Tony Khan Admits He "Didn't Get" This AEW Gimmick At First
AEW chief Tony Khan wasn't initially sold on what this character had to offer.
Tony Khan has said he'll "be the first to admit" that he didn't understand Orange Cassidy's laid-back gimmick at first.
The AEW chief spotted Orange on the independent circuit, and later met him backstage at a PWG show, but he wasn't really sold on what Cassidy could offer the industry until getting to know the guy personally. Then, as Khan explained to Busted Open Radio, he fell in love with the gimmick.
Since then, Orange has become somewhat of a pet project for both AEW and Khan. The boss refuses to apologise for that, because he views Cassidy as part of the company's bright future. Also, Tony is "really proud" of the idea that his pal's gimmick has evolved since leaving the indys behind and focusing on All Elite.
Despite some changes though, Orange hasn't lost that original 'Freshly Squeezed' spark that served him so well in front of smaller audiences. Khan is just "proud" that Cassidy has been able to make it work in front of more wrestling fans than ever before.
Tony closed by describing the Orange Cassidy character as "really cool".