A rash of injuries has impacted the AEW-New Japan “Forbidden Door” lineup, with AEW world champ CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and New Japan star Tomohiro Ishii among those who won’t be able to compete.
Punk broke his foot four days after winning the AEW world title at “Double or Nothing” on May 29, forcing Tony Khan to come up with an interim title scheme that will play out in the main event Sunday night (8 p.m. ET, PPV, Bleacher Report, FITE).
Danielson had been booked to face Zach Sabre Jr., but now a mystery opponent will take his place.
Ishii had won a spot in the AEW All-Atlantic championship four-way, but his left knee injury means Clark Connors, who had lost the New Japan qualifying match to Ishii, will step in to take his place.
The show won’t go off as planned, but the card has more than enough to interest AEW and New Japan fans.
AEW interim world title match: Jon Moxley vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Moxley is a former AEW champ; Tanahashi is New Japan’s “Ace,” is an eight-time former IWGP champ.
Tanahashi, at 45, isn’t anywhere close to what he was in the ring at his height, but he’s still Tana.
Conventional wisdom has Moxley winning the belt, if only because Tanahashi isn’t a full-time AEW guy, but …
Khan had originally booked this one to be Punk-Tanahashi. Would he give Tana a couple of months with the belt to face off with Punk at “All Out” in September?
Odds
- Jon Moxley -250
- Hiroshi Tanahashi +170
IWGP world title match: Jay White (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada vs. Adam Page vs. Adam Cole
Jay White defeated Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP belt at Dominion earlier this month. It’s feeling to me that New Japan booked that so that Okada could win the belt back on U.S. soil.
Adam Page and Adam Cole are here mainly to advance their own feud, if you can call it a feud, with Page having two clean falls over Cole to this point.
Not that it matters here, but Cole has been booked so, so poorly since his debut at “All Out” last year.
Odds
- Jay White -200
- Kazuchika Okada +250
- Adam Page +500
- Adam Cole +700
AEW women’s world title match: Thunder Rosa (c) vs. Toni Storm
Toni Storm got a clean pinfall win over former AEW champ Britt Baker earlier in the month on “Dynamite.” I don’t know that Khan gives Storm a clean win over the face of the division to then lose on the pay-per-view.
Thunder Rosa‘s title reign has been flat. It looks to be time for a change.
Odds
- Thunder Rosa -500
- Toni Storm +300
IWGP U.S. title match: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Orange Cassidy
Will Ospreay deserves a better match on this show. No offense to Orange Cassidy.
This one won’t quite be a squash, but Ospreay will get a relatively quick and decisive win.
Khan will make sure Cassidy will get protected, of course.
He booked the guy to beat Chris Jericho right after Jericho’s AEW title run, for instance.
This will be a showcase for Ospreay to shine for the U.S. audience.
Odds
- Will Ospreay -1000
- Orange Cassidy +550
AEW All-Atlantic title match: Clark Connors vs. Malaki Black vs. Miro vs. Pac
Miro elevated the TNT championship in his reign with that belt last year. Malachi Black could use this new title to elevate the status of his House of Black faction, which is fizzling. Pac has seemed rudderless since joining the company in 2019.
Odds
- Miro -130
- Malakai Black+175
- Pac +400
- Connors N/A
Winner-takes-all match for IWGP and Ring of Honor tag titles: Jeff Cobb/Great-O-Khan (IWGP champs) vs. FTR (Ring of Honor champs) vs. Roppongi Vice
FTR wins to add another set of belts on its way to a huge winner-takes-all with the Young Bucks at “All Out.”
Odds
- FTR -300
- Roppongi Vice +300
- Jeff Cobb/Great O’Khan +400
Zach Sabre Jr. vs. TBA
The real betting interest here should be on who the mystery opponent will be: Cesaro? Johnny Gargano?
Jonathan Gresham was a popular third choice, but Gresham was featured on “Rampage” on Friday getting ready to start a feud with Tully Blanchard Enterprises, in a tease for a return to TV for Ring of Honor.
The new guy is also the newest member of Blackpool Combat Club. I’m going back and forth on this, but I’m thinking now it’s Gargano.
Odds
- Mystery guy -180
- Zack Sabre Jr. +140
Chris Jericho/Minoru Suzuki/Sammy Guevara vs. Eddie Kingston/Shota Umino/Wheeler Yuta
Not a lot here, other than a chance to advance the Chris Jericho-Eddie Kingston feud.
Odds
- Jericho/Suzuki/Guevara -300
- Kingston/Umino//Yuta +200
The Young Bucks/El Phantasmo/Hikuleo vs. Darby Allin/Sting/Hiromu Takahashi/Shingo Takagi
The Bucks set up their next opponent (Darby Allin/Sting), and we get to see Shingo Takagi.
Odds
- Bucks/Phantasmo/Hikuleo -150
- Sting/Allin/Takahashi/Takagi +110
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Chris Graham
