Tony Khan

Well, so I was in Los Angeles because we had just done a show in Salt Lake City on March 11th of 2020. And it became very apparent on March 11th of 2020 that everything was going to be shutting down. And probably our March 18th show... that we'd been planning to have in the Northeast was probably not going to happen.

Well, so I was in Los Angeles because we had just done a show in Salt Lake City on March 11th of 2020. And it became very apparent on March 11th of 2020 that everything was going to be shutting down. And probably our March 18th show... that we'd been planning to have in the Northeast was probably not going to happen.

We had a series of events in Rochester and Newark, some major events that were canceled and then moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where we did the shows instead. And I did some soul searching. I went to what I would call a dark place to figure out

We had a series of events in Rochester and Newark, some major events that were canceled and then moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where we did the shows instead. And I did some soul searching. I went to what I would call a dark place to figure out

what people were doing in entertainment, what you would do if you switched off the audience, which is not something I had to think of, and it was a problem-solving exercise. I watched stuff outside of wrestling. I watched some small wrestling studio shows, but they still had a small audience, but they weren't the big arena shows like we had been doing.

what people were doing in entertainment, what you would do if you switched off the audience, which is not something I had to think of, and it was a problem-solving exercise. I watched stuff outside of wrestling. I watched some small wrestling studio shows, but they still had a small audience, but they weren't the big arena shows like we had been doing.

I thought that was interesting, and that is a callback to the wrestling I grew up on. As a tape trader, a lot of great Southern wrestling was like that. And then I started to watch what other people in TV did under environmental challenges. I thought there were some great shows David Letterman did during the hurricane.

I thought that was interesting, and that is a callback to the wrestling I grew up on. As a tape trader, a lot of great Southern wrestling was like that. And then I started to watch what other people in TV did under environmental challenges. I thought there were some great shows David Letterman did during the hurricane.

And it was like, just Dave and the camera guys, they didn't even have the guys in the booth to do the top 10 graphics. So the guys were doing the top 10 list with cue cards in front of Dave's desk. And it was just Dave and Denzel Washington. And I watched that and I was like, okay, I think that worked really well because that was David Letterman and Denzel Washington.

And it was like, just Dave and the camera guys, they didn't even have the guys in the booth to do the top 10 graphics. So the guys were doing the top 10 list with cue cards in front of Dave's desk. And it was just Dave and Denzel Washington. And I watched that and I was like, okay, I think that worked really well because that was David Letterman and Denzel Washington.

I basically took away, I was like, I was captivated by those two guys and he stripped everything down and he didn't lose anything. And it actually put the focus on David Letterman and Denzel Washington. The problem with that is that only works if you have Denzel Washington. I thought they were fantastic, but I also thought you'd be crazy for anyone else to try what they did.

I basically took away, I was like, I was captivated by those two guys and he stripped everything down and he didn't lose anything. And it actually put the focus on David Letterman and Denzel Washington. The problem with that is that only works if you have Denzel Washington. I thought they were fantastic, but I also thought you'd be crazy for anyone else to try what they did.

Then I watched Stephen Colbert in the pandemic, his shows, which were that week. The Letterman shows I were watching were like, you know, at the time, probably eight years old. Now they would be like 13 years old. And the Stephen Colbert shows I thought were very interesting because he was trying to do something similar. And I thought he's a great comedian, but he was trying to tell jokes.

Then I watched Stephen Colbert in the pandemic, his shows, which were that week. The Letterman shows I were watching were like, you know, at the time, probably eight years old. Now they would be like 13 years old. And the Stephen Colbert shows I thought were very interesting because he was trying to do something similar. And I thought he's a great comedian, but he was trying to tell jokes.

in an empty studio. And I thought it was challenging. And it's interesting because it's like, he's talking to the camera, he's talking to the people at home, but there's nobody to react. And for a comedian, it helps to gear the laughter for the jokes. And I think there's a similarity between wrestling and comedy because there's a lot of subjectivity. There's an art to it.

in an empty studio. And I thought it was challenging. And it's interesting because it's like, he's talking to the camera, he's talking to the people at home, but there's nobody to react. And for a comedian, it helps to gear the laughter for the jokes. And I think there's a similarity between wrestling and comedy because there's a lot of subjectivity. There's an art to it.

There is definitely skill. There's people that are far better at the craft than others, even though there's a subjectivity than who's better than, you know, than who's the best.

There is definitely skill. There's people that are far better at the craft than others, even though there's a subjectivity than who's better than, you know, than who's the best.

Yeah, absolutely. And hearing the live crowd, it's a big part of it.

Yeah, absolutely. And hearing the live crowd, it's a big part of it.