities. Guadalajara is an awesome town, and there are other cities in America in any case these years where perhaps we’ve done a TV, but we haven’t had a pay-per-view yet, so there are such a lot of great places that I’d like to go to. Actually, Guadalajara, I believe that’s one good opportunity for us that may very well be an awesome place to go to. There are also plenty of big international cities. There’s never been AEW in France, Italy, Germany. These are great markets for professional wrestling and where there’s numerous AEW fans.”
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