Backstage Insight Into How Tony Khan Makes AEW Commentary Change Decisions

Some fans may recall that AEW began experimenting with the announcer's desk shortly after AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door, with Taz now joining Excalibur and Tony Schiavone for the first hour of "AEW Dynamite", and Jim Ross coming in for the second hour as well as the full episode of "AEW Rampage." In recent weeks however, Ross has been back to calling all of "Dynamite", with Taz, Schiavone, and Excalibur still in the booth, while maintaining his "Rampage" duties.

So what is the reason for the recent experimentation at AEW's booth? Dave Meltzer revealed as much while answering a Mailbag question on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.

"It's all Tony Khan," Meltzer said. "Every one of these decisions is Tony Khan, and he changes the decision. I remember the first week when he did it, I asked him 'Is this a new permanent thing?' He was like 'Well it's something that we can do.' But he's not committed to anything as the permanent thing. You kind of go by hunches a lot. And it feels that some weeks, his hunch is you do that, and some weeks the hunch is not to do that."

The moves at AEW's booth come at a time when Ross may be winding things down. The 70-year-old Hall of Famer, who received treatment for skin cancer just last year, revealed back in May that he had recently signed an extension with AEW, keeping him with the promotion for the next year and a half. The extension will allow Ross to have had a 50-year career in the wrestling business.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Wrestling Observer Radio and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.