Tony Khan Reveals How AEW Got the Trademark to Bash at the Beach

AEW made the surprise announcement on Monday that the company would host a nine-day event in [...]

By Connor Casey

AEW made the surprise announcement on Monday that the company would host a nine-day event in mid-January called Bash at the Beach, comprised of two episodes of AEW Dynamite and Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea: Part Deux wrestling cruise. The announcement came as a bit of a shock, given that Bash at the Beach was a staple of WCW's annual schedule in the 1990s and was scooped up by WWE when the company bought WCW's assets back in the early 2000s. However, as Tony Khan explained in an interview with Wrestling Inc. this week, the copyright had quietly lapsed, giving Cody Rhodes the chance to apply for it.

"Cody went on a trademark binge one night and he texted me the next day like, 'Conrad and I were up all night trademarking stuff.' And I was like, 'What? Okay!' One of the things that came out of it was Bash at the Beach, lo and behold. So, when he said that we thought of a way we could use it at some point."

Khan said the group decided that it would be fun to have a summer-themed event down in Florida in January while it's freezing in most of the country. He also added that he wants to show to now become synonymous with AEW.

WCW's first Bash at the Beach event took place in July 1994, featuring a WCW World Heavyweight Championship match between Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. The event is well-known for two reasons, one great and one terrible. The 1996 edition of the show saw Hulk Hogan make his shocking heel turn and align himself with The Outsiders, forming the New World Order and causing WCW's popularity to explode. Meanwhile the final edition of Bash at the Beach in 2000 is regarded as one of the most infamous pay-per-views of all time. The show included Jeff Jarrett laying down for Hulk Hogan in a world title match, Hogan shooting on the WCW failing as a company and Vince Russo running out and cutting a promo on Hogan that would result in a lawsuit and "The Hulkster" leaving the company for good.

"AEW's Bash at the Beach events will deliver nine unforgettable days of wrestling and much more from the hottest company in the business today," AEW World Champion said in the press release. "Thousands of the Friends Of Jericho onboard the SOLD OUT 'Rock N Wrestling Rager At Sea' will have the experience of their lives, and now millions more will be able to watch AEW Dynamite along with us, as we break out the bubbly together from Miami to the Bahamas."

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