Report: Backstage News On MJF Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi At AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

The AEW World Championship is scheduled to be on the line at All Elite Wrestling's joint Forbidden Door pay-per-view with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and MJF has been booked to defend the gold against Hiroshi Tanahashi. If the match will actually take place remains to be seen since MJF threatened on Dynamite to no show the pay-per-view.

In an update on why Tanahashi was chosen to be Friedman's opponent, Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that NJPW no longer view the eight-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion as one of their top wrestlers who they will protect from losing major matches.

"I think two years ago, that would've been great. But the last Forbidden Door title match was [Jon] Moxley and Tanahashi, and Tanahashi lost. I know politically, Tanahashi is now a guy...for years and years and years and years, Tanahashi, [Kazuchika] Okada, [Tetsuya] Naito, and who was the fourth guy...Kota Ibushi or someone, it actually might have been Kenny Omega now that I think about it, but there are four guys that New Japan was like, 'If we come to the United States,' or whatever, like when they were working with Ring of Honor, it's like, 'You can't beat these guys. You can do whatever you want.' It was [Shinsuke] Nakamura who was the fourth guy at the time. And at other points, AJ [Styles] was as well. The point is that you couldn't. And then Tanahashi is no longer on that list, so he's a star who can lose, and that's why he wrestled Moxley on the last Forbidden Door show," Meltzer said.

Tanahashi faced Jon Moxley in the main event of last year's Forbidden Door for the Interim AEW World Title. Moxley ultimately won the match. Tanahashi has since performed for Ring of Honor, defeating Daniel Garcia at Supercard of Honor in March 2023.

H/T to WrestlingNews.co