Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks did an interview with Nuclear Convoy to talk about the AEW about the working agreement with Oriental Wrestling Entertainment (OWE). Below are highlights from that interview:
Tell me the story of what led to AEW having a working agreement with OWE: What attracted you to the promotion?
"Immediately when I saw a couple of gifs of the OWE guys on Twitter, I was attracted. So, I looked up more clips and did research on them. I quickly learned my old friend CIMA, who I'd made friends with years ago in Japan, was affiliated with them. That made sense right away, because the clips I watched had a real Dragon Gate feel to it. Yet still, it looked and felt so original. Like a fight scene from an old Kung fu movie. I knew I'd one day work with these guys right away. I'm attracted to anything out of the ordinary."
It's no secret that OWE have had difficulties getting international work Visas for their Chinese talent, with only a handful of their roster who had been advertised to work abroad having actually fulfilled their international bookings. Has AEW worked through these hurdles, or does AEW have a plan in place to do so? Can fans expect to see Chinese OWE roster members at Double or Nothing?
"We are currently working on securing visas as we speak. We've got a great legal team behind us, with lots of wonderful resources. We are fully expecting to have OWE represented at Double Or Nothing!"
With an alliance like this in place so early in both companies life spans, AEW and OWE have a strong chance of leaving lasting impressions on each other. How much of a role do you see OWE's talent pool playing in these first few years of running AEW?
"I think it's vital to have something completely fresh and unseen by most eyes be one of the major highlights of our shows. We need to be different aesthetically, and OWE is just that. OWE will grab the audience's attention and deliver something most fans have never seen. I plan to have OWE be one of the first things on our show, because we've only got one first time impression, and we've got to make it a big one."
Is it likely that fans will see AEW talent working cards in China on OWE produced events in the near future? Is China a market you want AEW to expand into, long-term?
"That is definitely part of the plan in the foreseeable future. I've already had several members of our roster inquire about doing just that. The plan is to definitely expand into China, as it's one of the few untapped markets with tons of potential."
Jackson also discussed the flub over referring to CIMA's Strong Hearts OWE faction as "Good Hearts." You can read the whole interview here.