Before the Bell: The Story of All Elite Wrestling

I think it was about four months ago I was standing in the ring at all in and I was surrounded by the best fans in the entire world I felt like I was trapped in this literal wall of sound it was your belief and your passion it started a fire the three of us and a cast of our banded friends disrupted the very way that professional wrestling functioned we broke all of the rules we were eventually approached by the Khan family and they had a question for the three of us the question was do you guys really want to change the world we said yep they said we can help you guys are the number two company and have it had a show yet I don't I mean with the amount of interest we've generated it's for very good reason we have the best performers in the world this is a collection of the best performers in the world like when I said we have the best minds we do but we also have the best entering performers and at the end of the day that's what's gonna set us apart I don't want to compare us to any other wrestling company I mean we're aw we're doing something very different guys it kind of feels like it smells like I don't know it seems like this is a revolution [Applause] [Music] from the time I was a little kid I wanted to be a pro-wrestler I really didn't have much of a choice and of course because of the second generation and because I'm not just any 2nd generation I'm I'm dusty son then I grew up on TV in front of everybody a full solid decade of being there and learning from some of the best getting in the ring with some of the best having some amazing you know life-changing moments met my wife there you know and some people know how the story ends when you're so hungry and you're sitting behind WWE stage and they're not utilizing you properly and your hands are tied because creatively they got nothing for you it's bullshit when you're hungry and young and fresh and as good as he is I thought I'd won enough battles and filled enough blocks I thought it was my time they didn't at some point in somebody's career you gotta say okay money isn't everything what you believe in what are you passionate about why stay go out capture the world and my biggest fear and my career was that I would not win the World title while my dad was a you know it's still alive and that fear came true I never won the World title he never saw that when it didn't happen I had nothing else to fear I still don't but I've never felt more like a weight lifted off my shoulders I've never felt more unafraid than when I left Debbie to be and after 10 years never missing a live event there's only one person that needs to see you at this spot the top of the ladder and that's you and Kody well he had that inside him [Music] [Music] wrestling has bubbles you know if you're on the independent scene or at particularly at like a hot Indy you're in that bubble same with WWE we were in the WWE bubble nothing exists outside and even if it does you're really not watching it so when I you know burst the WWE bubble and saw out Matt and Nick because they were you know two of the folks I contacted I genuinely had only ever seen one match I'm smart enough I feel like in wrestling to know if your name is out there floating around this much and you're this endorsed by so many folks there's something you're doing great when Omega and and the bullet Club we started selling t-shirts at Hot Topic and selling out in a national distributor like Hot Topic except they weren't on any national TV that's huge and right then I said there's something happening with the business I think if you're you're unfamiliar with Kenny Omega are you know unfamiliar with the young bucks they're the perfect window into what wrestling is today you move that into being the first wrestling pop Funko's that aren't WWE another thing that Dana see Matt and Nick Jackson just they're just fearless in their efforts to get it well I have my first official Funko pop it's my curse first time person it's number one the first of its kind kind of you guys are acting the actual first of its kind never see this again I saw the picture of the concept art but this is actually and to here they have the sang at-at Funko Disney numbers to hear that we did Disney numbers for supposedly a bunch of indie wrestlers it's a good you know bad a confidence for us Matt Nick they're the most fun thing in wrestling they were not just told you weren't gonna make it they were told you're not gonna make it at least 20 times by 20 different experts in the field and they just kept moving forward I saw how grassroots they were how hands-on they were how real they were their fans that's the thing I appreciate about them the most I think their matches are outstanding I genuinely do think they're the best tag team in the world but I like how they treat people those are two people you can make not just a friendship with but a partnership with Kenny is a really out-of-this-world thinker he takes in you know influence and inspiration for his matches from weird parts of you know pop culture and things that entertain him he's just a really special you know artist and professional and performer he puts so much into those outings he leaves it all out there he is the best big match performer in all of wrestling I always wanted to branch out and I wanted to kind of show our crazy ideas I wanted to perform for the world and I'd felt like we were contained in a small little bubble and I wanted to show what we do live it's our wonderful fans everywhere