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UPDATE: This article has been updated to include the video of the post-show media scrum at the bottom of this article. You can see PWTorch columnist Sean Radican ask question of NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb at the 16:04 mark and AEW President Tony Khan at the 1:00:50 mark.
The following is a recap of AEW’s Full Gear post-show media scrum featuring The Young Bucks, Serena Deeb, Jon Moxley, and Tony Khan. It also includes a recap of questions asked of Serena Deeb and Tony Khan by PWTorch columnist Sean Radican.
YOUNG BUCKS
-The Young Bucks are asked about the card and they said the show was a home run. They said they watched the show from their VP office.
-A.J. of the A.J. Awesome Show asks them their plans to celebrate and Matt says they’re about to go get some pizza. He said people will see more once BTE hits this week. Matt said he just found out having dairy is poison to him. He said he hasn’t had dairy for three months, but he thinks he deserves pizza.
-Matt and Nick are asked what winning the AEW Tag Team Championship means compared to other tag titles they’ve won. Matt said it’s the biggest accomplishment of their career. Matt said he started crying and he’s usually not emotional when it comes to wrestling. Matt says it was two years in the making. Matt said they’re other titles are big accomplishments, but this was like winning the Super Bowl.
Nick said this one was so special. He said AEW is their baby. Nick said overcoming the losing streak and getting what they’ve wanted made them so happy. Matt said the story reflected their real life they couldn’t pull it off and do it. Matt said maybe they weren’t selling the merch they once did and had the matches they were expected to have.
Nick said they beat Private Party and he said he looked at Matt and said they have it. He said it was a huge confidence booster getting the win.
-They are asked about working with Tully Blanchard and whether or not they’ve done everything they can in the business as a tag team now. Matt said it’s great working with Tully and other veterans because they have so much knowledge. He said he used to watch The Rockers vs. The Brainbusters and it was so surreal. Matt said they got inspiration even today from those matches.
Matt said it felt like he was performing in one of the matches he watched as a kid. Nick said what’s next is to keep the belts. They don’t want the belts to be a fluke. Nick said FTR are machines and it was insane getting in their with them. Matt said they are aggressive and hard-hitting. Remind them of working Roderick Strong, The Briscoes, and Claudio Castagnoli.
-Matt is asked about whether or not he’s got a legitimate knee injury. Matt said he’s got a real injury and admits it has been a rough year for him. He said he broke his rib jumping out of the dugout. The Falls Count Anywhere match against Butcher and The Blade he dove off the entrance through a table where there was only concrete, which he admits was not a good idea.
Matt said his wife noticed he was having a hard time getting around and he had it checked out and it was his mcl. He said he had a slight tear after looking at the MRI. Matt said he also had thinning of his ACL, but he hadn’t had pain. Matt said maybe back in 2008 is the only time he could remember hurting himself in that area. The doctors say his ACL injury might go back to that time. Matt said this is his ninth match with the injury and it’s been good so far. Matt said all things considering he’s doing pretty well. Nick said he’s got an ankle injury as well. They said the doctors will keep tabs on him going forward.
SERENA DEEB
SEAN RADICAN QUESTION: Serena what’s it been like coming into AEW and having so much success in the ring this year. I’ve watched you for a long time dating back to your time in Shimmer and you’ve never been better in the ring. What was it like facing Allysin Kay and defending the NWA Women’s Championship.
SERENA DEEB ANSWER: Serena said she always felt like she wasn’t done wrestling when she was coaching. She talked about the turn of events during the pandemic and losing her coaching job. She said AEW just came out of nowhere and everything has been moving so quickly. She said she’s having more fun with wrestling then shes ever had. Serena said this is something she had thought about for years. There’s nothing more in this world that she loves more than wrestling. She said it’s an honor to be in AEW and an honor to represent the NWA.
-Next, Deeb is asked about wrestling for the NWA and said when wrestling was separated it was to the detriment of the fans. Serena says this cooperation is super powerful. Deeb says it only helps you the more you wrestle different people and with this partnership and different women coming in and out it will benefit everyone.
-Serena is asked about being an overnight sensation with fans that are new to her after her match with Thunder Rosa. She is asked about facing Thunder Rosa next and who else she would like to defend the title against.
