Tony Khan Confirms Backstage Politics Resulted In AEW Rampage Match
Tony Khan has been making proverbial chicken salad over the past few weeks.
Heading into a joint pay-per-view with New Japan Pro Wrestling — while also having a working relationship with AAA — has caught the AEW President in something of a sticky wicket. NJPW has a dedicated lucha libre partner in CMLL, a promotion that's had a longstanding feud with AAA, and the Forbidden Door card has been caught in the middle, with numerous AAA talent pulled from planned matches.
"I'm excited for tonight," Khan said in Friday's media call. Rolling with the punches and dealing with the "challenges" of wrestling politics has "been different" for the promoter, but reshaping the Forbidden Door card has helped make a much more exciting weekend for fans, as "tonight on Rampage you're gonna see one of the best TV matches out there" in the form of Andrade vs. Rey Fenix.
"It's a pay-per-view quality match," Khan continued, "But because of the politics of pro wrestling it didn't make sense in the PPV necessarily. But that's okay." Khan thought it would be "a really cool thing for the fans" to head into the Forbidden Door weekend with such a great match, and that it's also a great opportunity for the wrestlers. "Give 'em the opening of Rampage," Khan said of their placement on the show, "and I think Andrade and Rey Fenix are gonna tear the house down."
Rey Fenix, Andrade El Idolo, Rush, and Penta Oscuro were all removed from Forbidden Door, despite existing plans for the wrestlers. The politics of the situation becomes even muddier with the announcement that AAA Tag Team Champions FTR will be competing for NJPW's IWGP Tag Team Championship, and AAA Mixed-Tag Champion Sammy Guevara is set to team with NJPW's Minoru Suzuki.
Khan, however, says he likes everyone involved, "even if they don't work with each other."
"They're all cool with me," he claimed.