and I wanted to do it all the time full time a new journey that is all elite wrestling there wasn't for promotions like this developing jump you have to win challenge that indeed they do to be a wrestler to be a performer to be someone that represents what I believe wrestling should be has been reignited thanks to each and every one of you I genuinely believe in the vision for wrestling that Matt and Nick and Cody have and it's the same it's the same idea that I have about what wrestling can be it can be a little bit of everything you know you might not like this but you'll certainly like that I have been in the ring with hey men and a number of tag matches where I've literally looked at him and thought this is the best wrestler in the elite I know that the elite has Kenny Omega and it has Matt and Nick Jackson but I mean he has something I guess in wrestling I always kind of wondered like is is this what I'm supposed to be doing you know what I mean this is am I in the right group have I found kind of my calling I guess and I wasn't really sure until I started working with Matt and Nick and Cody and and when I started working with those guys I kind of figured out these are my people this is this is what I'm about this is what I love to do I think they've inspired and driven me and I hope that I've done some of the same for them and it was right around the time I was deciding I'd love to put my you know hang my hat somewhere for a little bit we bring a Bonner they have they've got a family and they've got a hardcore fanbase and that's when I told both the Bucks I think we can do this on a big level I think we can run a big arena actually sell it out and do our own thing and we were all under contract to ring him on her nan Ring of Honor did something incredibly kind I I think joke often Greg a lot forth they allowed us to do it and not only did they allow us to do it they said hey well we'll help in any way we can but all this was happening before dave meltzer ever tweeted me there's so much of what happened with all in was legit serendipity legit things just coming together when I sent tweet when I when I press the button my life changed now is the time I'm at connect myself we are self-financing in event all in the goal is to announce the idea to do our own show to do a show for wrestling fans by wrestlers sounded very romantic and most industry experts were you know dooming it to fail and the amount of pressure that that came with us we built to September first was [Applause] monumental for my brother myself for Cody for the rest of the guys in the back as you know tickets go on sale tonight and the web sites here center.com is already experiencing very heavy traffic I'm in a virtual waiting room I think that's amazing right it is probably your flip still not booked with 9,000 something people hopefully how do you feel right now code honestly just fucking nervous and scared a little boy I feel like a little boil suit but it's such a good feeling that's an awesome we're gonna we gonna do if we gotta do a vlog we have to let's see 11:49 minutes we're on stole data in 30 minutes oh geez I'm gonna officially say it it is I just tried to buy me yeah I think we have to technically wait until we get to call it from the box but it looks good this like it's old I like the hype is chic Agra is a great wrestling town so I wasn't really that surprised that they had a good crowd I didn't expect it to be sold out so they're changing they're flipping the script you know they're doing their own thing I think that the fans out there there's enough fans out there that want something else just so stressed I'd never written a format before I never held a production meeting before Matt Nick were working on all kinds of things you know backup house things for a show tomorrow's the big day guys that set looks amazing yeah you guys got butterflies I'm sick to my stomach okay a little bit good job boys are we gonna be hey be proud and when the people walk in here they're gonna be blown away they're like I can't believe these guys put together this and this is a huge set every seat is filled guys be proud right guys thank you out well we're here we've arrived we got a kiss now yeah we might as well shall we I love you guys I was gonna try to put this into a comedy bit but it's real we're looking we're looking at this watching this happen here in front of me let's go take a picture [Music] [Applause] okay was this wild idea he said young bucks bullet Club I think that we could put 10,000 passes there's so much I got out of it personally from the match I was in and all the stuff you see on the screen but behind the scenes the biggest thing I got out of is we built a team just three men and they take just the young bucks and Cody it took each and every one of the people standing in this drink I just want to say thank you for letting a part of history [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] it was more about being told what we can't do whereas with double or nothing we want it to be for those telling us what we can do I know it was just one show but there's 11 something thousand people and there's more than that we are sticking together I was I was told Tony told me I am the executive vice president so I should make the Annette I was told I was a vice president actually my language EP it's my contract hi how many people we can't have three vice president come on are you is it you're also a vice president where's where is Tony I got it I got it what why not on three we