"Some of them got released" - Tony Khan elaborates on specific reason for hiring African-American talent in AEW

The AEW roster has been constructed with some specific goals in mind, according to the promotion's president Tony Khan.

Since its inception in 2019, AEW has signed several wrestlers, many of whom are exceptionally popular. While high-profile stars like Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes helped the company gain credibility initially, some homegrown talents like Hangman Page and Jade Cargill have also sprung up over the years.

Furthermore, the promotion's roster also features a diverse group of performers, from Mexican stars like Thunder Rosa and Andrade El Idolo to African-American wrestlers like Powerhouse Hobbs and Keith Lee.

Speaking on The Ringer Wrestling Show, Tony Khan explained the logic behind recruiting African-American talent to his company. According to the 39-year-old, a diverse roster of performers has always been his priority.

"I've always wanted to build a really diverse roster and through a combination of free agents getting available that I never would have thought would be available to us without their contract expiring, some of them got released. And the other ones that we've built up that have been great stars have helped us build a more diverse better roster than we started with." (H/T: WrestlingNews)

AEW has provided an excellent platform for its talent, regardless of ethnicity. Fans have been highly supportive of the move, with stars like Anthony Bowens and Swerve Strickland getting some of the biggest pops from the audience.

Tony Khan recently shared his take on the possibility of a joint event between AEW and WWE

While the thought of a supershow between the two promotions may seem far-fetched to fans, Tony Khan has stated that the collaboration is not impossible.

Speaking on The Ringer's Masked Man Show, the All Elite Wrestling President stated that he wasn't sure if something like this would ever happen. However, he was open to discussing the same.

"I’m not sure if that’s gonna happen [AEW and WWE doing a joint show]. But, I would be open to talking about that type of thing. It’s not crazy but it’s a bold prediction," Tony Khan said. (H/T: POSTWrestling)

While fans of the two promotions may be slightly hostile to each other, there is no doubt that such a crossover event will be a massive spectacle. Only time will tell if this actually happens in the future.