Tony Khan is standing by the now-infamous nail bat spot from Jon Moxleys brutal AEW Dynamite match against Adam Copelandbut not everyones convinced it moved the needle like he claims.
Khan recently appeared on the Way Of The Blade podcast and doubled down on the March 19 moment where Moxley was suplexed onto Copes barbed wire bat, Spike. When Mox had the spike bat in his back, that was a great wrestling moment, Khan said. It was memorable, it helped drive box office for us It went viral. Its one of the most-watched videos of the year in AEW. He also credited it with pulling in casual fans, saying it made new fans and created interest. It was on TMZ.
But in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer wasnt sold on that narrative. While he acknowledged the match between Moxley and Copeland pulled the highest 1849 demo rating of the year, he attributed that to the fact it was a street fight featuring two major starsnot the nail bat stunt.
I dont see any evidence it drove box office business, Meltzer wrote. It did the highest 18-49 rating, but that was because it was a world title match not because of the spot. Nobody knew about the spot. He admitted it did do strong YouTube numbers but brushed it off as a freak show thingnot a long-term fan engagement driver.
While Moxleys next title defense is set for May 14 at AEW Dynamite: Beach Break against Samoa Joe, its clear the debate over AEWs creative directionespecially when it comes to shock valuerages on.
Love it or hate it, AEW isnt shying away from wild, bloody momentsand Tony Khan clearly thinks those moments are paying off. But with Dave Meltzer throwing cold water on those claims, it raises real questions about whats actually drawing in fans versus whats just going viral for the sake of it. Either way, Moxleys back may have healed, but this debate definitely hasnt.
Do you think moments like the nail bat spot help AEW grow, or are they just for shock and clicks? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
