For years, CM Punk has been putting his hands to his face as if putting himself to bed moments before hitting opponents with his Go To Sleep finishing move. The devastating maneuver sees Punk pick his opponent up on his shoulders in a fireman’s carry before dropping them face-first across his knee. Many stars have fallen victim to the move, and it has led to Punk winning a variety of championships over the years.
However, before Punk popularized the GTS in the United States, NJPW’s KENTA, formally Hideo Itami in WWE, was knocking out his own opponents with the move in Japan. KENTA is credited with inventing the move and has openly vented his frustrations about not being able to use it while he and Punk were both signed to WWE. With both men now away from Vince McMahon’s company, many fans have clamored for the two to face off in an AEW or NJPW ring.
This Sunday, AEW and NJPW will present Forbidden Door 2, and those same clamoring fans have remained optimistic that the confrontation will go down there. KENTA himself has taken to social media in recent weeks to throw gasoline on the fire that is the interest in the bout. Initially, he shared a photoshopped promotional graphic of Punk for Collision with his face replacing The Second City Saint’s, and while the image had several emoji bags of money above it, his next message was far more direct.
“It is ZERO interesting without money,” he tweeted about the potential showdown. “Also I’m so pissed that they planned our match without my permission and going to make it with NO BAG. This is my personal fued. F**K YOU.”
Lastly, stirring the pot and blurring the lines between what is real and what is not in regard to rumors of the match, the Bullet Club member shared the following.
“Kenta vs Punk is never going to happen.”
Fightful is reporting that KENTA’s tweet in regard to the match not happening is genuine, and, at this time, it is not expected that the two will face off in Toronto this weekend. KENTA has apparently let AEW and NJPW know the match isn’t going down, and word of it being called off made the rounds backstage at the Collision taping. Now, another opponent is being discussed for Punk at Forbidden Door but it is tough because so many of the top NJPW names are already committed to other bouts. For that reason, it is possible that Punk does not wrestle on the show.
Prior to the KENTA match falling through, the plan had been for it to happen but as it stands, there is no reason for why it isn’t. Punk was said to be open to the match against KENTA, and is still open to other options in regard to Forbidden Door opponents.