Tony Khan initially didn't understand popular AEW star's character
AEW President Tony Khan admitted it took him a while to get to grips with Orange Cassidy's character.
Ever since his debut, Cassidy has gone on to establish himself as one of AEW's most popular wrestler. The former PWG star's narrative arc connecte with the fans, and he was even named wrestling's "male breakout star" for 2020 by ESPN.
Tony Khan was recently a guest on Busted Open Radio. During Khan appearance, he spoke about Orange Cassidy and revealed an interesting bit of information.
According to Khan, he initially did not understand Orange Cassidy's character and what he was all about. Khan revealed that he had spent a lot of time talking to Cassidy about his character:
That’s really what got him over with me in the first place, and that’s why he is a pushed wrestler in AEW. The gimmick is very entertaining and people love it,” he said. “But the thing I really love about Orange Cassidy is how great of a wrestler he is when he really wants to try. It’s what really made me fall in love with Orange Cassidy. I didn’t understand it at first either and I’ll be the first to admit that. The first time I ever really talked to him was after a PWG show, I think. I had really not gotten to know him very well. I spent a lot of time with him and talking to him about how I saw the character and how I would want to see Orange Cassidy in AEW.
Tony Khan on Orange Cassidy's character evolving in AEW
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Tony Khan also commented on how Orange Cassidy's character had evolved during his time in AEW. Khan stated that fans will notice differences in character from what it was during Cassidy's time in PWG:
One thing I’m really proud of is that if you’re an independent wrestling fan, then you probably would know this. Or maybe looking back, this would make sense to you. The Orange Cassidy in AEW is very different from the independent Orange Cassidy from pre-AEW. What’s really cool is, at first, he was pretty similar. H/T: WrestlingINC
Orange Cassidy recently faced Adam Cole on the Holiday Bash edition of AEW Dynamite. Kyle O'Reilly made his AEW debut during the match, helping Adam Cole pick up the win.