In 2021, former Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo burst onto the scene in AEW alongside QT Marshall to have a brief feud with Cody Rhodes. During an interview with ITR Wrestling, Ogogo noted that WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page introduced him to Rhodes, since he’s the godfather to his daughter, which set him on the path to AEW. 

“I told Cody the story, the Olympics, my eye injury, my mother not being well at the start of the Games [Olympics],” he recalled. Unfortunately, Ogogo’s mother suffered a brain aneurysm weeks before his Olympic match in 2012. Then, years later, he’d also suffer a severe eye injury during his fight against Craig Cunningham on October 22, 2016, rendering him legally blind.

“Cody was like ‘Damn, that’s a good story, you’re an athlete, you look good, you have pedigree, and one of the best boxers on the planet,” he said. Ogogo then noted that Rhodes spoke to Tony Khan, who he met before the first Double Or Nothing at a Fulham vs. Newcastle game, where they chatted the whole game. “He said listen I have got this for you and then offered me a contract. It was a wonderful day,” he recalled. Ogogo noted that Khan has been pivotal to the wrestling industry, and that he now gets to live the dream because of this.

Back in 2022, Ogogo’s grandmother passed away, and while telling Khan about the funeral proceeds for her, the two of them shared a touching moment. “He teared up for me that I lost my grandmother. He said, ‘Go take the time you want and just be there for your family,'” Ogogo recalled.