With less than two weeks to go until Forbidden Door, AEW and New Japan had only announced two matches for the June 25 PPV in Toronto. Understandable, given the logistics of booking across companies and an ocean — but still something that needed to be deal with pronto.
On the June 14 Dynamite, they began to deal with it. First, IWGP World Heavyweight champion SANADA delivered an open challenge to the AEW roster via satellite:
#IWGP World Heavyweight Champion @seiyasanada has issued an open challenge for his title! Who will step up at #ForbiddenDoor?
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
Watch #ForbiddenDoor on Sunday, June 25th LIVE on PPV! #AEWxNJPW@njpwworld pic.twitter.com/HMzFOCdwZY
He didn’t have to wait long for an answer, either. Jungle Jack Perry accepted, and he’ll have his best friend & tag partner HOOK in his corner.
The Summer of #JungleHook Is in full swing with @boy_myth_legend accepting #NJPW World Heavyweight Champion @seiyasanada's open challenge at #ForbiddenDoor with @730hook in his corner!#ForbiddenDoor on Sunday, June 25th LIVE on PPV! #AEWxNJPW pic.twitter.com/06JiVwBjBR
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
Hiroshi Tanahashi also appeared on video to reveal he’d been booked in a match for Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s AEW World title. That’s not a match MJF plans to show up for, however.
#NJPW's Master of the Century @tanahashi1_100 has challenged #AEW World Heavyweight Champion @The_MJF at #ForbiddenDoor!!! Will #MJF accept?#ForbiddenDoor on Sunday, June 25th LIVE on PPV! #AEWxNJPW@njpwglobal pic.twitter.com/gilKCbCR5p
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
Then, AEW International champion Orange Cassidy was just casually talking to Renee Paquette when they were interrupted by NJPW Television titleholder Zack Sabre, Jr. A title vs. title challenge was issued for Forbidden Door, but so far they just set up a tag match for next Wednesday’s go home. Katsuyori Shibata will team with OC against ZSJ & Daniel Garcia.
Before we get to #ForbiddenDoor, #AEW International Champion @OrangeCassidy will team up with #ROH Pure Champion @K_Shibata2022 to take on #NJPW World Television Champion @zacksabrejr and @GarciaWrestling next week on #AEWDynamite!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@njpwglobal pic.twitter.com/ew3ZQBhvfV
Depending on MJF’s willingness to attend and pending something official regarding the AEW International and NJPW TV titles, that gives us the following card for Scotiabank Arena:
• SANADA (c) vs. Jungle Jack Perry for the IWGP World Heavyweight title
• MJF (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi for the AEW World title
• Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada
• Kenny Omega (c) vs. Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States championship
Dig it?
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