AEW President Tony Khan has confirmed a recent report that the company had discussions about opening a training facility in Asheville, North Carolina, and he stated that he is still interested in the idea. The original report from Fightful Select noted that the plan was to have the veterans who live in the area, such as Adam Copeland and FTR, help train and develop talent. Khan confirmed these details during the AEW WrestleDream media call on Thursday and even offered a storyline reason for why the plans were put on hold, citing the recent, heated feud between Copeland and FTR. His comments suggest that a dedicated AEW training facility is still a long-term goal for the company.
During the media call, Khan was asked about the report and provided a detailed response.
“Yeah, I am interested. And it’s something I’ve talked about. But I was kind of surprised to see the report, because I’m still interested in that. And I would say there was — it’s one of those things where you read something and there’s a lot of truth to it. But then, you know, when you’re around the situation sometimes and you see something reported, sometimes you say, ‘Okay, well that’s part of the story but not the whole story.’ Obviously, it’s a different relationship with FTR and Adam Copeland than it was earlier this year. These guys have been butting heads. They fought in this incredible grudge match, and then FTR piledrove Adam Copeland’s wife and did one of the most terrible things you could possibly do to a family. And FTR are two of the greatest wrestlers we’ve had in AEW. They’ve been with us for years. And we’re really blessed to have Adam Copeland in AEW. I love all three of those guys very, very, very much, and I think the world of all three of them.”
While the storyline explanation is a fun way to address the situation, the original report stated that the cost of the facility was the primary reason the plan was not moved forward at the time.
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