Massive win for Tony Khan ahead of AEW Collision

As we build up to the upcoming edition of AEW Collision, a recent report has now confirmed that Tony Khan pulled off a massive win with the latest episode of the company's flagship show, Dynamite.

This week's Dynamite episode, called Grand Slam Mexico, was a special edition that took place at the legendary Arena Mexico. It featured high-profile bouts and headline-generating moments, like Mercedes Mone defeating Zeuxis for the CMLL World Women's Championship and MJF unmasking Mistico.

According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, Grand Slam Mexico garnered 736,000 viewers on TBS, a significant increase compared to the 597,000 viewers for the June 11 episode of Dynamite. The show also received a 0.21 rating in the P18-49 demographic, up by 23.5% from the 0.17 rating the week before. It must be noted that these numbers only reflect live cable viewership.

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In contrast, rival WWE's NXT received a 0.16 rating in the same demographic and averaged 660,000 viewers for its June 17 episode. All in all, Grand Slam Mexico outperformed NXT in the demographic and surpassed it in total viewership.

Now, with Collision on the horizon, this ratings win boost has come at the right time for AEW. The upcoming edition of the Saturday night show is set to feature Swerve Strickland and the returning Shane Taylor.

Vince Russo addresses criticism around Tony Khan's strategy for AEW PPVs

Wrestling veteran Vince Russo recently weighed in on the consensus around AEW's PPVs running for longer than necessary.

Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing with Russo, the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion said:

"Two things I will say with that, and I've said them both already. Number one, it's Tony Khan's company. He could do whatever he wants to do. If it were your company, you could do whatever you want to do. If Tony Khan wants [sic] to have, you know, 10, 30-minute matches, it's his company; it's his money. Number two, if you don't want to sit there and watch four or five hours of wrestling, don't. I mean, how difficult is that?'' [From 1:09 onwards]

Check out his comments in the video below:

It must be noted that the consensus is backed by evidence. AEW's recent Double or Nothing PPV, for example, lasted for about six hours.

About the author

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

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Edited by Yash Mittal