Tony Khan names three NJPW wrestlers he’d like to see make AEW debut
Tony Khan has a few specific NJPW names in mind that he’d like to see make their AEW debuts.
While speaking with Q101 Radio in Chicago, Khan said he’s “very interested” in bringing NJPW rookie Aaron Wolf to AEW for the first time. He’s also a fan of former IWGP Tag Team Champions the Knockout Brothers (Yuto-Ice & OSKAR) and would like for them to make their first AEW appearance.
“Well, I actually am very interested in that,” Khan responded when asked if there have been any conversations about Wolf competing in AEW. “There were a number of wrestlers I really wanted to come [to Forbidden Door 2026] that did not have the visas or were not in New Japan’s plans to send over. Aaron Wolf and the Knockout Brothers, I really want to get over here. And a number of those people were not sent over, but I’d like to work with them in the future. So I really like Aaron Wolf, and I really like the Knockout Brothers.”
Wolf, an Olympic gold medalist in judo, made his pro wrestling debut for NJPW at the start of 2026 and is already on his second reign as NEVER Openweight Champion. He’ll be competing in his first-ever G1 Climax tournament this summer.
Both Knockout Brothers are also making their G1 debuts this year. A standout tag team, Yuto-Ice & OSKAR reportedly drew WWE interest near the start of 2026 before deciding to stay with NJPW.
Wolf (30 years old), Yuto-Ice (29), and OSKAR (27) are some of the younger wrestlers NJPW is building up as the promotion enters a new era following Hiroshi Tanahashi’s in-ring retirement.
Collaborating with NJPW —
When asked how booking a show like Forbidden Door works, Khan told Q101 that there is a lot of texting and emailing back and forth about which talent will be featured. Khan said NJPW is a very honest partner and keeps their word, and NJPW is doing a good job of developing young talent even if some of those names haven’t made it over to AEW yet.
Khan said injuries also impacted the plans for Forbidden Door 2026, with NJPW’s Callum Newman and Tomohiro Ishii both slotted on the card before that had to change.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.