Tony Khan says he'd like to see Paige VanZant return to AEW for the right opponent.
VanZant, a former UFC fighter who later signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, started appearing on AEW TV in 2021; she appeared alongside fighters from American Top Team on the September 15 episode of AEW Dynamite. VanZant then made a few appearances on AEW programming and signed with the company in March 2022. VanZant started feuding with Tay Conti and made her in-ring debut at AEW Double or Nothing 2022. There, she teamed up with Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page to defeat Conti, Sammy Guevara, Frankie Kazarian. VanZant hasn't appeared on AEW TV since the pay-per-view.
During an appearance on Grapsody for a new interview, Khan was asked about VanZant's potential return to AEW and made it clear that he'd like to see it happen with the right opponent. The AEW president noted that VanZant makes a lot of money, but he likes working with her, and he's open to doing more with her down the road. He also praised her great attitude and her performance in her debut match.
"I would like that. Paige VanZant makes a lot of money. Very talented and commands a big dollar figure, but I’m very interested in that. Paige VanZant, I would like at some point to come back, I really like Paige VanZant, she’s awesome. I love Dan Lambert. It wasn’t a one-off, I’m open to doing more stuff with Paige VanZant. At some point, I would definitely be open to (a return), down the road. She’s tough as hell, we would love to have her back, she has a great attitude. She did great in the match and with the right fight and right opponent, I would love for Paige VanZant to fight again in AEW," Khan said.
Gangrel previously commented on VanZant's in-ring debut and stated that he thinks she could be a long-term star. More information is available here.
In the same interview, Khan discussed the upcoming changes to AEW's presentation. Check out his comments here.
Khan also reflected on AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door. Click here to see what he had to say. [Update when the article goes live on Friday]
VanZant recently issued a statement on getting pulled from a BKFC fight. More information is available here.
