The banished portal between AEW and New Japan is opening once again this summer. AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door is set to return on June 25th, emanating from Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. While there is no confirmation on which talent will be involved in the cross-promotional show, the announcement trailer seemed to indicate that Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Adam Cole and others will be competing at the event. As evident by last year’s show, most champions are featured, are seven sets of titles were on the line.
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One NJPW championship that wasn’t apart of the first edition of Forbidden Door is the IWGP Women’s Title. That’s because at the time of the show, it didn’t exist. The gold was introduced in Fall 2022, with KAIRI emerging as the inaugural champion. That championship is currently held by Mercedes Monè.
Monè has expressed interest in working Forbidden Door, teasing that she was just awaiting the call. AEW President Tony Khan has since responded to Monè, noting her comments are “very encouraging.”
“It’s a very encouraging thing to hear and I have so much respect for Mercedes. She is such a great pro wrestler and certainly, one of the best in the world,” Khan told Adrian Hernandez of The Bet Las Vegas & The Sporting Tribune. “Any wrestling company in the world, including AEW, is very fortunate to have Mercedes.”
While Khan would not confirm Monè’s involvement, he did emphasize that he’s happy that Forbidden Door is on her mind.
“I’m glad she brought up Forbidden Door because that’s going to be a very exciting event. Certainly, the shadow of Mercedes is looming large in New Japan Pro Wrestling right now,” Khan continued. “When AEW and New Japan clash at Forbidden Door, it will be very interesting to see what happens and certainly, she’s one of her top stars in New Japan. It makes for a very interesting situation going into Forbidden Door.”
Since Monè became a free agent earlier this year, the former Sasha Banks has teased embarking on a “world domination tour.” Dr. Britt Baker DMD has teased The Boss’s arrival in AEW while Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James has pushed for a contest with Monè in Impact Wrestling. Monè is reportedly on limited dates with New Japan and does not have a long-term contract.
Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on Monè’s wrestling future.
