Bennett’s appreciation for AEW doesn’t just stem from the space the company gives for talent’s lives. He recalled the aftermath of the passing of Jay Briscoe solidifying his pride in AEW and the happiness he felt about the memorials held on AEW and Ring of Honor programming and AEW President Tony Khan’s handling of everything.

“I remember about a week after Jay’s services and everything, and after just seeing the way AEW handled it but more importantly the way Tony [Khan] handled everything, I remember I looked at Maria [Kanellis-Bennett] and I said, ‘I don’t think I ever want to work for another wrestling company besides this.’ Because of the way, Tony treats us like people, like we’re not just pawns on a chessboard. To know that there’s a person in charge that’s saying, ‘This matters,’ I looked at my wife and I was like, ‘I don’t want to work for someone who doesn’t have that empathy.’ And that empathy goes a long way. […] It’s been a rollercoaster ride since January, I’m just thankful for the people I’ve had around me to get through this. I love Jay, I loved him to death. […] It’s been special, it’s been hard. But I’m so proud that I work for a company like Ring of Honor and AEW in a situation like this.”

If you use quotes from this article, please credit “AEW Unrestricted” with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.