AEW Vice President Cody Rhodes was the guest of wrestling interviewer Chris Van Vliet on Thursday morning and he mentioned some new details on All Elite Wrestling (AEW)‘s TV show slated to debut this coming October on TNT.
On AEW’s television product on TNT:
It’s really likely the show’s gonna be two hours. That’s the sweet spot. In terms of the schedule, we’ll find out probably in the next few months, for sure, it’ll be in a great spot, to be in prime time on TNT where…man…they’ve really set us up, and now you’ve got to go and the big thing we want to deliver is the bell to bell, the sports-centric…we should find out in probably the next few months.
Another thing that’s really cool is you’ll be able to find out per market where we’re going to be because we’re going to go all around, this isn’t going to be something that’s just stationary [like TNA’s Impact Zone]…this is a touring band, we’re really, no pun intended, going all in on the concept of it. It’s so special because we’re not doing a Live Event system. So when we come, we’re bringing our absolute best, from match quality to star quality, boom.
Will AEW’s TV product be live?
I feel like I’m giving away a lot of information. Did Tony already say it? Two hours. LIVE.
How much AEW TV is planned out already?
Actually, we got a pretty good bearing on, I’d say, six months to a year, exactly that because long-form storytelling is good in every medium, whether it be film, TV, whatever it may be, to know and work backwards. We’ve got a good..what would I call it? Syllabus? Outline? Syllabus to what we’re going to do. But one thing Matt Jackson is really good about pointing out is some stuff just catches fire. And one thing we want to do differently than any other wrestling that’s out there is you can’t deny something when it catches. So if something catches, we’re gonna push that, we’re going to promote that. If an individual catches, we’re gonna push that, we’re going to promote that. And that all starts with Double or Nothing.
On Wins and Losses mattering:
One of the things that Tony really brought on board was kinda the analytical outlook on wrestling. He’s covered it, he’s been such a hardcore fan of the business. Wins and losses matter in any competitive sport, I think that makes perfect sense…they matter in any competitive sport. Now what we are isn’t just sports, it’s also entertainment. It’s the whole other thing, it’s pro wrestling. But the concept of guys wanting to win matches, and women wanting to win matches, because that’s who gets paid more, and that is actually real, isn’t that confusing.
So when you look at the fact that wins and losses will matter…we really want to take a deep dive. And Tony does it for baseball, he does it for football, he does it for all these sports with his outlook on analytics, and by the numbers. I think that’s a really cool concept.
Really, it’s just that wins and losses matter, there’s not going to be 50/50 booking, when you commit to something or somebody, we’re going to go forward with that.
On balancing being an AEW Executive and On-Air Talent:
My wrestling ego has really gotten in check. I feel like I have a real good open mind, I’m 100% aware of like “That’s a self-serving [thing]”. I’m aware of it. The other side of things, I’m enjoying the executive side of things sooo much.
You can watch the full interview with Cody Rhodes below:
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
Check out our other #AllEliteWeek articles for more AEW news heading into Double or Nothing this Saturday!
- Quick Guide to Everything Elite (5/20/19)
- All Inclusive: Nyla Rose Becomes First Transgender Wrestler Signed to Major Contract (2/8/19)
- Joshi Freelancer Hikaru Shida Joins AEW (4/9/19)
- Match Point: Aja Kong, Emi Sakura & Yuka Sakazaki vs. Riho, Hikaru Shida & Ryu Mizunami (5/13/2019)
- The Zebras Are Coming: AEW Announces Ref Signings (5/14/19)
- It’s Official: AEW Signs TV Deal with TNT/WarnerMedia (5/15/19)
- Casino Battle Royale & The Buy-In (5/20/19)
- AEW Debuts First Match: PAC vs Hangman Page (5/21/19)
- Shawn Spears (Tye Dillinger) Enters Casino Battle Royale (5/21/19)
- Best Friends Hit The Jackpot (5/21/19)
- The Young Bucks and the Road to AEW (5/22/19)
- Dustin Rhodes: A Golden Opportunity (5/22/19)
- AEW World Championship Plan Announced (5/22/19)
- Cody Rhodes Has Changed The Business in Three Years (5/23/19)
- Stong Hearts Invade Las Vegas (5/23/19)
