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NewsAEWTony Khan Discusses The Atmosphere Of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Sting, More

Tony Khan Discusses The Atmosphere Of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Sting, More

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While speaking to News 12 New York’s Kurt Semder and Dan Serafin to hype tonight’s AEW Grand Slam TV tapings, AEW President Tony Khan commented on the unique atmosphere of Arthur Ashe Stadium and the importance of Grand Slam, Sting being able to wrestle again in New York City, and more.

You can check out some highlights from the interview below:

On NYC being the “real crown jewel” of wrestling markets: “We’re running so many great shows around the northeast. So many great wrestling markets in one geographic region, and hey, I’ll say it, the ‘crown jewel’ of wrestling markets, the real crown jewel of wrestling markets, not some BS overseas in Saudi Arabia. The real crown jewel of wrestling markets, New York City, is where you want to be. I love, love, love New York, and as a wrestling fan, I have had a special connection to the city. It’s really some of my first memories of watching sports in New york are watching the Bulls and the Knicks, and watching Bears and the Biants, and of course watching these great games, but really for me, wrestling has been my first love. So as a sports fan, you can’t be a wrestling fan without loving New York City without having this great connection to the fans up here and really, just New York City alone is an amazing market. But as you said, it’s surrounded by so many great markets that are in driving distance and there’s so many great fans up here. And it’s a great opportunity for us this year to to grow our live event business, so we’re doing more events up here than ever before and more big events up here than ever before: Grand Slam this week, Wednesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium live on TBS. And then coming up, of course next week, we are in Philadelphia. We were just in Albany and Buffalo the last two weeks and had record ratings for these last couple weeks going into Grand Slam.”

On the unique atmosphere of the stadium and the importance of Grand Slam: “Grand Slam is our biggest television event of the year and to be able to come to New York at such an iconic venue this week, to come to Arthur Ashe Stadium and bring our shows here to these great wrestling fans, it’s a huge, huge, huge opportunity for AEW. I don’t take it lightly that we’re able to access one of the world’s premiere sporting venues. To be in Arthur Ashe Stadium, it’s so prestigious, so it’s a really unique event. The energy is amazing, and like we said, the New York wrestling fans are unparalleled, so I am just so excited. And most of all, the wrestling is going to be great. There’s great action up and down the card on both shows.”

On Sting getting to wrestle again in New York City: “Guys, Sting has not wrestled very many matches in New York City. I mean we’re talking — is this his third one ever? [Not counting the Meadowlands] That’s not New York City. Do you count the Meadowlands as New York City? *Laughs* They’ve done a lot of WCW shows at the Meadowlands, but in the city, I am struggling to think of very many. Obviously, Grand Slam last year right was the first time Stinger wrestled in the city I think in probably almost 30 years, and WCW ran the Paramount Theater like in ’92, maybe ’93. And after that, until Grand Slam, I think Sting went almost 30 years without wrestling in the city. So very cool to have Stinger wrestling in New York City.”

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(h/t – 411 Wrestling)