AEW Wrestler Believes Tony Khan Will Give Him A Sting-Like Sendoff, Paul Wight Wishes He Could Have Faced Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay Praises AEW
Dustin Rhodes is confident that AEW and Tony Khan will let him retire on his own terms.
In a recent interview with Renee Paquette on the “Close-Up” podcast, Rhodes reflected on the final chapter of his career, reaffirming his intention to retire under the AEW banner. He emphasized that AEW is the first company where he’s truly felt respected, and he believes that respect will carry through to the end of his in-ring journey.
Rhodes expressed a desire to go out with dignity — much like Sting—saying he knows how he wants his career to conclude and trusts that Tony Khan will support him in making that vision a reality. He said,
“I’ve thought in depth, and there’s a list of three guys. I’d rather not say them right now. I want to keep that close to my chest, but I do have a plan. It’s not soon, guys. I know I’ve said I have one more year sometimes in the past, and it always changes. Then the next year I’ll say, ‘Oh, I got a couple more years,’ and the next two years come, and, ‘Oh, maybe next year.’ Seriously, it’s not very close, but it is. I would say a couple of years, two and a half, maybe. I do have a plan of who I want to work, who I want to face, and I think Tony’s going to be okay with that.
“I think he’s going to give me the opportunity to go out like Sting did and that is the most respect that I could ever feel. Feel the most love, the most passion from this company, and I feel it every single day. With all the tribalism out there about the other place and us and what’s good, what’s bad, whatever, they have no idea how hard we work and what goes on. I mean, we’re our startup company. This is our sixth year. We are growing every single year, doing amazing, making huge amounts of money, and working all over the world. It is a place I want to be and finish my career.”
AEW is set to celebrate its six-year anniversary tomorrow night with the Double or Nothing pay-per-view event. Since joining AEW full-time in 2024, Will Ospreay has rapidly risen to become one of the company’s top stars. He’s set to headline the event, facing Hangman Page in the finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament.
During an appearance on “JJRBTS,” Ospreay commented on his decision to sign with AEW and expressed his strong belief in the company’s vision and direction. He said,
“I like the counter-culture stuff. I don’t like going for the big thing. I like going for the underdog. I think that’s why I signed with AEW in the first place is because they are the underdog, they are the people coming from the ground up and are the people who enjoy giving fan service. When I first came in here, I wanted to make this place the be all, end all. I want to sing from the high heavens that this is the best professional wrestling on the planet. I respect WWE and what they’re doing now. They are filling houses and doing so well, but bell-to-bell, you’re not going to find better wrestling than AEW.”
He continued, “It’s respect for the art. I feel like they understand the art form behind it and how hard it is, and they appreciate it, so they allow their voices to be heard, and they are supporting us. I want that support to spread. It’s going to take time and be a slow process, but one of these days, we’re going to be on top. It’s not just me, it’s Swerve (Strickland), it’s Hangman (Page), it’s (Jon) Moxley, it’s MJF, it’s the Hurt Syndicate, we’re all firing on all cylinders and we’re all creating this animal right now and at one point, we’re going to be undeniable that we are the friggin’ best.”
Throughout his career, Paul “The Big Show” Wight has shared the ring with some of the biggest icons in wrestling history.
During a recent interview with Bill Apter on Sportskeeda’s WrestleBinge” podcast, Wight shared that he would have loved the chance to wrestle Kenny Omega during his own prime years. He said,
“In my prime? Kenny Omega. Just because I like what Kenny does with people when Kenny has the right opponent, especially if me as a heel and Kenny as a babyface, I think at a certain point in time, we could have literally torn the freaking roof off. Kenny has that drive, he has that fight, and he has several gears. We talk in wrestling a lot of times about shifting gears in a match, showing desperation, showing drama through your work, not through your mouth, and that’s one thing that Kenny always brings to the table, is that energy and that fight to win. For me, as a heel, a lot of times I love fighting people because it makes my job easier.”
(h/t – Fightful)
