Tony Khan talks roster cuts.
On April 1, 2024, AEW cut several members from its roster.
Parker Boudreaux, Slim J, Dasha Gonzalez, Stu Grayson, Jora Johl, Jose The Assistant, Gravity, and Dalton Castle's Boys were casualties of these cuts.
Speaking about the cuts on the media call before the Ring of Honor Supercard of Honor 2024 event, Tony referred to these cuts as budget necessitations and said that all situations were fluid.
“I am very, very proud of the AEW roster. We have a great group of women and men and a lot of great talent working in ROH. Any time we have to let someone go, it’s a tough call. We’ve expanded the company greatly this year, and I can tell you that I definitely plan to continue the expansion. I think we’ve built the best roster in wrestling, and I have no intention of stopping. I am gonna keep the foot on the gas pedal. We’re gonna keep going after top talent, and to do so, we need a war chest, and it’s important to keep an eye on the budget. I definitely value the people who work here, and any time you have to make a cut, it’s a very tough call, and these are fluid situations. They’re all different from each other," he said to Jason Powell of ProWrestling.Net. "I think these are all fluid situations. In some ways, it was me trying to make changes to the budget. I’m actually expanding our budget, growing it, but to do, I did have to make some cuts because we’re growing the company, and I am gonna be very aggressive when it comes to the big-name free agents for the rest of the year, as we already have been in the first quarter of the year, adding big names like Kazuchika Okada, Mercedes Mone, and Will Ospreay. I think that these are all different situations. It’s possible, I think everybody there has great things to offer, and it’s possible you may see some of them back here. In the case of Anthony Henry, when he’s healed up, you will see him back here."
Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone asked specifically about The Boys, Brandon and Brent Tate. Tony Khan said he wanted to be honest with the media and noted that the Tate Twins had missed several bookings.
"These are all very different situations. I think Dalton and Johnny have been very creative. I’ve really enjoyed Dalton and Johnny working together, and this came at a time after Dalton had just custody of The Boys on ROH TV. The rivalry between Dalton and Johnny has been tremendous, and I’m really looking forward to the Fight Without Honor. To be honest, they didn’t show up for work on more than one occasion, and it’s not acceptable. I think the whole locker room knew about it, and you can’t do that, and that’s it, and that’s why I had to make a tough call."
Prior to this, The Boys had been a huge focal point of the rivalry between Johnny TV and Dalton Castle. Their rivalry will still culminate in a match at Supercard of Honor, being contested under Fight Without Honor rules.
Check out the full card for ROH Supercard of Honor 2024 at this link.
One name that was originally cut but Tony Khan has now reconsidered and will be welcomed back to AEW/ROH when he is cleared to compete is Anthony Henry. Learn more about that at this link.
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