AEW President Tony Khan has made it clear that he has no desire to ever get physically involved in an on-screen angle again. In a recent interview with Yahoo Finance, Khan stated that his one experience being attacked in the ring was \"enough to keep me out for life.\"
The incident Khan is referring to occurred on the April 24, 2024, episode of AEW Dynamite. During that show, he was attacked by Jack Perry and The Young Bucks, with the angle culminating in Khan taking a spike piledriver from The Elite. The storyline resulted in him wearing a neck brace on television for several weeks.
Khan compared his ideal on-screen role to that of an NFL commissioner, a figure who facilitates the game but is not the center of attention.
“When you watch an NFL football game, it’s not 47 minutes of Roger [Goodell], and you don’t need to see 47 minutes of me on Dynamite. Nor do you ever really see me on the show. As the matchmaker and the promoter, I’m a device on the show. And one time, I was attacked — and I am very lucky to be sitting here with you right now, Brian. One year ago, I survived the deadliest move in pro wrestling: the spike piledriver... it’s banned in several states. It’s illegal in the state of Tennessee, it’s illegal in Mexico. I don’t want to necessarily get into the ring. My one time — I got tricked and attacked in the ring — is enough to keep me out for life.”
