Jon Moxley Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi NOT Happening At AEW All Out 2021

All Out dream match reportedly hits a "minor political timing snag".

by Andrew Pollard
Jon Moxley Hiroshi Tanahashi
AEW.com/NJPW.com

For those looking forward to seeing IWGP United States Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi go one-on-one with Jon Moxley, it looks like we'll have to wait a little longer than expected.

Previously, the belief was that New Japan's Ace would face off with Mox at next month's AEW All Out PPV. Now though, a "minor political timing snag" has seemingly scrapped that bout from taking place on AEW's 5 September show.

As per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Tana vs. Mox was indeed planned to happen at All Out, which is why Moxley has referenced Tanahashi several times in his promos. A change of mind from NJPW now means that this hotly-anticipated contest won't be happening at All Out.

Advertisement

The belief is that the match will happen at some point and that Moxley will emerge victorious in that bout, but New Japan doesn't want Tanahashi losing right now due to plans the company has for the IWGP United States Title.

Another potential stumbling block is that Tanahashi has been advertised to defend his prize against Kota Ibushi at the upcoming Wrestle Grand Slam event in Tokyo, Japan on 4 September - one day before All Out. While it would be a close call, it wouldn't be impossible for Tana to make it to Chicago in time for All Out the day after Wrestle Grand Slam.

Advertisement

Of course, this now throws up the question of who Jon Moxley will face at All Out. Considering how the "forbidden door" is now well and truly open, there are plentiful potential opponents for Mox - be that from the AEW roster or from A.N. Other promotion.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.