AEW star unhappy with recent backstage decision, feels Tony Khan should have included him in historic tournament

AEW recently held the historic Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, and Brian Pillman Jr. believes he shouldn't have been excluded from it.

Owen Hart was one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling during the 1990s, following hot on the heels of his older brother, Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Tragically, Owen lost his life during a live WWE episode and was hardly ever mentioned on WWE TV again. AEW, through the blessing of his wife Martha, held a tournament in honor of his legacy.

During his recent appearance on the Counted Out podcast, Brian Pillman Jr. praised the athletes involved. Despite this, Pillman Jr. lamented the fact that he wasn't included, especially due to his late father's ties to Owen.

“I’ll just go ahead and say straight up that I wish I was in it. I wasn’t too upset about it at first. There’s a lot of great talent in there and a lot of people that were on a whole other level to me. But looking back, I just wish that he had viewed me in a better way to want to use me for it. In my opinion, it was a no-brainer.” - (H/T: WrestlingINC)

Pillman Jr. hasn't had much success in All Elite Wrestling as of late, as he's lost every televised match since after the December 8, 2021 episode of Dynamite. The Varsity Blonds have been more successful during their appearances on DARK, however, despite how more fans watch the televised shows instead.

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Brian Pillman Jr. pointed out that none of the AEW stars had any direct connection to Owen Hart during this year's tournament

The Hart Family Dungeon was once one of the most prestigious wrestling schools in Canada, with the likes of both Owen and Bret, as well as Brian Pillman and Chris Jericho training there.

During the same interview, Pillman Jr. noted how the tournament should've included a star with a direct connection to Owen.

“It is kind of a shame because there was no one in the tournament to really represent that connection to the family. There wasn’t anybody, at least that I can think of, that was of a direct connection, you know?” - (H/T: WrestlingINC)

It remains to be seen if Pillman Jr. will receive a major push in AEW or not. Despite his televised losing streak, the young star still seems hungry to prove himself. Could being a second generation star be enough to propel him to stardom within AEW?