Despite establishing a reputation for producing critically acclaimed pay-per-view events, AEW has yet to feature a women’s match in the main event slot of a major PPV since its inception in 2019. In a new exclusive interview with The Takedown on SI, AEW founder Tony Khan addressed this disparity and outlined the criteria necessary for the women’s division to close out a major show.
‘Right Match, Right Situation’
Speaking ahead of Worlds End, Khan stated that while a women’s main event is “very potentially possible,” it is entirely dependent on the specific circumstances of the storyline and the card.
“It has to be the right match, the right situation, at the right time,” Khan said. “But there’s a bunch of other candidates for it as well. And, it was a fantastic match. They had it All In: Texas. That was a main-event-caliber match. And it really felt that way. And it was presented as one of the main matches on the card.”
The ‘All In: Texas’ Decision
Many fans believed that the TBS Championship vs. Women’s World Championship match between Mercedes Moné and Toni Storm at All In: Texas earlier this year was the perfect opportunity to break the glass ceiling. Instead, the show closed with “Hangman” Adam Page defeating Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship.
Khan defended that decision, citing the specific nature of the men’s match and the story being told.
“Well, it just depends on the situation, the rivalry at the right time… for what the matches are, and in that case, I thought for what they were going to do, going 38 minutes, tearing the house down on that particular night, I thought ‘Hangman’ and Kyle was a great choice,” Khan explained.
Future Possibilities
Despite the wait, Khan remains optimistic that the women’s roster will eventually secure the marquee spot. He emphasized that the decision will ultimately come down to which match is the most anticipated on any given night.
“I think it’s absolutely something we can see, and I would expect to see, in the future, on the night where it makes the most sense, and it’s the biggest and most anticipated match on that card,” Khan said.
