This Sunday in Chicago, Illinois, All Elite Wrestling will host a showdown with New Japan Pro Wrestling at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view event. Some of the most talented wrestlers are already on the card, but the injury bug has kept some serious names out of the lineup. CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have to miss out on , and now Tomohiro Ishii is unfortunately going to have to skip the event as well. AEW announced on Thursday that the NJPW star suffered an injury and will not compete at Forbidden Door.
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Ishii was set to be one of four men contending for the first-ever All-Atlantic Championship, competing in a four-way match against Miro, PAC, and Malakai Black. According to a statement released by AEW, Ishii was injured during his eliminator match against Clark Connors. With Ishii now sidelined for Forbidden Door, Connors will take his place in the four-way All-Atlantic title match.
“Tomohiro Ishii was injured in his AEW [All-Atlantic] Title NJPW Eliminator Tournament match with [Clark Connors],” reads the statement from All Elite Wrestling. “With Ishii not medically cleared, he forfeits & Connors will now go to Forbidden Door on Sunday to face Miro, PAC & [Malakai Black] to crown the 1st All-Atlantic Champion.”
The All-Atlantic Championship is meant to be an international title for All Elite Wrestling, allowing the company to continue showcasing talent from around the world. It will be the sixth AEW title once a champion is crowned on Sunday.
Ahead of Sunday’s Forbidden Door event, AEW President Tony Khan spoke with ComicBook.com’s Connor Casey about the importance of the upcoming All-Atlantic belt.
“It’s a heavy emphasis on international competition, but the US can get involved in the competition,” Khan explained. “And I think it’s a great way to spotlight a lot of the international wrestlers in AEW, and the international presence that AEW’s developed over the years now with our shows on in 130 countries around the world and great ratings in so many huge international markets, including every week finishing as the number one wrestling company in the UK and our ratings there continue to rise.”
“So for the international fans and for the international wrestlers on the roster, I felt like it would create more opportunities,” he added. “But I also don’t think this title or these opportunities are exclusive to the international wrestlers. But it’s a big benefit of the term.”
AEW Forbidden Door takes place on Sunday, June 26th.
