Backstage Update On AEW's Talent Relations Process
Details on AEW talent relations following latest claim of poor internal communication.
Fightful Select have published some interesting notes on how All Elite Wrestling's talent relations processes work, doing so in the wake of fresh claims of poor internal communication.
Jonathan Gresham requested Tony Khan release him from his AEW/ROH contract before Saturday's Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view, with a lack of communication among the reasons. His comments echoed those made by Marko Stunt and Joey Janela on their way out of the company, as well as Brian Cage, who hasn't appeared on AEW programming since last October.
Understandably, given that this is now a trend, the situation has raised questions on how AEW communicates with its talent.
Per Fightful, it typically begins with wrestlers approaching a member of AEW's coaching team. Described as the "preferred process", anything relating to booking will then be passed onto Khan, AEW and ROH's CEO, who has the final say on creative. Tony then determines whether or not he feels like the dozens of ideas passed onto him fit, with the answers sent back to the wrestlers.
As well as AEW's coaches, Head of Talent Relations Christopher Daniels, QT Marshall, and Pat Buck are involved in this process' first step, along with executive Megha Parekh and Sonjay Dutt. Khan is believed to be in contact with the latter two "at least ten times" daily.
Khan has talked to talent directly countless times in the past, though it is accepted that due to travel, this has declined since AEW was based in Daily's Place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Janela, who was let go by AEW earlier this year, offered the following thoughts on AEW's talent relations process:-
It’s really not Tony’s job it’s talent relations, I’m sure if I texted Tony I would’ve got a text back or a phone call but I wasn’t really trying to push a new deal with other negotiations in place.
Communication could definitely be better never said tony was a “ghost” https://t.co/gvOi8yjQqM
— “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) July 24, 2022
The 33-year-old informed Fightful that he hadn't reached out to the AEW coaching team before departing the promotion.