All elite wrestling (AEW) stars Adam Copeland and Christian Cage are among the veterans who have joined the promotion and strengthened the roster with their vast experience in the industry.
AEW got off to a good start in 2019 then Tony Khan founded the company promising an alternative take on wrestling that most fans at the time hadn’t seen in a while – if at all.
Fast forward to 2024 and AEW is still one of the top wrestling promotions in the US.
This has resulted in greater supervision of viewing figures, attendance and even performances inside and outside the ring.
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Professional wrestler Christian Cage sounds the siren prior to Game 5 of the Western Conference finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars at T-Mobile Arena on May 27, 2023 in Las Vegas. (Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images)
Cage, who made his AEW debut at Revolution in 2021, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that most people often forget how young the company still is compared to others.
“I think people also forget that we’re a company that’s still in its infancy,” Cage says. ‘The company has only been around for five years. So yes, there will still be growing pains. The company has grown tremendously in that time – probably faster than any wrestling promotion in history.
“We estimate how many thousands of people are at Wembley Stadium two years in a row. It’s unheard of how quickly this company has grown. But people need to keep in mind that when you’re such a young company, there are still things to be ironed out. and we also have a very young squad.”
AEW STARS ADAM COPELAND, CHRISTIAN CAGE TALK PURE PLANK, HOW PLANKING REVITALIZED THEIR LIVES
Copeland also acknowledged that he had gone through difficult years when he was with WWE.
“It seems like people are forgetting a little bit of history,” said Copeland, who continued speaking on behalf of Pure Plank. “For example, I had some pretty lean years in WWE. It happens. It’s a cyclical business and every business has growing pains.
“I think if you look at any company that’s in their fifth year of existence, I think we’re doing a damn good job. There’s different flavors. It’s different flavors. I’ve never understood the anger toward another company, and that applies in both directions. Personally, I don’t understand that very well.
Jay Reso, left, and Adam Copeland with the Pure Plank. (Pure Plank)
“It seems like it’s become a pastime to chase the other company, but only from the fan base. People within the industry, I think we all understand that it’s a good thing when there are multiple companies and there are multiple places where you can practice your profession and stand in front of the people.
“And for me, I enjoyed coming to AEW because it gave me the opportunity to really try to dive back into things that I haven’t done in 30, 25 years, and also try new things – not just doing I’ve really had the greatest hits, and I’ve really tried some new things and rediscovered things that I haven’t done in a while. That’s a really fun place for me to navigate from there.”
Khan isn’t the most conventional wrestling promoter. His father is billionaire Shad Khan, and Tony is senior president of football and analytics for the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2017 he also joined the front office of Fulham FC.
Khan’s love for wrestling grew into a full-fledged business in late 2018, and AEW officially launched in May 2019 with Double or Nothing.
“No wrestling promoter is conventional. I have yet to meet one who is conventional. Chances are, if you promote wrestling, you think differently. And you’re probably wired differently,” Copeland told Fox News Digital. “When I think about the people I’ve worked for, they all have their different processes. Tony has so much to offer and so many different companies and businesses, but his bandwidth seems endless.
“I always tell him it’s Tony time because there’s no way I can keep up those hours. He’s just like the Eveready bunny. He just goes on and on, and it’s contagious, too. I remember taking my girls to the first show, and he came running, and he knew their names. And he said, ‘I’m so excited you’re here,’ and then he left.
“And they said, ‘Daddy, who is that?’ I thought, ‘That’s my boss.’ And they said, ‘Wow, he’s so nice and very exciting and cool.’ And I thought, ‘Okay, that’s him.'”
Cage added that Khan is not one to be pushed around.
Adam Copeland speaks on stage during the “Percy Jackson And The Olympians” panel during Comic-Con International 2024 at the San Diego Convention Center, July 25, 2024, in San Diego. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
“On the other hand, I think for whatever reason there is some kind of reputation that he could be a con artist, and that may be the furthest thing from the truth,” he said.
AEW closes out the year with World’s End on December 28. The pay-per-view event includes the finals of the Continental Classic Championship.
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The company also announced that the All-In pay-per-view will take place next year at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. It has taken place at Wembley Stadium in London for the past two years.
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