As we previously reported here on eWn, AEW released ten wrestlers earlier this week including Parker Boudreaux, Stu Grayson, Dasha Kuret, and The Boys.
The Boys (Brandon and Brent Tate) recently responded to AEW/ROH President Tony Khan claiming they did not “show up for work on more than on occasion, and it’s not acceptable.” The Tate Twins later alleged miscommunication on ROH’s part in their travel arrangements.
During last night’s ROH Supercard of Honor 2024 post-show media scrum, Khan addressed The Boys’ remarks and his decision to release several talents this week.
You can check out some highlights from the media scrum below:
On The Boys’ comments on their release: “I have not seen their exact statement. After the show, I heard a little bit of this as I was coming back. I stand by what I said. Also, I’ve only owned ROH for two years. There is a long history of ROH. It was my call to bring them back, I like their presentation with Dalton and I like them both personally, I’ve had a lot of good experiences with them. I would be open to working with them again in the future. There have been times where they came and have done great things for us. We did the House Rules tour and I loved having them. There have been times, for my era of ROH, and I’ve been told, from the company I inherited, other times in the past, I’m just going off my experiences. There are two sides to that story. I know yesterday they said ‘stay tuned,’ I stayed tuned, then I heard, and I am not moved.”
On how he liked The Boys’ act with Dalton Castle: “Even with The Boys, I disagree with the point on travel and in the history of ROH, and working with us, that there hadn’t been a couple of times where they didn’t make and it made me change stuff. On the other hand, I really like both of them. Whether we agree or not about that point of contention, I think it’s regardless. They were great and a great part of Dalton’s act. I like both of them.”
On the decision: “This year, I have been very active, not only in the free agent market, but in the production budget. There are things tonight, for example, on one song alone, I spent a year’s pay for most pro wrestlers in this business. The budget with not only free agency, but production, is very high. Also, we’re going into a contract year. I plan to continue being very active, not only in free agency, but in the production of the show, and producing great content. Going into this year, I have to look at where we’re at. I had spent more than I had planned going into this year. I really love our roster and where we’re at. I’m very supportive of everybody we have here and everybody who has ever worked here. This particular group, it was not easy choices to make. With this group, I would be happy to take any of them back under the right circumstances. I have no bridges burned with any of them. For us this year, it’s an important year. I’m looking forward going into the media rights year and being very aggressive and putting our best foot forward doing the best wrestling we can. I expect there will be people who will want to come to AEW and ROH. We’re doing great wrestling and this is a great place to work.”
On taping ROH TV after Collision: “That’s a budgetary thing. It’s the difference between hundreds of thousands and, annually, millions of dollars in taping costs. It’s several million dollars. When you’re looking at the budget, that’s a good place to look. I would rather protect as many people as possible when looking at the budget. That’s millions of dollars that we’re able to put into the roster we have now, the people here, and production. I love those tapings and doing it at Universal, but it is very cost effective to tape together. There are a lot of positives carrying the crew together. People are able to come and work on TNT and get experience. People have floated back and forth. It’s a difference, over the course of a year, it’s millions of dollars. That’s part of the thinking. I love the Universal tapings. I would love to get back to that if the finances make sense, but I definitely think it’s a logical thing the way we’ve been doing it.”
AEW/ROH President Tony Khan recently addressed the release of several wrestlers, including The Boys (Brandon and Brent Tate), during a media scrum following the ROH Supercard of Honor 2024 event. Khan responded to The Boys’ claims that they did not show up for work on multiple occasions, stating that he had not seen their exact statement but stood by his decision to release them. He also mentioned that he would be open to working with them again in the future.
Khan acknowledged that there have been instances where The Boys have made significant contributions to the company, such as during the House Rules tour. He expressed his liking for their presentation with Dalton Castle and their personal qualities. Despite their disagreement on the issue of travel, Khan emphasized that he valued their contributions to Dalton’s act.
Regarding the decision to release several talents, Khan explained that he had been active in the free agent market and had invested heavily in the production budget this year. He mentioned that the budget for production and free agency was high, and going into a contract year, he had to assess the financial situation. Khan expressed his support for the current roster and his willingness to bring back any of the released talents under the right circumstances.
Khan also discussed the decision to tape ROH TV after Collision, citing budgetary reasons. He explained that taping together saved several million dollars annually, which could be allocated to the roster and production. While he expressed his love for the Universal tapings, Khan emphasized the cost-effectiveness of the current approach and the opportunities it provided for talent to gain experience on TNT.
In conclusion, Tony Khan addressed The Boys’ remarks and his decision to release several talents during a media scrum following the ROH Supercard of Honor 2024 event. He expressed his openness to working with The Boys again in the future and discussed the financial considerations behind the decision to release talents and tape ROH TV after Collision. Khan emphasized his support for the current roster and his commitment to producing great content in the upcoming contract year.