The main event of this week’s Dynamite saw Samoa Joe becoming the new ROH TV champion. This win, however, was overshadowed by the debut of Satnam Singh.
The Indian star joined forces with Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal. They attacked the new champion. The whole angle received mixed reactions from the fans.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recently talked about Singh’s AEW debut. He mentioned that Tony Khan’s idea was to shoot an angle that would be a breakthrough in the Indian market:
“As part of the first week after the Discovery merger, Tony Khan wanted to shoot an angle that would be a breakthrough in that market using someone of some renown in that country”
The wrestling journalist noted that Satnam Singh will be managed by Sonjay Dutt. This pair will be used to promote the company in India.
Singh is the only Indian-born player to be ever drafted by NBA. The giant was a second-round draft choice of the Dallas Mavericks in 2015.
Author’s Note: While the idea to use an Indian origin talent to promote the company in the country is great, AEW first needs to create some brand awareness in India.
The Discovery-owned Eurosport channel was rebranded in March 2020. It doesn’t have the same reach as their WWE counterpart, Sony Ten Network channels.
WWE hasn’t been regular with their promotion in India. AEW has many known faces in their roster they can use to promote the show as an alternative wrestling product. They can send in some stars on tours to garner media attention.
In the time Satnam Singh completes his training, this tactic can be used to increase the recognization of AEW. This will help them maximise the buzz around him when Singh is ready to be pushed properly.