A top star in NJPW has a pitch that Tony Khan would definitely say no to.
The past 5 years of AEW have seen the promotion push the boundaries of what is deemed too far in professional wrestling. With thumbtacks, barbed wire deathmatches and hypodermic needles, Khan has previously admitted that he does book for the sickos and frequently presents hardcore matches on TV and pay-per-view. However, when it comes to stepping inside the ring himself, Khan has been a lot more reserved.
Unlike other owners and authority figures, Khan has stayed away from the physicality with the exception being the Dynamite segment with The Young Bucks and Jack Perry. With this in mind, it is unlikely that Khan would accept a challenge from David Finlay.
Speaking with NJPW, Finlay was asked about the upcoming Wrestle Dynasty show, which will take place the day after Wrestle Kingdom 19 and feature talent from AEW and Ring of Honor. When asked if he had any issues wrestling any AEW stars on the show, the IWGP Global Champion responded that at one point he wanted to face Khan in a cage match with the billionaire’s money on the line:
“I had the brief idea of wrestling Tony Khan in a Dog Pound Cage Match for all of his money, but I doubt he’s brave enough. I’ve beaten all there is to beat, so I have no issues. The one match I might think of is never going to happen for any number of reasons.”
When asked further about his comments, Finlay alluded to a NJPW ban in place, which could be in reference to Jay White, who Finlay attacked during The Switchblade’s farewell address in February 2023:
Well, if our President Hiroshi Tanahashi was brave enough to lift a certain ban, and if a certain person would have the balls to come over, then I think there is a certain match people would want to see. If Tanahashi could lift a ban for one night so that I could face a certain somebody and banish them to never be seen again, maybe there’s something there. I don’t think Tony Khan wants to see another one of his toys smashed so I don’t see it happening though.
Tony Khan Compares AEW To Star Wars
In a stark contrast of show endings, All In 2024 concluded with the feel-good moment of Bryan Danielson winning the World Championship while All Out had a darker feel with the violent angles playing out in the final portion of the show. In a recent interview, Tony Khan likened All In and All Out to 2 movies from the Star Wars franchise.