Jim Ross: AEW Partnership With IMPACT Wrestling Has Helped IMPACT More Than AEW

AEW opened the forbidden door to close 2020, forming a partnership with IMPACT Wrestling that coincided with Don Callis helping Kenny Omega win the AEW World Title.

The partnership has seen Omega cross the line by going to IMPACT and winning the IMPACT World Title.

Speaking to Steven Muehlhausen of DAZN, Ross gave his thoughts on the partnership between the two companies.

“I think as it relates to Impact, that’s done through the cooperative efforts of nature of Tony Khan. Don Callis is a part of the management team at Impact and the on-camera manager of Kenny Omega. I think I’m going to sound bad saying this, I’m sure. I think this relationship has helped Impact more than it’s helped AEW. But I don’t know that we’re measuring. I don’t know that we’re judging, quite frankly. If it helps the wrestling business, and it makes it more fan-friendly, then we all win. Tony Khan’s philosophy is to do business with everybody that we want that can help our brand. I think that’s kind of the concept, and I don’t think it’s going to end with Impact,” he said.

AEW has also added ties to New Japan Pro Wrestling with stars like Yuji Nagata and KENTA appearing on AEW television. Ross would like to see more crossover between the two promotions moving forward.

“I’d love to see us do more with New Japan. I had my little run there for three years doing New Japan voiceovers with Josh Barnett. I developed a friendship with a lot of those guys, just like I’ve done with this roster. I’m pulling for them. I know how talented a lot of those dudes are. I would like to see a pay-per-view with Okada challenging Kenny Omega for the AEW title. Why not? That’s easy layup booking, but there’s a history there. There’s a backstory. You could lead into this thing for weeks and weeks until the day came for the big event. So things like that excite me. They got a lot of great talent over there that could match up with some of our guys. Darby (Allin) would be great. (Chris) Jericho had his run there and drew money. He sold tickets. I think there’s a possibility that could happen down the road. I’m not in that circle. I’m not leaking any information that I shouldn’t be talking about out of school. But I just think it makes too much common sense that once these COVID issues have been better addressed globally, I think that could happen. It may not be this year. But I think somewhere down the road. We’re not going away. They’re not going away. So when the time is right, you never know. I think it’d be fun for the fans,” he said.

AEW stars like Jericho and Jon Moxley were often making the trip to Japan for major events before the pandemic shut things down. Other AEW stars such as The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega have it in their contract that they can still work for NJPW.