AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door 2022: 10 Nightmares That Could Happen
3. AEW Ends Up With A Second Absent Champ
It sounds sexy to picture Japanese great Hiroshi Tanahashi as AEW World Champion, but ask yourself this: Is Tana really the right man to win at Forbidden Door? He's unlikely to be on AEW television every single week, and that's what the promotion needs now that CM Punk is on the injured list.
The answer to that question is resounding. Tanahashi isn't the right man.
Tony Khan already has a lot on his mind. His biggest signing ever (which Punk definitely is) won the big one then was struck down with a miserable injury at Double Or Nothing. In the interim, he needs a steady pair of hands. It must be someone AEW fans identify with, and that's Jon Moxley.
Tanahashi bagging the gold and then flying back to Japan doesn't cut it. Neither, to this guy, does Hiroshi wearing AEW's belt on NJPW shows and All Elite running footage. This is Mox's interim belt to win all day long, and that shouldn't be up for debate given the circumstances.