do this together second announcement are you guys ready for the second announcement on three one two we're running May 25th in Las Vegas Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will you guys follow us to Las Vegas definitely means a lot that this is happening in in Vegas to be frank Vegas is not the best market not because it doesn't have the best fans great fans in Vegas but it's a tourist City when people hear there's a show and the card is Cody Rhodes the young bucks and Kenny Omega we would stop right there because that's gonna draw but then and in Chris Jericho as the headliner and all this other young talent like hangman Paige and the lucha brothers well that's going to create a buzz a momentum building buzz I'm Chris Jericho [Applause] I think this is gonna be the next level of wrestling right now I'm ready to buy my tickets right now [Applause] it's a very exciting time for all elite wrestling after selling out double or nothing in just four minutes 12,000 tickets sold at the MGM Grand in just four minutes it's unprecedented in Las Vegas Pro Wrestling history the first time ever that a show is sold out in less than a day never mind less than five minutes we just got lucky we got blessed I mean nine countries all States domestically Puerto Rico DC and to sell out in under four minutes may 25th Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena there's not a better place to literally go double or nothing the doors have been swung wide open when it comes to talent acquisitions for all elite wrestling I mean we have become a company where everybody wants to go work so with pro wrestling there's a upper echelon in elite class of pro wrestlers you hear people talk about their top five top ten it's no different with pro wrestling commentators I think aew is gonna get their hands on the actual greatest of all time there it is you guys doing here I come to see you two years ago in March my wife got killed just a few blocks from where we're sitting right now and I suffered a lot of depression I lost the best friend I had to get out of the house and I had to get back in the game unless she wrote something one time that when you give your jersey away can't play anymore so I didn't want to give my jersey away I still think I have things to offer and every time I've had these heartbreak situations every time I have been down the wrestling fans have picked me up when you're arrested business the business becomes your family the fans have cutting their family I don't know else I could do right now in my life that would make me that makes me happier than what I'm about to start I want to be able to be a role model of the mentor this young roster I want to be involved in a physical athletic presentation where it's the most important thing in these talents lies is winning this match the opportunity to do something new to help present something new with new ideas and new blood and a new direction and a new way of looking at pro wrestling was more than I could pass up Jim is timeless and in my opinion he's the greatest of all time the it factor to me can't be taught the it factor is somebody that works their tail off day in and day out to become the absolute best hangman page probably could have went anywhere he wanted to he could have asked for any amount of money he wanted to because hangman page is what we call a star today was my first day on the job you are my boss and for that reason I will work harder than I have ever worked in my life to make this a success because you deserve it I'm really excited about young athletic guys they're getting the break of their life time to see how they handle it they can't just be a normal regular guy anymore you got to be a star you got to get started every night every night you representing the company got to be a star because this is the greatest opportunity perhaps of their lifetime the number one question I have been asked since the company was announced is will there be a women's division absolutely the women's brand of aew is extremely important because we are at the I guess midpoint of the boom of women's wrestling we were being taking much more seriously than we've ever been taken before and it's because the women are putting the work in and they deserve it this year I'm the only girl to return to compete in a wrestling match from all in so be it all eyes are on me that's that sign I am the biggest underdog I know that but I love it because it makes me work harder I don't care if everybody no eww underestimates me because I believe in myself see I'm not your average cookie cutter chick a break bitches and that's exactly what I'm gonna do on May 25th and double or nothing whether you know who myself Kylie ray and nyla Rose are right now you won't be able to forget who we are after May 25th Nick and I have noticed a trend lately we've known the last several years it feels like it feels like tag-team wrestling has become like somewhat of a lost art our goal our main objective is to give you fans the best tag team division in the world [Music] god grace Phoenix Pizza El Cerro am right here in Las Vegas [Applause] [Music] how many put a tag team lucha bros might be the best one and young bugs might be a little bit in trouble boys Belling Penta and Phoenix are firing on all cylinders right now they're on the road they're hit hard they're in the zone right and we're sitting at home and we're not in that zone right now so if I have any fear of the lucha rose it's the fear of them being so on and unless having a