10 Most Desperate Ways AEW Got You To Watch

3. Tony Khan Has Another Huge Announcement

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To that end, Khan revealed that he had another huge announcement less than a month after signing Keith Lee.

The purchase of Ring Of Honor just about qualified as "huge". Khan had purchased the fourth biggest promotion in the United States. It was however in such a sad state of decline and ostensible nonexistence that, when the story was rumoured, most thought it might be nice to have a more easily navigable means of rewatching Joe Vs. Kobashi. Nobody quite expected what an inconvenience the purchase would represent, in that it diluted the meaning of titles in AEW and stole more of Khan's already wayward focus, but it was ceremonially big, if that makes sense. It never got better than the inspired, touching tribute match between Bryan Danielson and Christopher Daniels - which might suggest the property was better left in the past.

Khan didn't buy ROH to pop a single week of a Dynamite rating, but he disclosed the deal on TV to do precisely that.

The HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT deal was so widely derided ahead of Forbidden Door that Khan neglected to use the term when announcing the launch of the All-Atlantic Title. The problem with not doing it is that he'd already committed to the bit; when he didn't enter full hype mode, and just put the belt near Tony Schiavone, who casually announced the inaugural tournament, it scanned as a narrative convenience more than a major prize worthy of promoting with his trademark conviction.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!