AEW Dynamite: CM Punk’s first title defense announced alongside Rampage card

Bengaluru, June 2: Builds for the next pay-per-view outing for AEW started on this week’s episode of Dynamite and it appears that CM Punk's first title defense would headline the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door event later this month.

A trios match featured in the opener of Dynamite, where CM Punk, Dax Harwood, and Cash Wheeler defeated Max Caster, and The Gunn Club (Austin and Colten Gunn).

Afterward, Punk took the mic and noted that he knew New Japan Pro Wrestling was in the house and he was the best challenge they could possibly get. That was when Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared from the back and implied that he wants a shot at Punk and his title at Forbidden Door.

In the recent post-show media scrum after AEW Double or Nothing, Punk did name-drop Tanahashi as one of his top dream opponents. Given that Forbidden Door will be a co-branded PPV, it makes sense that a top NJPW superstar will challenge the top champion of AEW with the title hanging in the balance.

The AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view is scheduled for Sunday, June 26 from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The event was officially announced on the April 20 episode of AEW Dynamite and it managed to move 11K tickets via pre-sale on May 5 within just 40 minutes.

Apart from the setup of the big matchup for the upcoming PPV, a stacked card for this week’s Rampage has also been announced on Dynamite. A TNT Championship title defense should be the headliner for this Friday’s show.

The reigning TNT Champion Scorpio Sky will be putting his title on the line against Daunte Martin with whom he had a confrontation, this past weekend during the Double or Nothing pay-per-view. Sky believes that Daunte is one of the most talented high-flyers in AEW and it was him who wanted this singles matchup.

#AEWRampage is THIS FRIDAY LIVE at 10pm ET/9pm CT/7pm PT on @tntdrama!
-@youngbucks v #LuchaBros @PENTAELZEROM/@ReyFenixMx
-TNT Title @ScorpioSky (c) v @lucha_angel1
-@AthenaPalmer_FG v @HoganKnowsBest3 pic.twitter.com/sV0hDc4y3r

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 2, 2022

AEW in-ring debut of Athena (former WWE NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon) will happen at Rampage. She made a surprise appearance at Double or Nothing, targeting Jade Cargill and the TBS Title. Athena will now take on one of the buddies of Cargill, Kiera Hogan in her maiden in-ring outing in AEW.

The Young Bucks will also compete in a tag match against The Lucha Bros to rekindle their feud. The two teams duked it out in a critically acclaimed matchup at last September’s All Out for the AEW Tag Team Titles inside a steel cage.