AEW President Tony Khan spoke with the pro wrestling media on Thursday, July 23, 2026, to promote Sunday’s AEW Redemption pay-per-view. Refresh the page for the latest updates.
Tony Khan opened by saying he is very excited about Redemption and believes it will be a great wrestling weekend.
When asked why Redemption is starting one hour earlier than most AEW pay-per-views, Khan said he wanted to experiment with the start time and see how it works before deciding whether it will become the new normal.
Brian Zilem asked about Swerve Strickland’s status. Khan said Strickland is in good standing with AEW and will appear at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday. He said he would provide another update after Redemption.
Samantha Schipman asked about the AEW Heels campaign. Khan said he was unsure of its current status and would provide more information after the pay-per-view.
Sean Radican asked about promoting Redemption while also building toward All In at Wembley Stadium next month. Khan said AEW is in a strong period and believes more fans are watching the company than at any point in recent years when television and streaming numbers are combined. He said Redemption will be an important stop on the road to All In.
Dave Meltzer asked about AEW’s interest in available free agents and requested updates on Sammy Guevara, Anna Jay and Tay Melo. Khan said it was unusual that people believed Guevara’s status had changed simply because he updated his social media bio. He said people jumped to conclusions without having the full story.
Khan said Anna Jay remains in good standing with AEW. She is currently injured and was scheduled to undergo an MRI last week. He also confirmed that Jay extended her AEW contract.
Khan said several claims about Tay Melo have been inaccurate. He explained that there was some truth to the situation, but the story was focused in the wrong direction.
According to Khan, Melo recently told him at an episode of Collision that she wanted her release and planned to take a break from wrestling. Khan said Melo contacted him again this week and told him she was not responsible for the stories being shared and was bothered by them. Khan said he plans to grant Melo her release. He added that wrestling stories are often exaggerated or completely made up.
Khan also said there are several talented free agents available and that AEW is keeping an eye on the market.
Andrew Baydala noted that Kenny Omega will headline Redemption as AEW World Champion in Montreal and could also headline All In at Wembley Stadium. He asked whether Omega was checking off major career goals before retiring. Khan praised Omega’s comeback, saying he has survived, thrived and returned at an incredible level.
Amy Nemmity asked about Thekla defending the AEW Women’s Championship against Willow Nightingale at Redemption. Khan praised both wrestlers and said he is very excited about the match. He again called Redemption an important show on the road to All In next month.
Aditya Rao asked why MJF is not scheduled for Redemption. Khan said MJF has competed in several hard-hitting matches and worked through injuries this year. Khan said MJF has been a fighting champion in 2026, which is different from his previous title reigns. He added that MJF may not be a nice person, but he is a great wrestler, and AEW wants him involved when he is healthy enough to compete.
Dominic DeAngelo asked what gave Khan the confidence to put Kevin Knight in the Redemption main event. Khan said he believes Knight can become one of AEW’s top stars. He also recalled signing Knight and Thekla within weeks of each other.
Viveck Sharma asked about Hangman Page’s status. Khan said Page should be back very soon. He pointed to Page’s Collision interview, which set the stage for his return. Khan also noted that Page is a man of his word and will no longer challenge for the AEW World Championship.
Sully Khan asked about Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley facing the Young Bucks at Redemption. He also asked about similarities to Ospreay and Swerve Strickland previously teaming against the Bucks.
Khan called the Young Bucks possibly the greatest tag team he has ever seen and said they are back to the level they were at when AEW began. He also discussed Ospreay and Moxley teaming together, while mostly answering the question in storyline.
Michael Morales Torres asked whether AEW could work more closely with Fulham F.C. Khan became excited while discussing soccer and praised what his father has built around Craven Cottage, including Fulham Pier.
Khan said he never wants AEW to interfere with Fulham because of the purity of the sport. He noted that Fulham Pier is open year-round and said AEW fans are always welcome. Khan also mentioned some crossover between the two companies, including AEW sponsorships and the company logo appearing around Fulham. AEW also sponsors Fulham’s women’s team.
Bill Bodkin asked about the possibility of AEW holding a Crockett Cup-style tag team tournament. Khan said AEW gives major attention to women’s wrestling, pure wrestling and tag team wrestling.
Khan called FTR one of the greatest tag teams of all time. He said the tournament idea is something he has considered. He also discussed adding more women’s tag teams and said AEW, ROH and CMLL have dozens of strong teams, along with a growing women’s tag team division.
Jon Alba asked whether the original plan was for MJF to defend the AEW World Championship at Redemption. Khan called it a fair question but said he needed to keep some plans hidden.
Khan then discussed the Paramount merger and the combination of Paramount+ and HBO Max. He said it is an exciting time to present AEW’s recent television numbers to company executives.
Khan also said pay-per-view numbers are an important part of the business and praised AEW’s results since HBO Max became involved. He noted that Beach Break was AEW’s most-watched TBS show in two years and said the company followed it with even higher viewership the next week.
Khan said AEW is set for a big summer with Redemption and All In. He believes the company has made the right moves before ending the media call.
