AEW President Tony Khan provided an update on Red Velvet’s injury following the recent AEW-ROH crossover events, assuring fans that the ROH Women’s World Television Champion’s condition is manageable and that she will not be sidelined for an extended period. The announcement came after a demanding weekend featuring ROH’s Supercard of Honor and AEW’s All In, where injuries inevitably impacted key storylines and roster availability.
Impact of Red Velvet’s Injury on AEW-ROH Storylines
The recent AEW-ROH collaboration, highlighted by shows in Mexico involving CMLL, led to several injuries among the talent roster, including Red Velvet. Due to these injuries, Red Velvet was removed from the card at ROH’s Supercard of Honor event, prompting ROH to crown an Interim Women’s World Television Champion. Mina Shirakawa won this title by prevailing in a Fatal 4 Way match against Persephone, Miyu Yamashita, and Yuka Sakazaki. This interim titleholder status sets up a future match between Shirakawa and Red Velvet to determine the Undisputed ROH Women’s World Television Champion.
Tony Khan initially suggested that Red Velvet might have to miss several weeks due to her injuries, with a worst-case scenario involving a few months off television. However, during the All In Week media sessions, Khan expressed optimism about the severity of the injuries.
Khan Applauds Red Velvet’s Role as Champion and Ambassador
During the post-All In media scrum, Khan lauded Red Velvet’s performance and representation of the company, especially noting her appearances for CMLL in Arena Mexico. He emphasized the positive influence Red Velvet has had in elevating the ROH Women’s World Television Championship’s prestige, praising her efforts as both a competitor and ambassador.
“She’s done a great job representing the company as a World TV Champion. She’s gone to [CMLL at] Arena Mexico and made a great impression, and really, for a relatively new championship in the world of wrestling, the Women’s TV Title has had a great profile, she’s really helped raise the profile, being a great Ambassador. That’s something I really value, somebody that goes down to Arena Mexico [for CMLL], which has been a great partner for AEW, and to go down there and put in a great shift, that’s going to score huge points with me, and really raise the prestige of the title, I thought Red Velvet has,”
—Tony Khan, AEW President
Injury Outlook and Upcoming Title Match
Khan confirmed that while Red Velvet’s injury was serious enough to pull her from competition, it appears manageable and not career-threatening. The champion had previously shared details of multiple injuries sustained during the AEW-ROH-CMLL crossover in Mexico, but Khan expressed hope that her return will come relatively soon.
“So, I’m excited… I was disappointed that Red Velvet couldn’t wrestle, but also it’s the right thing to do because it seems like it hopefully, could be, a manageable injury… it’s not going to be years and years that she’s going to be out or anything. We’re eventually, hopefully going to have a match, and if Mina Shirakawa can keep retaining the Interim Ring of Honor World Women’s Television Championship…”
—Tony Khan, AEW President
The anticipated showdown between Red Velvet and Mina Shirakawa will unify the ROH Women’s World Television Championship, providing a pivotal moment in the ongoing AEW-ROH narrative thread.
Synergies and Rivalries Fuel AEW-ROH Women’s Division
Mina Shirakawa’s interim title win at ROH’s Supercard of Honor on Friday night immediately elevated her status, allowing her to enter AEW’s Women’s Casino Gauntlet at All In: Texas the following day. Notably, ROH Women’s World Champion Athena captured the Gauntlet victory after pinning Shirakawa. Athena’s win has opened the door for a future AEW Women’s World Championship opportunity against Toni Storm, further intertwining AEW and ROH storylines.
The Women’s Casino Gauntlet included a strong lineup of competitors: Kris Statlander, Megan Bayne, Willow Nightingale, Tay Melo, Thekla, Julia Hart, Queen Aminata, Mina Shirakawa, Athena, Thunder Rosa, Syuri, and Alex Windsor. The finale featured Shirakawa attempting to apply the Figure Four leglock before Athena countered with The O-Face for the pin.
Tony Khan Highlights the Effectiveness of Inter-Brand Storytelling
Khan praised the creative benefits of layered storylines across AEW and ROH divisions, spotlighting how the shared rivalries and character dynamics add depth to matches like the Women’s Casino Gauntlet. He reflected on the interconnected feuds, including those involving Athena, Red Velvet, Persephone, and Thunder Rosa, and how they enhance fan interest.
“I thought that was a fascinating thing, to have Mina Shirakawa, who was then involved with the Ring of Honor World Champion Athena, in the [Women’s Casino Gauntlet] pinning sequence, as Mina tried to put the Figure Four on and got caught with The O-Face, which was an incredibly exciting way to have the match culminate and interestingly enough, with the brand new Interim Ring of Honor World Women’s Television Champion getting pinned by the Ring of Honor World Women’s Champion, who’s held the belt for years, and was actually teaming with Red Velvet in the match she got hurt in against Persephone, who’s another great wrestler, who was in that match, and Thunder Rosa, who wrestled Athena in ROH, but was also in these tag team matches in AEW, against Athena for weeks… I think that helped having the rivalries across AEW and ROH, being able to call them together when it makes sense,”
—Tony Khan, AEW President
Future Prospects for AEW and ROH Talent Following Crossover Success
The crossover events have pushed the AEW and ROH women’s divisions into a tightly woven narrative, creating compelling matchups and championship opportunities that fans can anticipate in the months ahead. While injuries such as Red Velvet’s present challenges, Khan’s assurance of her manageable condition underscores a hopeful outlook for the division’s continued momentum.
As ROH’s Undisputed Women’s World Television Championship match approaches, the storylines developed during the recent Mexico shows, Supercard of Honor, and All In will play a crucial role in shaping AEW and ROH’s shared future. Tony Khan’s ongoing involvement as both a sports executive and wrestling ambassador signals a commitment to elevating the prestige of these titles and delivering engaging wrestling events worldwide.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Tony Khan a billionaire?
A. Forbes reports that Shahid Khan, Tony Khan’s father, has more than $12 billion in wealth. While Tony Khan’s exact net worth isn’t publicly known, it’s estimated to be about $1.5 billion from owning AEW.