little bit of ring rust and not being able to keep up that's in the back of my mind but I know as good as we are as long as we've been doing this longer than they have in fact that once the bell rings I think it's all gonna come come back [Applause] she just came into Mexico and took these championships in Las Vegas and you did Penta you dropped me on my head i'd-- my own press conference but you know you did you kind of kind of woke the sleeping dragon you woke us up Nick and I we were kind of complacent for long so we're look you know we're the best tag team in the world is nobody really that even compares you drop me on my head and now we went from you [Applause] when you say we do you chuckles versus young box [Applause] [Music] [Music] this is not a new beginning for me in my career [Music] I have done it all literally 30 years in the business my legacy is intact I am Dustin Rhodes I love my brother I have always loved my brother when you're a little kid and you're going to the Omni in Atlanta Georgia and here he comes tall blond every woman and the police going absolutely nuts for him I'd say at one point he was my hero anytime you have a brother versus brother and his real it's a dysfunctional family reunion I know everything there is to know about my little brother Cody and he is one egotistical son of a bitch you got one younger one that's trying to help run a company and it's got a self spread pretty thin and he wondered how what kind of thick that's gonna have on his in-ring game I don't know you don't know either you got another guy that's got something to prove he's 50 years old they got they got the same father tells you a lot because they're both warriors I don't know what it's gonna take for one to beat the other but I know it's personal and there's nothing better than a personal issue in a pro wrestling match and this notion of brother versus brother of a natural versus nightmare it's all very marketable it's all very romantic albeit not very accurate this matches generation versus generation you paved the roads for us but gosh you set the speed markers at 35 because you were terrified of any of us putting our fucking foot down on the pedal well think Cody's making a mistake having a match with me I do when that animal can't go anymore and it falls out on the trail and it knows it's going to die and it wants to die you pull from the hip you roll your fingers on the steel of the chamber and you blow it away Cody is facing his reckoning I am NOT here to kill Dustin Rhodes I'm here to kill the Attitude Era the world is gonna get all over me everything that I have like I said I love my brother one last ride or is it Omega and Jericho are two of the biggest pieces of the foundation that this company's going to be built on I am now a full-time member of the aew Roscoe came out and they were doing a staredown Jericho just slapped Kenny in the face and they started going at it pressures on them the pressure is on kenny omega is a phenomenon but for Jericho's fragile somewhat sizable ego he can't see himself Lucy every week I laugh when I watch this pretentious head up his own ass Cody Rhodes doing his road to double-or-nothing sitting there in a fancy suit with a cane acting like he's running the show it's the biggest facade I've ever seen Cody does not run the show I run the show Tony Khan runs the show I'm Chris Jericho I've destroyed all the boundaries I've I've broken down all the walls when I signed my name on the aew contract suddenly all of you become very wealthy and your heads have blown to the size of Mars you're breaking your own arms from patting yourselves on the back over and over again look what we did look what we did you do shit I'm the greatest wrestler period in the world today with the longevity of almost 30 years of being on top and nothing is gonna stop me from getting the thank you that I deserve that I have earned that I have brought upon myself from making aw the hottest wrestling company in the world before we even had an official show nobody else in the world could have done that except for me Chris Jericho I don't want to change the world I'm gonna change the universe all by myself [Music] when I was a kid when I was younger I'd known that I'm going to do this I'm gonna try being a wrestler but and it's gotta be difficult to do when I think right you don't hear of too many people that that have made out of the city except for Jericho and I thought what makes it different what makes me special you know the path that he chose and whether be you know his his career Japan Mexico ECW WCW he was always unique he was always original he always found ways to stand out and whether it be through his sheer wrestling ability his physical presence he was a guy with a very complete tool chest much like a Madonna he is able to find ways to reinvent himself whenever he wants whatever he wants to be relevant but I see the man that he's become and as much as I could give him credit for being someone but have to throw everyone that gets in his way into the bus by making everyone else around him expendable that's what I know respects and that's what Chris Jericho's become [Music] at my last match I saw myself a mere shell of the man that I used to be and I signed with AAW and I was consumed with office work I was consumed with getting this thing off the ground and I forgot what made Kenny Omega special and what made me me and so I stood there after a heartbreaking loss against two guys for my local Indian dawn callous now as a wake-up call for me