During a media call on Thursday, AEW President Tony Khan addressed several topics, including the contract status of Andrade, the impact of Nielsen’s new ratings system, potential plans for two Blood & Guts matches, and injury updates for Kota Ibushi and Swerve Strickland.
Andrade:
When asked directly about Andrade’s contract situation, Khan chose not to provide a direct answer. Instead, he praised the wrestler, stating he has “a ton of respect for him” and called him an “amazing wrestler”, and is excited to see what is next for him.
Nielsen RatingsÂ
Regarding Nielsen’s new “Big Data + Panel” ratings methodology, Khan said it will be interesting to analyze its effects on wrestling. He stated that AEW is having a “really good year” and that the company needs to adapt to the changing media environment while still trying to understand the new system.
Blood & Guts
Khan also hinted at the possibility of holding two Blood & Guts matches this year, one for the men’s division and one for the women’s. While he did not explicitly confirm that both would occur at the November event in Greensboro, North Carolina, he indicated that the company is heading in that direction.
Injury Updates
Khan provided updates on two key injured stars. He described Kota Ibushi’s recent injury as “devastating for many reasons,” noting that Ibushi was planned for the upcoming WrestleDream pay-per-view before plans had to be changed. Khan looks forward to Ibushi’s return when he is able. He also shared that sitting with Ibushi and Kenny Omega at the office last week was a “dream come true”.
On Swerve Strickland’s status, Khan was optimistic, stating he hopes Strickland can return “relatively soon”. Based on recent conversations, Khan believes Strickland’s recovery is on a “good pace and sooner than later”.
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