Serena said she would like to wrestle Hikaru Shida and also mentioned several other names.
-Serena is asked what AEW can do to make their division more prominent and to get the women more storylines. Deeb says she wants to be a leader in AEW and push the division forward. She says there’s a lot of room for growth and the women have a great attitude, which she hasn’t seen everywhere she’s been. She said she wants to be a leader that brings everybody up with her.
JON MOXLEY
-Moxley is asked what it was like to work that type of match with Eddie Kingston. Moxley said maybe everyone hated it, but he thought it was awesome. Moxley said he had ideas for Lance and he tested positive for Covid, so they went with Eddie. Moxley said he told management they could do a match and sell a PPV. Moxley said he knew he could sell a match in four weeks. Moxley said Tony has given him all his challengers so far and he’s tried to have a different style of match with everyone he’s faced. Moxley said he’s been versatile and he can do everything from Bloodsport to an I Quit match.
Moxley said the feud was so easy. Moxley told Eddie all they need to do is promos. Moxley said they each knew the story and could become the people they needed to be. Moxley said he and Eddie are both almost the same in the ring as they are in real life. Moxley said the storytelling is the most satisfying thing. Moxley talked about how he sees shots in his head that he develops during the match. He feels like his vision came off well.
-Moxley is asked about working with Omega again. He said he can’t reveal the plans. He said Omega is one of the best in the world, but he wants to bathe in the afterglow of tonight and then focus on Omega tomorrow. He said now it’s a totally different ballgame in terms of where they are as characters and wrestlers.
-Moxley is asked about possibly returning to working with Darby Allin and Will Hobbes. Moxley said he doesn’t know when, but he will always circle in the orbit of Allin. He said he’s also a big fan of Hobbes. He said he was looking forward to giving him some shine in a six man, but it never happened. He said he had a whole plan for that match and things would have gone a whole different way, but there was no point in doing it at that time.
-Moxley is asked about how Khan has restricted talents from taking bookings on the indies because of COVID 19. Moxley is asked what advice he would give indie talents trying to get noticed during this time. Moxley said he did Bloodsport because he knew everyone on Bloodsport was tested and Moxley stayed in his own space for the show.
Moxley said if you’re going to do anything, you need to take a certain amount of precautions. If people don’t take personal responsibility then that’s on them. Moxley said he stays isolated as much as he can. Moxley said his advice would be to take any opportunity whether its a dark match in NXT or AEW. He said now indie wrestlers have to work twice as hard.
Moxley said look at Eddie Kingston, he almost quit. If he had quit, he would have been less than a year away from main eventing a PPV. Moxley said if it takes 10 years to make it, you can’t quit in the 11th year.
-Moxley is asked what has kept him from getting too frustrated to stay grounded with what’s going on in the world and his work being effected by the pandemic. Moxley said its not his job to get frustrated. It’s his job to take every opportunity and make it the best he can and tell stories. He said he’s got a good relationship with Tony and it’s a team effort.
Moxley said from the get go Tony was supportive and if he didn’t want to come to Atlanta to tape earlier in the year he didn’t have to because of COVID 19. Moxley said he wanted to be part of things no matter what. Moxley said the day of the show this year, anything can change.
Moxley said people can test positive for COVID or be in contact with someone with COVID. Moxley said the whole card could have changed today on a dime. Moxley said fans are sympathetic to that. He talks about his matches with Archer and Cage being delayed.
Moxley said Eddie took an opportunity and stepped in. Moxley said he has all these great wrestlers to work with and that’s great for him. Moxley said there’s endless opportunity for different kinds of storytelling. Moxley said long-term stories will be tough for the next year, but right now you have to roll with the punches. Moxley said he’s tried to bring stability in an unstable world.
TONY KHAN
SEAN RADICAN QUESTION: Can you talk about building up new talent from the indies on the roster to take on established talent, which was evident up and down on this card? Sammy vs. Hardy, Eddie vs. Moxley, MJF vs. Jericho, Darby vs. Cody, Cassidy vs. Silver. How satisfying is it to see those guys fill these roles on this PPV.
