Bishop Kaun has offered a revealing account of how The Demand came together in AEW, saying that he and Toa Liona did not simply wait to be selected for Ricochet’s new unit. In Kaun’s view, they made themselves impossible to overlook.
The Demand consists of Ricochet, Kaun and Liona, and the trio are former AEW World Trios Champions. Speaking on The Certified Mark Show, Kaun described a period in which he and Liona believed Ricochet was looking to establish a faction. Rather than assume the opening belonged to someone else, the Gates of Agony pairing identified it as an opportunity they had to seize.
Kaun’s central point was clear: he believes The Demand became their group because he and Liona performed with enough urgency to change the plan.
“Honestly, we forced his hand,” Kaun said when asked how he and Liona came to be paired with Ricochet.
For more background on this topic, read Orange Cassidy Explains How AEW Landed Both ‘Jane’ and ‘Where Is My Mind?’.
Kaun and Liona saw an opening
Kaun said the process began when he and Liona saw Ricochet delivering a promo that suggested he was in the market for allies. They began assessing possible names who could fit alongside Ricochet, but quickly decided that they should not be observers in that conversation. They wanted the roles for themselves.
“We saw him cutting this promo,” Kaun recalled. “It was like, hey, he’s looking for people. He wants to start this group, he needs a faction, and Toa and I were just looking at the landscape. We were like, ‘Okay, here’s possible people that could be in this group with him.’ Nah, that’s ours for the taking.”
The comments put a competitive spin on the formation of the group. Kaun did not frame the pairing as a routine creative assignment or a case of waiting for management to present a direction. Instead, he described himself and Liona recognizing a vacancy and making the case in the ring that they were the right men for it.
That mindset was also rooted in the way Kaun sees the position of his team. He said that every match had felt especially important for him and Liona, with the pair believing they needed to produce whenever they were given an opportunity. Kaun said they have continued to feel underappreciated despite the time they have spent in AEW.
“Every time Toa and I wrestle, our backs are against the wall. We can’t mess up. We have to show out every single time,” Kaun said. “We feel like we are still not respected after being here for how many years.”
A match with Ricochet on commentary became the audition
The key moment, as Kaun tells it, came during a match that Ricochet called from the commentary desk. Kaun and Liona understood the setting as more than another bout on their schedule. They saw it as a direct opportunity to demonstrate what they could bring to the proposed faction.
Kaun said the plan between himself and Liona was straightforward: perform at their highest level, make Ricochet take notice, and take the spot rather than allow another pair of wrestlers to claim it. His recollection emphasized the confidence both men brought into that match.
“Hey, we gotta show out for this guy,” Kaun said he and Liona told each other. “We need to show him and we’re gonna take this opportunity, and no, we’re in this group with him.”
Following the match, Kaun said, a producer pulled the two men aside backstage and informed them that the three-man combination had been decided. Kaun said Ricochet wanted them in the group because they had impressed him.
For Kaun, the message was a validation of the approach. He responded by saying he already knew they had impressed Ricochet, adding that they had been “beating ass” and had genuinely forced the issue.
The account gives The Demand an origin story built around performance and initiative. Kaun and Liona were not merely positioned as muscle beside Ricochet after the fact. In Kaun’s telling, their work in the ring was the decisive reason they became part of the act in the first place.
Kaun believes other wrestlers were originally in line
The most intriguing portion of Kaun’s comments came when he addressed the possibility that Ricochet may have initially been intended to join forces with two other talents. Kaun said he believes there were two other people planned for the roles that he and Liona ultimately took.
“I think it was supposed to be two other guys — nah — we stepped over them, got our spot,” Kaun said.
When asked whether he knew the identities of those two wrestlers, Kaun did not offer names. He did, however, give a pointed answer that may be significant in light of The Demand’s current on-screen relationships.
“I mean, I think they’re in our group right now actually…”
Kaun’s wording leaves room for interpretation. He did not explicitly identify the wrestlers, nor did he confirm a specific original plan. His suggestion is that the people he believes may once have been under consideration are now associated with The Demand in some capacity.
That observation naturally draws attention to Lethal Twist: Jay Lethal, Blake Christian and Lee Johnson. The trio are the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions and have an on-screen alliance with The Demand. Kaun did not say which, if any, members of Lethal Twist were the two people he had in mind, so any attempt to assign names to his remark would be speculation.
Still, the connection provides useful context for the present dynamic around The Demand. Ricochet, Kaun and Liona sit at the center of the group, while their alliance with Lethal Twist has expanded their circle and created the possibility of coordinated numbers around them. Kaun’s interview comments add an additional layer to that association without settling exactly how the plans may have evolved.
The Demand’s formation reflects Kaun’s outlook
Beyond the question of who may or may not have been considered before them, Kaun’s story speaks to how he and Liona approach their work. He repeatedly returned to the idea that their circumstances demand urgency. If they believe they are not receiving the level of respect they have earned, then each match becomes a chance to alter that perception.
That outlook is especially relevant to a wrestler’s place within a faction. Groups can quickly define a performer’s television role, the opponents they face and the stakes available to them. Kaun described he and Liona as understanding that Ricochet’s need for a faction could change their trajectory, then treating their match in front of him as an audition they could not afford to waste.
The result was The Demand, a trio that went on to hold the AEW World Trios Championship. Kaun’s comments do not diminish the value of Ricochet’s role in the group; rather, they underline how strongly Kaun and Liona wanted to stand beside him. They believed they fit the need, then worked to prove it.
It also helps explain the assertive tone Kaun used in looking back at the situation. His description was not diplomatic or hesitant. He plainly stated that he and Liona “stepped over” other potential choices and took the places they wanted. Whether there was a formal earlier configuration or simply internal consideration of alternatives, Kaun’s perspective is that the Gates of Agony pairing earned the final spot through their own efforts.
What remains unanswered
Kaun’s interview leaves one notable question unresolved: who were the two wrestlers he thinks were originally set to align with Ricochet? His answer points toward people now within The Demand’s orbit, but it does not amount to a public identification. Lethal Twist’s alliance with the group makes the connection understandable, yet Kaun did not specify Jay Lethal, Blake Christian, Lee Johnson, or anyone else.
That uncertainty is part of what makes the comments compelling. The public story of The Demand is already established through Ricochet, Kaun and Liona’s work together and their prior reign as AEW World Trios Champions. Kaun has now added his own behind-the-scenes perspective: the group, as it exists, was something he and Liona pursued aggressively rather than an outcome they expected to be handed.
For Kaun, the takeaway is simple. He and Liona saw the possibility of joining Ricochet, delivered when it mattered, and convinced the right person that they belonged. In his words, they forced the decision.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.