Chris Jericho was hard enough to beat the first time around when I was in the prime of my career but for right now I can hardly look at myself in the mirror lane to be bigger need to be stronger and you'd be faster how do you achieve that if to take yourself to the limit need to blast through plateaus so not just doing static lifts or just doing compound lifts not just doing bodybuilding training for aesthetics we're doing everything that it takes to get the job done and get me to the next level to bring me back to that Kenny Omega level that everyone's expecting I've got to build and rebuild that old Kenny Omega and come with something brand new the best version of me Chris Jericho has always been a cerebral athlete you know I know he's not working on the ring I thought he's even really lifting weights his goal has always been to a smart his opponent out savvy him you know his experience goes back I don't know 20 30 40 years possibly one of the greatest of all time who knows you can make an argument the greatest of all time sure I'll say it I'm not gonna stay awake at night wondering how does these preparing because I kind of know what he's gonna bring I just need to be ready for the trickery and here's the thing the first time we met no holds barred no rules you had your way with me you made me bleed I barely came out with a victory and that was on your rules that wasn't your terms Chris now this is just a match you have to abide by the rules so either you have some crazy plan or you really think that you can beat me man-to-man that's why I don't have to worry about how you're training because there's no way you can train like me there's no way you can train harder than me I have to make sure that every step of the way that I wake up early and I train I study your matches and then I train I diet properly and then I train and to make sure that I'm ready for this match because I got one chance to have a first impression and a double or nothing it's gonna be the ultimate first impression of what can you make us all about but it's all working towards that goal the end goal which is to be the face of this company the ace of the company the quintessential star and really the guy that owes Chris Jericho No thank yous [Music] when I saw the weights going down I said this isn't the Kenny Omega that I want to bring to double or nothing I knew I had to make a change and that's why we're here this is the place where I can find my Zen this is the place where I can have some peace and quiet and focus on me yes I haven't forgot about my responsibilities but here I can accomplish more than what I can in any gym this is my place where I prepare for Chris Jericho I knew going into double or nothing that I wanted to be the best Chris Jericho that I could be and to to shock myself and do something I've never done before I had a little bit of a reunion with a good friend of mine Dave Bautista and built and designed and organized his own MMA gym going in the gym doing the same half lazy workouts that I've been doing for the last 10 years wasn't gonna cut it Kenny Omegas one of the best performers if not the best performer in the world today our record is one nothing for Kenny and I don't like that I'm putting my entire reputation my attire career on the line by agreeing to face Kenny Omega in the very first show I can't lose is when you have the biggest star one of the biggest in the world and by far a ews biggest star we have to look good and if I lose the Kenny on mango is basically even though he's one of the greatest performers in the world is basically a nobody to the mainstream audience it's gonna look bad for the company aw who needs me to win aw should want me to win and I know I have to win I'm learning techniques that are sharpening my skills as a striker sharpening my skills as a fighter but most importantly giving me the cardio and the intensity and the drive that I wouldn't have just training by myself and I want to come in there at the absolute top of my game now I'm coming in it with a whole different style of cardio whole different proach empty stomach cardio is what I'm doing now means I wake up in the morning I do the responsibilities as a father and take my kids to school that I Drive directly here it's an hour from my house and it's worth every minute I'm hungry and I'm starving but I'm hungrier and much more famished and much more starving to be Kenny Omega may 25th but double or nothing I'm doing everything in my power to make sure that happens failure is not an option losing is not an option I've never I've never been a shooter so to speak it I'm not a shooter now I'll knock your teeth down your fucking throat if I have to I think that while Kenny Omega is at home playing video games and building cottages and going to charity events and hiring his buddies that no one's ever heard of before and thinking this is all one big joke I'm here taking this very seriously this is the most important match of my life it's the most important match in aw is very short history because you either make it or break it on this show and you either make it or break it on the strength of the main event on the strength of my back people always laugh and say it doesn't matter if you lose it win and pro wrestling as it does means everything means everything to me especially this match but I'm doing everything I can to make sure I get the upper hand and win my trainer Josh Rafferty and I were doing some drills and I did a spinning elbow basically to the face and I thought this is