TONY KHAN ANSWER: Tony said a lot of the talent had TV experience and some hadn’t. He said the indie wrestlers he signed have gained a lot of experience and they were ready. Tony mentioned they had their biggest crowd to date and it was safe with social distancing. Tony said all the EVP’s scout indie talents and so does Jericho.
Tony said he worked with Cody and some names are good and some aren’t as good. He said he’s batted a high average with the people they’ve brought in. He said Eddie Kingston did well. He said it was a pleasure to put the show together with this group of people. He said a lot of people established themselves before they got here and a lot of stars have been built in AEW.
Tony said the storytelling playing out and seeing the wrestlers succeed is satisfying.
-Tony is asked about the PAC promo from Dynamite last week. He’s asked about bringing talent back into the US. Khan says talent has to quarantine upon arrival. He said he’s excited about getting international talent back. He says to stay tuned for his return.
-Tony is asked about the current climate impacting his ability to tell stories and Revolution not until February. Tony said a Beach Break special will take place in January. He also said there will be some some big shows on Dynamite in December as well.
-Tony is asked about his champions so far to date and they’ve had a lot of success in other companies. Tony is asked about Darby Allin being the first champion AEW created. Tony said it was appropriate that the fourth match between Darby and Cody was the TNT Championship. Tony said Cody wanted to work with Darby and he signed him to a multi-year deal an then extended him after his match against Cody at Fyter-Fest last year.
Tony said he really believes in Darby and the fans, wrestlers, staff, and executives believe in him. Tony said yesterday marked six months since Team Taz vs. Darby started and that storyline is still ongoing. Tony said the whole thing has taken a lot of twists and turns and they’ve done a lot to make Darby special. Tony talks about Darby’s video packages and he’s got a ton of talent. Khan also mentions he’s a gifted filmmaker. Tony said Darby is the future in AEW.
-Tony is asked by the cameos by Hurricane Helms and Gangrel. Tony said nothing is booked for the them in the immediate future, but he wouldn’t be opposed to using them at some point in the future. He said he spent time with both men at the filming of the Hardy vs. Guevara match and indicated that it’s possible
-Tony is asked about Don Callis working on commentary. Tony said he was brought in for Kenny and they worked it out with Impact for him to come in. Tony said they are the most friendly major company. He mentions them working with NWA and AAA. Tony said Don did great on commentary and he’d like to have him back.
-Tony is asked if they will expand the number of PPVs going forward. Tony said he loves having the big four and with Dynamite they can have huge episodes and specials. Tony mentions they’re going to add a third hour of TV. Tony said he doesn’t see other shows coming along.
-AJ asks Tony a question about the AEW Games announcement on Tuesday. Tony says they’re working on more than one game. He said they will cater to different platforms and different kinds of games. He said they will put out a console game that is best in class. He said they will put a wrestling card game out that lets people book cards. He said there will be a few different titles and they won’t stop there.
-Tony is asked about working with NWA and integrated the women’s division. Tony said Deeb is a full time roster member and she’s the NWA Women’s Champion. He says the AEW Championship is their top priority and Hikaru Shida is their champion. Tony said he hears what people are saying about the division and he should have done better with Nyla’s storyline about how she wasn’t going to wrestle again until she got a title shot. He said some of the story appeared on AEW Dark, but only half their audience works. Tony said he works with Billy to book the NWA women’s matches.
Tony said the show was fun to put together. He said it’s the best wrestling show he’s seen in a long time. He said it didn’t feel like a COVID era wrestling show. Tony is asked about Dark and he said it’s great for scouting independent wrestlers and its also great to give independent wrestlers work.
-Tony is asked about the FTR vs. YB match and the story of Matt working through his injury. Tony said they are four brilliant storytellers and its one of the best matches you’re going to see. Tony said it was like a love letter to tag team wrestling. Tony talks about the different finishes, Matt’s selling, and Nick’s hot tag. Tony said FTR are the best heel tag team in the world. Tony said it was so emotional and he was glad it happened in front of close to 1,000 people not including the AEW staff and rosters.
Tony says he hoped everyone else loved the show and it felt like they hit HR after HR.
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