Tony Khan Talks Sammy Guevara’s Return From Suspension

AEW President and CEO Tony Khan recently spoke with Sports Illustrated, about the return of Sammy Guevara during last night’s AEW Dynamite.

Guevara was suspended last month after comments he made from 2016 on a podcast surfaced online. In the comment, he said he wanted to rape Sasha Banks. The ‘joke’ was in completely bad taste. 

Khan confirmed Guevara completed sensitivity training and was without pay for 30 days. Guevara later apologized to Banks in private and on social media. He has been off social media since.

Khan On Sammy’s Suspension

“Sammy completed four weeks of extensive sensitivity training, and his curriculum included subject matters of tolerance, gender, race relations, and why people’s words matter. During his suspension, he was very contrite. I asked him to use that time to try and become a better person, and I think he did. Sammy was off television for a month and suspended without pay for 30 days, and I think it was the right time for Sammy to come back because he’s shown that he’s very sorry and that he can change. He’s spent every day over the past month trying to prove that.”

Khan On What Sammy Has Done During Suspension

“The Women’s Center of Jacksonville put out a very nice statement about how this terrible situation has turned into a positive. Sammy completed the entire curriculum we put out in front of him. He was clearly committed to change.”

Khan On Guevara Having To Earn Reinstatement

“I meant what I said about re-evaluating his status with the company based on his conduct. Sammy needed to make a lot of strides to keep his job and make amends for stuff he shouldn’t have said. None of us knew he said those things, and it’s stuff that was years old, but that doesn’t make it right. I think Sammy was very happy to have an opportunity to apologize, publicly and privately, and do something to turn a terrible comment he made into something positive.”