gonna be the new the new finish he picked up on the spin elbow really fast and you know a lot of people don't know a spinning elbow technique is one of the most dangerous and deadly strikes and martial arts most martial arts don't even teach it anymore it's that definition the Judas effect something I'm gonna debut in aew something that's gonna be exclusive to aw and continue the constant evolving of Chris Jericho if I connect with this move I don't think it's gonna go well for Kenny or any other opponent that I face an ADW from this moment forward so beware the Judas effect because it's gonna knock you the goat go in every match every big match there's a goal and I'll I'll train specifically for that goal and I won't stop until I achieve that goal people still say Jericho your masters night at the Tokyo Dome was the greatest match of your career does the last much I had three months ago what about the other 3,000 match sad before it each one keeps getting better than the last and the one slip the one black mark on that perfect record for me is the loss - Kenny Omega January 4 2018 you're challenging someone that people call the past you're challenging that next level athlete if not gonna come in with some grandiose plan Chris you're not gonna have a chance and that's not be being overconfident I'm not trying to be egotistical I'm just telling you that's so important I take this match and for the last 15 16 months I have been burning thinking yearning for another chance and I have to make it go away the only way to do that is to beat Kenny Omega May 25th doubler not fair in Las Vegas the success of this company is very important to me the success of Double or Nothing is paramount and I can't see it being a success if you're the captain of the ship if you make that first opening statement that I am the man if you make that first opening statement that you beat Kenny Omega and that you want to thank you we can't have that that's terrible nothing is gonna stop me from beating Kenny Omega and when I win you are going to say thank you on behalf of aw I'm not as naive as I used to be I'm not gonna trust my childhood hero Chris Jericho anymore I'm ready for whatever it is that you bring to the table Chris I think what you need to worry about is what package am I going to bring double or nothing because whatever storm that you're bringing for those first few minutes I'm gonna weather and after that it's gonna be the Kenny Omega show I made 26 everyone in the world was gonna be talking about Chris Jericho and about how can I Omega thanked him in front of the world for all he's done for all of you you're welcome Jericho Eric Bischoff taught me years ago there's better than and less than and whoever is the best everyone else is less than unless they're different then so let me ask you guys if not us who and if not now when it's an art form and like all art form it needs to be expressed in its own way you know they saw what wrestling was and realized what it could be if people expect the same thing and you give him the same thing that gets old really quick aw is coming along right at the right moment all elite a promotion a company that welcomes all gifted talent we don't we don't care about race or gender or sex or religion if you're any athlete we want you we have a room full of hungry talented and you know gifted and people that are friends you guys feel like my family and there is no way that we can fail we have a group of fans that are passion as a pro wrestler the more pro wrestling the better and that's good for everybody it's good for the fans and it's good for the wrestlers I can look at just about any form of entertainment and it's all changed and I think this is a really exciting time in the wrestling industry I feel like we're all nervous a little bit to its giant mountain we have to climb this mountain is bigger than Everest it's a mountain every nobody's even been to the top it's now we're putting our names on the line everything our careers are on and I think that's why there's so much at stake I think that's why the fans are rooting for us so they want an alternative they want something different to watch I really want this company to succeed and I really want this to be a product that puts the fans first I wanted to be something but not only be beloved by wrestling enthusiasts with people that have never watched a show before in their lives all poly is really just the best chance a wrestling fans to get what they've been asking for for over a decade at this point I started off a wrestling fan I became a wrestler I consider myself back to be a wrestling fan we're here we're invested we're gonna be there show us what you got we want to set a new standard for all of pro wrestling we're all pro wrestlers and for all pro wrestling fans and we get the chance to [Music] [Music] you

Channel: All Elite Wrestling

Views: 795,136

Keywords: All Elite Wrestling, AEW, AEW Wrestling, All Elite, AEWrestling, The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Cody, Brandi Rhodes, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson, Chris Jericho, Y2J, Fozzy, Pro Wrestling, Tony Kahn, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kenny Omega, Elite Wrestling, The Elite, Being the Elite, Jack Whitehall, Tony Khan, AEW DON, AEW on TNT

Id: YlTBEyrIB9I

Length: 45min 54sec (2754 seconds)

Published: Fri May 24 2019

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[u/vanityshadow]

without aa doubt the most important wrestling event in the last 10 years +