Forbidden Door did not come together without some headaches, and Tony Khan is now pulling back the curtain on a few of them.
During his Q101 interview with Case, Khan was asked how AEW goes about getting international names for a show like Forbidden Door. The answer was exactly what you would expect from a card packed with AEW, New Japan, Stardom and CMLL names: a ton of texts, emails, changes and backup plans. Khan said the process starts with talent he wants and matches that could work, but injuries and availability can wreck the plan fast.
“Yeah, it’s a lot of texting and emails about people I’m interested in, matches that could be possible. There were plans to use Callum Newman and the United Empire, and when Callum Newman got injured, they held him back from the show. So, that was a major change, and we made the best of that.”
That was not the only change. Khan also said Tomohiro Ishii was originally slotted for the Death’s Door steel cage match, but that plan changed too.
“Whether it was injuries with Callum Newman or Tomohiro Ishii, who I would have loved to have had participate in the main event action in the show, we had several big fights. And one of those great fights was the Death’s Door steel cage match, and originally I had slotted Ishii to participate in that.”
Even with the problems, Khan had nothing bad to say about New Japan. He said the company has been straight with AEW and kept its word during the process.
“Of course, a number of injuries and changes, but throughout the process, I really do enjoy working with New Japan Pro Wrestling. They’re very honest and keep their word. Even though they have a lot of young wrestlers that haven’t been over here yet and worked with us, I think they have been developing a lot of good young talent.”
Khan also gave credit to Stardom and CMLL for helping round out the show, making it clear those partnerships still matter in a big way.
“I’m excited to work with New Japan more and more. Also to partner with Stardom on this show and CMLL. They added a lot, and I’m very excited about those partnerships.”
So while Forbidden Door looked loaded on paper, the version fans saw was not the first draft. Callum Newman and Tomohiro Ishii were both part of plans that changed, and AEW had to adjust on the fly. That is the messy part of booking a massive international wrestling card. Names can be wanted, matches can be planned, and then injuries or travel issues can blow the whole thing up.
What do you think about the Forbidden Door changes Tony Khan revealed? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know if you would have wanted to see Tomohiro Ishii in the Death’s Door steel cage match.
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