AEW Star QT Marshall recently appeared on the Wrestling Inc. Daily podcast, where he talked about how despite the pandemic, the company was still able to produce some of the greatest wrestling content in the world.
This is what QT Marshall said:
“We still continued to produce some of the greatest wrestling content in the world.”
QT Marshall also talked about how when he first started out as Cody Rhodes’ assistant there was a lot of work that needed to be done behind the scenes and he wanted to do as much as he could as he always wanted to only work in wrestling, but when he took the job as Cody’s assistant, it was very much like a developmental deal. Marshall also spoke about how he was already a producer at that point, but when the pandemic hit some of the EVPs couldn’t make it to work as they were in California.
This is what QT Marshall said:
“When I first started as Cody’s assistant there was a lot of work that needed to be done behind the scenes, and I kind of noticed that. I wanted to do as much as I can because with more work comes more responsibility, but also more money.”
“I’ve always wanted to only work in wrestling. When I took the job as Cody’s assistant, it was very much like a developmental deal. Just to see if I fit in and this and that and the other. I was already a producer at that point, but when the pandemic hit some of the EVPs couldn’t come to work because of the pandemic, they were in California.”
QT Marshall also talked about how he pitches ideas to AEW President and CEO Tony Khan and how he took over Cody Rhodes’ job of formatting the show and just going over everything prior to the show getting under way, but he is not creating the show or writing the show itself, just putting pen to paper.
This is what QT Marshall said:
“We go back and forth. It’s his show. It has always been his show.” “I’ve seen it firsthand, everyone pitches ideas. Myself included. He is the be-all and end-all, but he does need someone to put pen to paper. I don’t mind doing it. It was something I saw Cody doing so I took over formatting the show. Even if I formatted it with only the matches that were advertised, he is going to look at it and say, ‘let’s do this and that.’ We all have our part in it, but it is his show.”
“We do have nights like in Rochester. I got there and got to the hotel, and we were up until 5 or 6 a.m. just going over everything. I think about a lot of his ideas and putting them on paper and timing it out to see if it works. How we can all make sense. People are tweeting at me asking if [being called his assistant] bothers me. Why would it bother me? I’m his assistant. I try to stay in my lane. I don’t want people to say I’m writing the show. I’m physically writing. Typing the format. But creating a show is not what I do.”
QT Marshall also spoke about how he works in production as well as with talent as they pitch ideas to him, but Tony Khan is very open and he doesn’t mind talking to talent even during a show as he really loves being hands-on.
This is what QT Marshall said:
“If Malakai Black is coming in and has this cool entrance idea, I work with him.” “I work with production. We make it work. When it comes to talent, talent does pitch ideas to me because I guess they feel it’s easier for them to pitch to me. But Tony has an extremely open door policy. It’s crazy in fact how many people who can walk into his office any day of the week, especially on TV when we’re really busy. He loves it. He is very hands-on. I am the guy that takes a little bit of the load off without overstepping my bounds.”
QT Marshall then talked about instances when he doesn’t know something was happening and it will just come as a shock to him like when Tony Khan added a Buy-In Pre-Show to an episode of Rampage that went head-to-head against a Supersized WWE SmackDown.
This is what QT Marshall said:
“That came as a shock to me. I don’t know all that was happening.” “Those are his cards he keeps close to his chest. I believe they counter-programmed us first. They announced they were going to do an extra half hour because they were on FS1 and wanted to go against us. At the end of the day, it’s more content for the wrestling fan. Does it make you choose? Yeah, but that’s fun about it. Are we going to win? Who knows. I don’t think there is a winner or loser. I think the fans win automatically. It puts our wrestlers on a different level.”
“….Lee Moriarty got to be on a live Buy In. That’s a great experience for him and to be out there with a guy like Bobby Fish. Then you have a massive match with Bryan Danielson versus Minoru Suzuki. We’re giving it to you for free because that is what we want to do. Our pay-per-view model is not the be-all-end-all. It’s about creating good content for the fans. That is what Tony wants to do. For him, the way people are taking it. Is he is trying to go against WWE? You can say that. That’s how it looks and maybe deep down it’s what he wants. At the end of the day, I think he is just trying to put out the greatest show possible and get the most eyes on it as well.”
You can check out QT Marshall’s comments in the video below:
