Tony Khan says AEW's recent turnaround comes down to a fundamental shift in how he approaches creative decisions, and he is not being subtle about what changed.
Speaking with KING 5 in Seattle ahead of the Spring Breakthru edition of Dynamite in Everett, Washington, Khan described a new philosophy that places his own instincts back at the center of how AEW tells its stories.
"From now on, I will only trust my instincts. I will only execute the ideas that I believe in," Khan said.
The promotion has been on an upswing in recent months, a shift Khan has previously attributed to taking back more hands-on control of the creative direction.
Tuesday's Spring Breakthru show is headlined by MJF defending the AEW World Championship against Darby Allin, and Khan previewed the matchup by noting Allin's momentum heading into the title bout.
"We'll have the world champion, MJF, defending the title against the hometown hero, Darby Allin, who's on a phenomenal winning streak. That's gonna be a lot of fun to see Darby Allin versus MJF 2," Khan said.
The card also features Kevin Knight challenging Claudio Castagnoli for the TNT Championship, a matchup Khan highlighted as a fresh pairing. "There's never been a one-on-one match between Claudio and the Jet. I'm very excited for that match," he said.
Khan also used the occasion to mark a significant milestone for the promotion. "Spring Breakthru represents the one year anniversary of AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite becoming the longest running primetime pro wrestling show in the history of TBS and TNT. It's such an exciting time for AEW," he said.
