Major Star “Disappointed” With Forbidden Door Role
Forbidden Door saw the best of AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling come together for a hot night of action in Toronto but for a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, the overwhelming emotion afterward was one of disappointment.
In June 2021 Shingo Takagi became IWGP World Heavyweight Champion for the first time in his career when he defeated Kazuchika Okada at Dominion. Okada reclaimed that title at Wrestle Kingdom 16 and Takagi has struggled to find his way back to the top of the card in NJPW.
However the Los Ingobernable de Japon man remains one of the company’s more popular stars but for those watching Forbidden Door on pay-per-view, he was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Takagi teamed with LIJ partners Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI to defeat United Empire on The Buy In pre-show.
Speaking after Forbidden Door, Shingo Takagi expressed his disappointment at missing out on the pay-per-view itself:
“I was able to participate last year, but this year is the pre-show. As a wrestler, I’m honestly disappointed. I’m a man. I’m always waiting for an offer.”
鷹木「去年に引き続き出場できたが、今年はプレショーだ。そこはレスラーとして正直悔しいよ。AEWさんよ、こんなハツラツな40代、世界どこ探してもいねえからな、40代、世界一元気ハツラツな男だ。いつでもオファー待ってるぜ」
「ゼロアワー」はYouTubeでご覧いただけます。… pic.twitter.com/XmYTHfEuhw
— AEW ジャパン (@AEW_jp) June 27, 2023
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At the first Forbidden Door event in 2022, Shingo Takagi was in tag team action again but in a much more high-profile match actually on the PPV itself. Takagi formed the Dudes With Attitudes team alongside Sting and Darby Allin to defeat Bullet Club’s El Phantasmo and The Young Bucks.