Death Before Dishonor media scrum notes: Tony Khan talks Ilja Dragunov, hints at new ways to watch ROH

Tony Khan and other wrestlers speak to the media.

Khan, Deonna Purrazzo, Red Velvet, Action Andretti, and Athena all took questions from the press during the ROH Death Before Dishonor media scrum. Here are the highlights:

Deonna Purrazzo

• Regarding the Battle of the Brave show she and husband Steve Maclin ran, she said she learned a lot about promoting wrestling. She thanked her boss Tony Khan for offering replacement talent when some names fell through, and she hopes to run another show next year.
• On Athena, Purrazzzo said that eventually they’ll meet and see who will be the best.
• She praised Steph De Lander for “betting on herself” by leaving another company.

Red Velvet

• When asked if she was in her prime right now, Velvet seemed to agree, saying that returning from knee surgery was a new chapter for her. She’s never had to fight back from an injury like that before and while there were some low points, she got through them.

Action Andretti

• Someone asked if he had talked to Samoa Joe after aligning himself with the Opps. He said Joe’s a busy man and thinks we’ll see him very soon.
• He wants to take the TV title and defend it everywhere, no matter where or who.
• His hometown is Philadelphia so it was great to do a Fight Without Honor match at the 2300 (ECW) Arena.
• If Lio Rush wants another title shot, he can come and get it. He also said that he wanted to get rid of Rush’s TV title and bring back Samoa Joe’s TV title design.

Athena

• She was asked if it was a goal of hers to win AEW gold. She said she was ready to take on that responsibility, but she can’t forget about ROH. She needs to find the right moments. Her time will come, and future opponents will be right under her foot.
• When asked about what being the forever ROH Women’s Champion means to her, she said “forever to me is forever.”
• She went into detail on her love for Japanese wrestling, mentioning names like Manami Toyota, Aja Kong, IYO, Kairi, Kana, and others. She wanted to wrestle in Stardom and got to learn so much over there. She very much wants to go back. 

Tony Khan 

• He hinted repeatedly throughout the scrum that that there may be more media opportunities for ROH beyond the paywall of Honor Club, but didn’t go into details. He did praise the quality of ROH’s pay-per-views, including Friday’s.
• Regarding Ilja Dragunov, Tony Khan said he wasn’t sure about Dragunov’s contractual status but said he was a “tremendous” wrestler.
• Called Nick Wayne a true prodigy, saying it was Darby Allin who introduced him to Wayne and praised him for getting better and better. He was “absolutely tremendous” on Friday against Bandido and would love to see a rematch at some point.
• Says the 2300 is a great home for both AEW and ROH. 
• Tony Khan mentioned that Jay Lethal has now held every men’s title in Ring of Honor with his victory on Friday.
• He said he would like to get ROH’s television more eyeballs but the media landscape is evolving and there will be more media opportunities in the future.
• Someone asked if football players have ever asked him to transition into professional wrestling. He said some football players have expressed interest, pointing out he met Mason Madden of mXm when he was part of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• One person asks how Tony Khan manages to travel so much given his busy schedule. He says he loves football and pro wrestling. That sometimes mean little sleep some days, but he loves what he does.