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CM Punk Invited To Compete At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom

By TJR Staff • Published 6th June 2022
CM Punk

While CM Punk is no longer able to face Hiroshi Tanahashi at Forbidden Door, the AEW Champion has now been invited to meet The Ace at Wrestle Kingdom.

In the main event of AEW Double Or Nothing, CM Punk defeated Hangman Adam Page to become the fifth AEW World Champion. when he defeated Hangman Adam Page. On that week’s episode of Dynamite, Punk was in action again, teaming with FTR in a Trios Match to defeat The Gunn Club and ‘Platinum’ Max Caster. Following the bout, Punk addressed the upcoming AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door supershow, finding out that his opponent for the event would be none other than NJPW’s Ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi.

However, a lot had changed by the time Rampage went on air that Friday. During the show, an emotional CM Punk addressed the crowd to reveal that he needed surgery on his foot and would be out for an unknown amount of time. This meant the dream match between Punk and Tanahashi would no longer be going ahead and cast doubt on his reign as AEW World Champion.

The situation regarding the title was addressed later in the show with the announcement of an AEW World Title Eliminator series to crown an Interim AEW Champion in Punk’s absence. On Dynamite, a battle royal will be held and the winner will face number one ranked star Jon Moxley in the main event. Then at NJPW Dominion on June 12th, Hirooki Goto will face Tanahashi, with the winners of the two matches going on to clash at Forbidden Door to crown the interim champion.

In a new interview with Tokyo Sports, Hiroshi Tanahashi has put the idea of a match between himself and CM Punk firmly back on the table. The multi-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion seemingly invited Punk to NJPW’s biggest show of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 17, which will take place over two days in the Tokyo Dome on January 4th and 5th, 2023.

Thanks to Twitter user @golden_kuma for the below translation of Tanahashi’s comments.

“Punk owes me one. I’d like to invite him to Japan. I’ve been to the US a lot, so come here with a special price. Tokyo Dome is a prestigious stage”

While CM Punk is yet to respond to the invitation, the possibility of him meeting Tanahashi with the AEW World Championship on the line in an NJPW ring would be a dream come true for many fans around the world.