World Champion Set To BOYCOTT AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door 2026 (AEW News)
New IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji threatens to "boycott" Forbidden Door.
For those hoping to see Yota Tsuji in action at Forbidden Door later this month, it sounds as if the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion will be giving that joint PPV a miss this year.
Tsuji defeated Callum Newman at NJPW Dominion last night to become a two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champ, and he had some stern words for the future of New Japan Pro-Wrestling and for the way NJPW titles have previously been utilised at Forbidden Door.
Per Tokyo Sports, Tsuji talked up a "boycott" of Forbidden Door, saying:
"Look back at the past. There were four-way matches, open challenges, and retired wrestlers challenging. Do you think I would participate in an IWGP match when it's being treated like this in Forbidden Door? As the man who revived the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, I have to protect its value."
Elsewhere, Gene Blast took a shot at NJPW's pay structure and the amount of talent who had departed the company in recent times:
"First of all, I think it's important to prevent wrestlers from leaving. Everyone loves New Japan, but if they're offered the opportunity to earn in one month what they earn in a year, it's only natural that they would go there as professionals. I hope they can be treated at a level that prevents them from leaving, even if it's not exactly the same."
Tsuji also made it clear that he wants to spearhead an era where New Japan becomes the top wrestling promotion in the world:
"With a new era both inside and outside the ring, I think we have to be on the offensive, and we wrestlers also have to show something different than before. However, I think we must firmly protect what New Japan Pro-Wrestling must not lose."
As for Yota Tsuji at Forbidden Door, he's only competed at one of those events, teaming with Hiromu Takahashi and Titan in a losing effort against Mistico and the Lucha Bros. on the 2024 Zero Hour pre-show. Where the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Forbidden Door is concerned, 2022 saw Jay White successfully defend that title against Kazuchika Okada, Adam Page, and Adam Cole; 2023 saw Sanada successfully defend that title against Jack Perry; 2024 saw Tetsuya Naito defeat Jon Moxley to regain that title; and last year saw Zack Sabre Jr. retain that title against Nigel McGuinness.
Featuring talents from AEW, NJPW, CMLL, STARDOM, and likely ROH, this year's Forbidden Door takes place from San Jose, California's SAP Center on Sunday, June 28th.