With the AEW Continental Classic reaching its climax at Worlds End, AEW President Tony Khan has opened up about the meticulous planning—and necessary adjustments—required to book the round-robin tournament.
In an interview with TV Insider, Khan explained his strategy for selecting the field, noting that the process begins weeks in advance. However, the physical nature of the sport means plans are constantly evolving.
“I evaluate the health of the wrestlers and then make necessary changes to the draft I made before Full Gear in the months of October and November,” Khan said. “I work through the scenarios. There was an injury this year that led to a lot of changes to scheduling.”
That injury belonged to Darby Allin, who was forced to withdraw from the tournament after his first match against Kevin Knight. Khan praised Allin’s toughness but stood by the medical decision to pull him.
“He didn’t want to be taken out. The doctors felt that he shouldn’t continue. It was certainly from an accumulation of injuries from all the crazy things he has done… I always love spending time with Darby, but I hadn’t planned to spend my Thanksgiving morning in the hospital with Darby.”
Khan revealed that replacing Allin with Jack Perry required him to completely restructure the tournament schedule.
“With Darby being injured, and Jack coming in, it absolutely changed the schedule around… One injury can change anything, but there are multiple silver linings… ‘Jungle’ Jack has been a fantastic replacement.”
