"2020 was the worst" - Tony Khan on how Brodie Lee's untimely passing impacted AEW
AEW was hit hard when Mr. Brodie Lee suddenly passed away nearly 2 years ago. Despite his passing, the promotion had to go on.
However, Tony Khan recently opened up about the death the late-TNT Champion's impact had on the promotion.
Brodie Lee's death at 41-years-old sent shockwaves through the wrestling industry back in 2020. The the wake of his passing, wrestlers from all promotions shared touching stories of the late-star, and just how much he influenced their careers.
During an interview on The Walkway to Fight Club, Tony Khan reflected on Brodie Lee's passing.
"Mr. Brodie Lee was such an important person to us in AEW. (…) Losing him at the end of the year (2020) really capped off what was the hardest year in the worst possible way," Tony Khan said. "We all celebrate Jon Huber and his life every day, and I think about Brodie all the time, on a daily basis." (19:35 onward)
Imagine AEW tonight is gonna be a tough one in many ways, but it’s awesome we can keep Brodie Lee’s memory alive and celebrate what he achieved. Too easy to move on from this stuff sometimes. https://t.co/XlEEjmqzE8
Tony Khan continued, noting how 2022's wave of injuries had an impact on AEW but noted that the promotion is in a much better space compared to 2020.
"I do think this [year] has been a challenge with some of the top stars [getting injured], but overall in 2020, the show had never been number one, once. We’ve done it many times since then, including six out of the last seven weeks. But seriously, 2020 was the worst in many ways, but then 2020 ended up being a really important year for the company as a business, but on a personal level it was just really hard here." (20:27 onward)
All Elite Wrestling has clearly taken a hit after numerous injuries leading up to the Forbidden Door PPV. However, as the stars continue to return, could the perception of the promotion shift again?
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Brodie Lee Jr. recently opened up about how he believes his late-father would have reacted to his role in AEW
During the special "Brodie Lee Celebration of Life" AEW Dynamite episode, fans were introduced to his son, now donning a mask and calling himself Negative One.
Since then, the 10-year old has made a handful of appearances in the promotion alongside The Dark Order, teasing an eventual debut when he's grown up.
While speaking to Men's Health alongside his mother, the 10-year old Brodie Lee Jr. commented on his mom saying that Brodie Snr. would have hated how quickly his son was getting into wrestling.
“I bet if he was here, he would probably change his mind,” Brodie Jr. said. “He just wanted me to be happy. If he were here, to have him see me be in the happiest place, me being in the happiest mood, I feel like that would brighten up his day.” (H/T: Men's Health)
Did #TheFactory's @QTMarshall just challenge Negative 1 to a fight?! #AEWDynamite is LIVE on @TBSNetwork! https://t.co/RdtlpFOxpX
With the amount of support the promising star gets in the wrestling industry, he might just follow in his father's footsteps.
While Brodie Jr. is still far from turning 18, could the 10-year-old eventually make his debut and carry on his father's legacy?