AEW has made arrangements for longtime wrestling superfan Vladimir Abouzeide to watch Double or Nothing 2026 from his hospital bed. The promotion reached out to ensure Abouzeide could follow the pay-per-view after a recent fall left him unable to attend in person.
Abouzeide remains hospitalized in New York City following a serious fall earlier this month. According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, who shared updates with permission from Abouzeide’s sister, Vlad was walking with her when he suddenly fell and struck his head on the concrete.
The fall resulted in a major concussion, and there was initial concern about bleeding on the brain. Johnson reported that Abouzeide is believed to be out of imminent danger regarding the bleeding, though he will remain hospitalized for some time with no timetable for his release.
The accident stemmed from balance issues tied to Parkinson’s disease, which Abouzeide has been battling for several years.
Abouzeide has been a fixture at wrestling events going back to the 1980s. WWE named him the company’s only officially recognized superfan at WrestleMania 37 in 2021, and his decades of fandom were chronicled in the 2023 documentary Superfan: The Story of Vladimir.
Double or Nothing 2026 takes place tonight at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. Abouzeide would almost certainly have been in the crowd for AEW’s first pay-per-view inside New York City.
The company’s move to bring the show to his hospital room instead stands as a kind gesture toward a beloved figure in the wrestling community.