New Japan Pro Wrestling issued the following press release confirming that Hiroshi Tanahashi will take on Hirooki Goto in an AEW interim world championship eliminator matchup at the June 10th Dominion special, with the winner advancing to the main event of the Forbidden Door pay-per-view. Full details, including an updated look at the Dominion lineup, can be found below.
This Wednesday on AEW Dynamite, Hiroshi Tanahashi answered a challenge from AEW World Champion CM Punk for Forbidden Door in the United Center in Chicago on June 26.
On Friday June 3, Punk announced that he was injured and would be requiring surgery. As a result, he will not be competing at Forbidden Door, but will not vacate the AEW World Championship. Instead, an Interim AEW World Champion will be crowned at Forbidden Door in an NJPW vs AEW singles match.
Representing AEW will be the winner of a match between former AEW Champion Jon Moxley and the winner of an all-star battle royal, both matches taking place June 8 on AEW Dynamite.
For NJPW, Hiroshi Tanahashi’s position as de facto challenger will itself be challenged. Hirooki Goto will face Tanahashi for his contendership on June 12 in a new match added to Dominion in Osaka Jo Hall. Goto and Tanahashi’s long and storied rivalry, dating back nearly two decades and highlighted with multiple classic matches will be reignited, with a golden opportunity in AEW at stake at Dominion!
-Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White for the IWGP World Heavyweight championship
-Juice Robinson vs. Will Ospreay vs. SANADA for the IWGP United States championship
-Tama Tonga vs. Karl Anderson for the IWGP NEVER Openweight championship
-Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi for the KOPW 2022 championship
-United Empire vs. Bullet Club for the IWGP tag team championship
-House of Torture vs. Suzuki-Gun for the IWGP NEVER Six-Man championship
-Toru Yano vs. Doc Gallows
-Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirook Goto winner advances to Forbidden Door
-Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. Bullet Club six man tag
-Ryusuke Taguchi/Master Wato/Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Bullet Club