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Toronto,โ ON – Brody King and Bandido are the new AEW World Tag Team Champions, capping a thrilling three-way match at Forbidden Door with a victory that feels less like a sudden ascent and more likeโฃ the culmination of a long-simmering partnership. The duo spoke with reporters following their win,โ revealing a bond built โฃover eightโ years of shared experiences on the independent circuit, in Ring of Honor, and on โฃinternational tours.โ AEW President Tony khan, visibly pleased, emphasized the organic nature of their chemistry, a sentimentโ echoed by bothโค champions.
From โIndie Darlings to AEW Champions:โฃ A Decade in the Making
“Our โคfriendship, like Tony said,โ goes back a longโข time – about eight years,” explained a visibly โคenergized Brody King. “we did the Indies together. Heโ signed to Ring of Honor at the same time as me. We went to Japan for the โฃfirst time โtogether, Australia together. Lots of history. We’ve wrestled a โขlot with each other. You naturally know what someone’s going to do when you’ve sharedโฃ so many rings.”
This pre-existing understanding proved crucial in their seamless performance at Forbidden Door, allowing them to anticipate each other’s moves and capitalize on opportunities. The victory isn’t simply about two talented wrestlers joining forces; it’s about the payoff of years spent honing their craft together.
A Gesture โof Respect: raรบl Jimรฉnez Honors Bandido
The post-match press conference โtook a touching turn when Tonyโค Khan presented Bandido โคwith a signed jersey from Raรบl โฃJimรฉnez, the celebrated striker for Fulham Football Clubโข and the Mexican national team.
“This is a gift from โsomebody very, very special โคin my professional life,” khan stated, explaining that Jimรฉnez is the Mexican national team’s current leading goal scorer. “I’m โขgiving this to somebody important in my life in ROH and now in AEW, too.”
An emotional Bandido accepted theโฃ gift, offering heartfelt thanks in Spanish to both Khan and Jimรฉnez, aโข testament to the deep respectโ and cultural connection Khan clearly โคvalues. The gesture underscored the growing international appeal of AEW and its commitment to recognizing its stars’ roots.
A Challenge to the Division: Bring On the competition
now firmly established โas theโ top โtag team โฃin AEW, king and Bandido didn’t shy away fromโ addressing potential challengers. When asked about the recently reunited duo of Adam Copeland (formerlyโค Edge)โฃ and Christian Cage, King issued a direct challenge.”Please,” he said with a grin.”I’ve had my history withโฃ Adam Copeland. We’ve had some history with Christian as well. I’d be willing to mix it up with those guys any day of the week. The rest of the โAEW tag division is gettingโฃ stronger and โstronger by the day. So anyone that wants โคto step up, โ stepโฃ up.”
This bold statement signals their intent to dominate the division and reinforces their โขconfidence in their ability to overcome any obstacle. The gauntlet has been thrown โขdown.
Eyes on โคBuddy matthews’ Return & celebrating “Homegrown” Talent
The conversation also touched on the status โof โขhouse of Blackโข stablemate Buddy Matthews, currently sidelined with an injury. King expressed hope for โMatthews’ swift recovery. “I hopeโค that Buddy is at home healing,and I hope that he is happy for โฃme,” King said. “But when the time comes and he comes back, then, we always have the trios titles.”
Ultimately, King emphasized the importance of their win as a victory for AEW’s developmental system. โข”I โwill say that right now, I think it isโ really awesome that two AEW home grown guys are now the Tag Team Champions again, โคand hopefully it stays that way for a while,” he concluded.โฃ
Khan wholeheartedly agreed, adding, “It’s great to see homegrown stars.” This sentiment highlights AEW’s commitment to nurturing talent from within and providing a platform for wrestlers to reach their โfull potential.
“Our friendship, like Tony said, goes backโฃ a long time – about eight yearsโฆ You naturally know what someone’s goingโข to do when you’ve shared so many rings.” – brody King AEW Press Conference, June โข30, 2024
“This is a gift from somebody very, very special โinโค my professional lifeโฆ I’m giving this to somebody critically important inโข my life in ROHโข and now inโฃ AEW, too.” – Tony Khanโ AEW Press Conference, June 30, 2024
Note: This article is based on information released at the AEW Forbidden Door press conference on June 30, 2024.