AEW has built its first three years on a number of elements. One of those elements has been its willingness to open what wrestling has dubbed the forbidden door. First through its work with Impact, and then via a working relationship with New Japan. That relationship even led to a pretty great Forbidden Door PPV earlier this year.
The WWE/New Japan Rumors
AEW's work with New Japan dates back a lot further than the joint PPV, though. Big plans were unfolding between the two companies in 2021, and wrestlers contracted to AEW were competing in New Japan even before that. That's why when what appeared to be pretty strong rumors suggested WWE and New Japan were about to strike up a working relationship, Tony Khan was a little worried.
Khan actually admitted he was concerned while speaking with Ariel Helwani this week (H/T to Fightful for the transcription). “I had active plans with New Japan... I had plans for Yuji Nagata to come in and challenge for the IWGP US Championship, and Mox, one of my biggest stars, is their US Champion,” Khan explained. “I called and I asked [Rocky Romero], I said, ‘Rock, what’s going on? Is it true you guys are talking with them? And if so, do you still want to do all of the stuff?'.”
Tony Khan Spoke To Nick Khan
Romero confirmed that there was no truth to the rumors, and that's what led Khan to cut what quickly became an infamous promo on his WWE namesake, Nick Khan. The AEW boss referred to Nick as a con man live on Dynamite. Addressing that promo with Helwani, Tony admitted he has actually spoken to Nick about that. “I don’t wanna get into it, if I may. I haven’t met him, but I have talked to him. I did tell him, that’s what it was .”
As for whether the most forbidden door of all, the one between AEW and WWE, will ever be kicked down, this story only makes that seem even more unlikely. Tony admitted earlier this year that he hoped it might one day be possible under the new regime, but that hope has since been all but extinguished. Comments likely fueled by the rumors WWE has been attempting to sign back wrestlers contracted to AEW since its backstage reshuffle.
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