Which AEW star's entrance cost AEW the most at All In? All you need to know about the massive expense!
AEW's Tony Khan doesn't mind shelling out cash for a song or two if it can translate to a big moment. Khan has used licensed music for several of his major stars, including Jon Moxley, Jack Perry, The Elite, CM Punk, and more.
We assumed TK would pull out all the stops when it came to All In, and he didn't disappoint. We got to see Sting come out to Metallica's Seek and Destroy, his WCW theme, before the Coffin Match. And as much as he must've had to fork over for a Metallica tune, that probably pales in comparison to the song used by new Women's World Champion Saraya.
Her stablemate Toni Storm got a new entrance, but it was tough to follow Saraya, who entered with the entire Knight Family to Queen's "We Will Rock You." Earlier this summer, it was revealed that the remaining members of Queen were in the process of selling the rights to the band's catalog in a deal that netted them $1 billion dollars.
Variety confirmed through multiple sources that the deal was near completion in June, and that price tag was, "very real." Playing licensed music on TV is incredibly expensive, as an article by Music Connection back in 2021 stated it could cost upwards of $50,000 to play a song once on television.
While we're not aware how much Tony Khan and AEW paid for the music of Queen or Metallica, we do know that only one of those songs was played twice. Seek and Destroy was played during Sting and Darby's entrance as well as their post-match victory.
When Saraya captured the AEW Women's Championship, we didn't hear Freddy Mercury echoing out across Wembley. Instead, Falling in Reverse's "Zombified," her regular theme, played as she celebrated with her family in the ring.
Saraya pins her own friend to win the AEW Women's Championship
Saraya faced Toni Storm, Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D., and the Champion Hikaru Shida in a four-way match at AEW All In. While Storm and Saraya worked well together for most of the match, the Outcasts fell apart when Storm accidentally punched her friend's mother, Sweet Saraya Knight.
While the rest of the Knight family held their matriarch to keep her from jumping the barricade, Saraya went after Storm. Ruby Soho even attempted to calm things down, but was hit in the scuffle, leading to her leaving ringside. While Britt Baker had Shida trapped in the Rings of Saturn, Saraya sprayed Storm in the eyes before spiking her with the Cradle DDT for the win.
Saraya is the eigth AEW Women's World Champion, but how long will her reign last? Sound off in the comments section below.