Tony Khan Talks Daniel Garcia Contract Negotiations With AEW; Confirms New Deal

Daniel Garcia took his time when deciding to re-sign with AEW & Tony Khan completely understands the rationale.

Daniel Garcia is going to be dancing on Dynamite for years to come / Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

All Elite Wrestling CEO Tony Khan has confirmed that Daniel Garcia is under contract with AEW for years to come.

Rumors had been circulating for week's about contract negations between Garcia and AEW, and whether or not he may jump ship to WWE.

All that speculation was put to bed Tuesday night when Daniel made a surprise appearance on the 10/8 episode of AEW Dynamite and made the announcement that he would be staying in AEW.

The Takedown on SI had a chance to ask Tony Khan about signing Garcia to a contract extension during his WrestleDream media call on Wednesday.

“I was so thrilled to be able to extend Danny's contract and have Danny stay in AEW for years to come,” Khan said. “It's great news for the AEW wrestlers, the staff, for Danny himself personally and his family and for the fans. So, I think it's great and that was one of the things I was very, very excited about this week and going into the future, getting Danny's contract settled.”

The last real update on Garcia's contract situation came from the Wrestling Observer, who noted that terms of a new deal had not been reached prior to Daniel's match with MJF at All Out in Chicago.

The lack of a long-term commitment on Garcia's end reportedly played a major factor in MJF going over in their match, but there was no ill will from Tony Khan throughout the negotiation process.

Run it back?! 👀

Watch #AEWDynamite Title Tuesday LIVE on TBS!@GarciaWrestling | @K_Shibata2022 pic.twitter.com/YtPrP4rrDP

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 9, 2024

"I completely understand why he wanted to take some time before making a really important decision in his life and career. It's a life changing decision and I understand why somebody would wanna reflect on these things, especially with something like a major contract here looming.”

Tony Khan could not wait to put Garcia in major spots on AEW programming when he first signed him away from the independent scene three years ago. He knew he was an extremely talented kid then and getting the chance to watch him develop of the years has been a great joy.

"That's one of the great things about sports. When you bring in young stars, you get to watch them develop throughout their careers. And when Danny came in, he immediately was in there in big positions on our TV shows, wrestling top stars. And I think that showed the confidence that I had in him and AEW had in Danny from the very beginning. And he's continued to grow and develop and really built a connection with the fans.”

MORE: 10 Best AEW Dynamite Matches Of All Time

Khan believes that Garcia really started to flourish during this year's Continental Classic, despite not winning the tournament. Garcia has also earned the admiration of many veterans in the locker room, like Bryan Danielson and FTR.

"Works hard and loves AEW," Khan said. "Wants to be here and is a positive, positive person in the locker room and just spreads joy in the company and to the fans. That's exactly the kind of person that you want to keep in AEW."

You can follow Rick Ucchino on X and on Instagram: @RickUcchino

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