10 HUGE AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 Predictions You Need To Know

8. CM Punk Vs. Satoshi Kojima

Kazuchika Okada Bryan Danielson
AEW

The Punker's first pay-per-view match back since his Collision return serves multiple purposes of being a delicious deep cut for those that love the story of a tremendous rib he played on old ROH boss Gabe Sapolsky, a first-time meeting between the pair and - curiously - an opening round match for this year's Owen Hart Foundation Cup tournament.

There's a not-insignificant amount of pressure on 'One Bill Phil' for this to go well. He's not been shy about espousing his value to the company since he returned on the Collision premiere, and good matches will quickly need to figure into that offering. Kojima's no slouch - his All Out 2021 battle with Jon Moxley was a riot - and there will be something surpassing novelty value about seeing the two veterans collide, but the result's not in doubt. Punk's biggest task will be to locate anxiety about him losing just his third match back and exiting a tournament he's a favourite for at the very stage.

Professional pressure based on the performance levels of certain other wrestlers in the building might play a part in that too, though, the mere fact they're all there should continue to assure people that relationships may not be as sour as they once were.

Winner - CM Punk

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett