Another DREAM Match Rumoured For AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door
Might upcoming AEW/NJPW pay-per-view about to pay off another major longstanding fantasy booking?
AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door could be adding yet another eagerly anticipated singles match to the two potential classics currently confirmed.
Per Fightful Select, CM Punk Vs KENTA is a possibility. They reported that;
"We haven’t heard that KENTA’s deal to appear at the show is finalized, but both companies are operating on the assumption that he is. However, the internally discussed opponent brings a different gravity to the situation. We’ve learned that CM Punk has been discussed as KENTA’s opponent, which could help bring closure to an over-decade back and forth between the two."
The AEW and NJPW stars have been linked together in the minds of fans for the better part of 15 years at this point thanks in-part to Punk lifting the Go-2-Sleep finisher early into his WWE run. Then working for Pro Wrestling NOAH, KENTA had popularised the move years before 'The Straight Edge Superstar' brought it to the market leader, and based on some of the banter between the two sides over the years, it apparently happened without permission.
The "beef" was inadvertently furthered when KENTA signed for WWE in late-2014. The renamed Hideo Itami was unable to deploy it as his killshot upon debuting due to the choppy political seas between Punk and the company at the time, and a longstanding issue WWE were experiencing with arenas loudly chanting his name when the mood struck. The ban was lifted in 2016, but a run hampered by injuries and weak creative direction rendered the excitement around the move fleeting.
Punk returns to action for AEW on June 17th, headlining the debut edition of new TNT broadcast Collision alongside FTR against Samoa Joe, Jay White and Juice Robinson. Current NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion KENTA has been a consistent regular for NJPW since arriving for the G1 Climax in 2019.