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AEW star Matt Hardy recently spoke about the variety of audiences Tony Khan wants to target. He said the product is catered strictly toward pro wrestling fans.
The former WWE Tag Team Champion joined AEW during the pandemic era. Hardy has now been part of the Jacksonville-based promotion for some time.
Speaking on his podcast, The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, the former IMPACT Wrestling star, shed light on the type of viewers Tony Khan is trying to attract. Hardy said AEW's current programming is designed to offer the best possible pro wrestling. He hopes for a crossover star to come in and help the audience grow:
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“I think AEW is just trying to get pro wrestling fans to watch, I think that is their goal. They're trying to offer up the best version of pro wrestling that they can in 2022. It’s current with the times and I really feel like Tony Khan, of all people, is really on the pulse of what a 2022 wrestling fan wants. Sometimes do you need someone that’s a crossover star in entertainment and not just pro wrestling? Yes, of course, but those are very far and few between, but hopefully that ends up happening for us.” (H/T: Wrestling Inc)
It'll be interesting to see if, in the future, Tony Khan tries to shift programming toward drawing more casual viewers or if he'll keep it as it is.
You can check out the results for Dynamite here.
Matt Hardy knows what will help AEW bring in casual viewers
Speaking on the same edition of his podcast, the former ECW Champion suggested that AEW needs to have a larger-than-life superstar who'll attract casual viewers for the company:
"I do think you do have to have characters that are larger than life to gain casual fans, people that don’t typically watch wrestling. I hope down the road, we find someone who really carries that and they ooze that larger-than-life charisma that does draw in casual fans."
With the plethora of stars in AEW, it could be anyone's guess as to who'll take the company to the next level.
Who do you think is going to be that person? Let us know in the comments!
Meet Randy Orton's lovely wife HERE
