Hiroshi Tanahashi Debuts On AEW Dynamite, Challenges CM Punk
Hiroshi Tanahashi made his All Elite Wrestling debut on this week's edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS ... and Forbidden Door is right around the corner.
It all went down after the opening match at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California on June 1. The new AEW World Champion CM Punk joined forces with Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champions FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) to take on The Acclaimed's Max Caster and The Gunn Club's Ass Boys (Colten Gunn & Austin Gunn) in trios tag team action. Punk and FTR got the win with a Big Rig/GTS combo on Austin Gunn for the 1-2-3 and cut bathed in the adulation from the LA crowd afterward.
After celebrating, Punk cut a promo and addressed AEW's impending Forbidden Door pay-per-view ... and then Tanahashi's music rang out around the arena and the Ace himself appeared at the top of the ramp as Punk and FTR looked on from the ring.
At the time of writing, nothing has been confirmed, but it seems as though Punk and Tanahashi will face off at Forbidden Door in Chicago on June 26.
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AEW, the second-biggest wrestling promotion in the United States, will partner with Japan's number one promotion NJPW to produce a crossover pay-per-view called "Forbidden Door" in June -- which explains the trademark AEW filed last February.
The announcement was made during the April 20 edition of AEW Dynamite. AEW President Tony Khan appeared on the ramp and was soon joined by New Japan Pro Wrestling president Takami Ohbari. TK was about to make the announcement, but the pair of promoters was interrupted by Adam Cole, a man who knows NJPW very well.
Cole appeared on the big screen and announced an event called "Forbidden Door" which will feature talent from both All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Cole then revealed that he will be going one-on-one with New Japan veteran Tomohiro Ishii on Friday's Rampage. New Japan roster member "Switchblade" Jay White then joined Khan and Ohbari on the ramp to boast about selling out Madison Square Garden and remind everyone that it's still the Bullet Club era.
