During Thursday’s media call to promote Sunday night’s AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door II pay-per-view event, AEW President Tony Khan commented on the big injury bug that hit the company last year, which saw many of AEW’s top names miss in-ring time. He said,
“The rapport that’s been built, I already had a really good connection with Rocky, but Gedo and I were getting to know each other better last year and now I feel really close to Gedo, we’re friends and have a great relationship. He was in the office with me and working [at AEW Dynamite]. It was great to have him there. I really like Gedo and respect him. On the business side, I’ve built a stronger connection with Ohbari-san [NJPW President Takami Ohbari]. He’s done a great job with the New Japan Pro-Wrestling office and the business side. I love working with both of them. This year, thankfully, knock on wood, we are not as injury bitten as we were last year at this time. Last year was the most challenging run of injuries that I’ve ever been through in any sport. This is my 12th year in the NFL, I’ve spent seven years as the director of Football with Fulham and now with AEW for four years, never have I seen anything like what happened last year between Double or Nothing and Forbidden Door in terms of huge stars getting injury in all different kind of ways. The injury bug truly hit us hard.“
