OWE wants to have their talent showcased on AEW's next big card.
The partnership between All Elite Wrestling and the China-based promotion Oriental Wrestling Entertainment was made official and public on the lead up to Double Or Nothing. OWE stars CIMA, T-Hawk and El Lindaman represented OWE at Double Or Nothing when they took on SoCal Uncensored. There were more names from the OWE roster that was scheduled to compete at AEW's first show under the company banner but were denied visas.
OWE Vice President Michael Nee is pleading with the U.S. Embassy to provide OWE talents with visas and explained that the proper paperwork was filed and they want to be in Chicago in August.
"There were four of our talented Chinese wrestlers invited to Double or Nothing, but they couldn’t get visas because of the embassy,” OWE vice-president Michael Nee told the South China Morning Post. “We gave them everything we had – invitation letters, documents, we were all prepared but it didn’t happen. We tried twice. That’s something big for us right now,” Nee said. “If more people know, maybe there’s a better chance to have a visa next time for the big show in Chicago. We are invited, and OWE and AEW are both trying every way we can to get there and we need people to understand this. This is a big thing for China as well. No one else in the world has this platform to show themselves.”
Michael Nee suggested that the issue with securing the visas may be coming from the trade war between the U.S. and China. Nee expressed that it angers OWE officials and the wrestlers that they are not being allowed to travel to the United States to compete for AEW.
“Maybe it’s the trade war, or our wrestlers are too young – I think they are afraid our kids will run off the plane and don’t come back,” Nee joked. “We just feel so sorry, we are actually really sad and angry that we can’t show our talent to the world. It’s a unique and special opportunity. We want to let people know, to understand this is a good thing for China to export the culture. Please let us come.”
According to the South China Morning Post, Michael Nee is slated to meet with AEW's President Tony Khan in Chicago during All Out weekend to further discuss the partnership between the two wrestling establishments.
