In the aftermath of a contentious title unification match at AEW’s All In event, company president Tony Khan addressed the controversial finish that saw Kazuchika Okada become the inaugural AEW Unified Champion. The explanation came during the post-show press conference, where Khan clarified the ruling and issued a stern warning regarding future championship bouts.
The second match of the 2025 All In triple main event featured a high-stakes clash between then-International Champion Kenny Omega and Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada. After a grueling thirty-minute contest, Okada secured the pinfall victory with a Rainmaker. However, the win was marked by repeated interference from Don Callis, who at one point pulled the referee from the ring and physically assaulted him.
Khan justified the referee’s final decision, which did not include a disqualification, by citing the specific rules under which the match was contested.
“We did it under AEW rules. In this case, for AEW rules, the referee’s decision is final,” Khan explained, directly addressing Callis at the media scrum. “The referee had no way of knowing who pulled him out of the ring or who did anything after you [Callis] incapacitated them.”
The AEW president then established a critical precedent for the new title. Had the match been contested solely under Continental rules, which forbid any outside interference, the outcome would have been different.
“If we had been under Continental rules, I would have fired you for that. Going forward, as the Unified Champion, the prevailing rules will be the Continental rules, so there will never be outside interference ever again in a Unified Championship match, now that the Continental rules apply, with the Continental Champion winning.”
Okada’s victory on July 12, 2025, represents the peak of his rapid ascent in AEW since leaving New Japan Pro-Wrestling earlier in the year. After joining the company, he captured the AEW Continental Championship in March and has been a central figure in major storylines, culminating in this historic title unification against his legendary rival, Kenny Omega.