The build for AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door 2 has officially begun. This week, two marquee matches for the show were made official as Okada accepted Bryan Danielson’s challenge and Will Ospreay earned a rematch against Kenny Omega for the IWGP United States Championship. Both matches are huge, with Okada and Danielson, in particular, being a dream match that many have wanted to see for years. As things continue to take shape for the inter-promotional event, it is starting to look like fans could be treated to another long-desired dream match.
Fightful is reporting that the working plan, as of now, is for KENTA to compete on the Forbidden Door 2 card. Both companies appear to be operating on that assumption, and to make things even more fun, the name they are discussing pitting him against is CM Punk. A match between the two men has been teased in various interviews for over a decade now. Infamously, Punk adopted KENTA’s GTS finisher as his own while with WWE, and ever since, the former Hideo Itami has been clamoring for a show-down against The Second City Savior.
The NJPW star has responded to the rumors about the potential match on Twitter.
“Oh hell no,” he said. “Tell Tony Khan GIVE ME THE BAG.”
The message KENTA is sending is clear: If everyone wants this match to finally happen, I need to be paid handsomely for it.
If it does go down, this will not be the first time that KENTA will have been pitted against AEW talent. Back on April 2, 2021, KENTA teamed with Kenny Omega on AEW: Dynamite to take on Jon Moxley and Lance Archer in a Falls Count Anywhere Match. KENTA and Omega were successful that night and walked out of Daily’s Place as winners.
Before Punk lays hands on KENTA, if it does go down that way, he’ll have to get through some other stiff competition first. This past Wednesday night on Dynamite, Tony Khan announced that Punk will team with AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR in a big six-man match against ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe, “Switchblade” Jay White, and “Rock Hard” Juice Robinson.