Tony Khan Reflects on AEW’s Biggest Turning Point – As All Elite Wrestling marks the six-year anniversary of AEW Dynamite tonight, company president Tony Khan looked back on what he considers one of the promotion’s most defining moments.
Speaking to Forbes, Khan identified March 2020 as the biggest turning point in AEW’s short history. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing live events worldwide to shut down, AEW moved all of its programming to Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. For over a year, the company operated out of the open-air venue with no fans or limited attendance, a period Khan remembers as both challenging and creatively rewarding.
“I think the biggest changes came in March 2020, when we started running all of the AEW events at Daily’s Place,” Khan explained. “We ran shows there for over a year, and they were great. We were able to keep AEW going every week, and there was so much spirit and fight from our team as they showed up to wrestle and deliver great matches. During that period, we built some of the greatest rivalries in AEW history. It was a tremendous positive for the company that we were able to prove, on a level playing field, that AEW was putting on the best wrestling shows every week. I think that helped build a worldwide reputation for AEW.”
Khan added that when AEW resumed touring in 2021, the energy from live crowds was unmatched, but he still reflects fondly on the Jacksonville era. “In 2021, when we went back on the road, there was incredible excitement. It has been great to be back, but I still look back on those days in Jacksonville very fondly. I am also looking forward to returning there after we celebrate the six-year anniversary live tonight.”
Following tonight’s Dynamite from Hollywood, Florida, and tomorrow’s Collision taping in Lakeland, AEW will indeed return to Daily’s Place. Next week will feature a special edition of Dynamite: Title Tuesday, followed by Collision tapings at the historic Jacksonville venue.
Tony Khan Reflects on AEW’s Biggest Turning Point
