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AEW has had to pivot with the revelation that their new World Champion CM Punk suffered a legitimate injury that will require surgery, less than a week after winning the title at Double or Nothing.
The Straightedge Superstar confirmed on Rampage that he will have to take some time off. However, he will not be relinquishing the AEW World Championship just yet. Instead, an interim champion will be crowned at Forbidden Door.
A battle royal is set to open this week's Dynamite, and the winner will face Jon Moxley at the end of the night to determine the AEW representative for the Interim Championship match. They will face off against the winner of Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto at Dominion over on the New Japan side.
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The AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view is scheduled for Sunday, June 26, from the United Center in Chicago. In this article, we look at 5 AEW stars who could possibly become interim champion during Punk's absence.
#5. Former AEW World Champion Hangman Page
Fans were pretty split when it came to the decision to have CM Punk beat Adam Page for the AEW World Title at Double Or Nothing. The Cowboy had a solid reign, defending the championship against the likes of Bryan Danielson, Lance Archer, and Adam Cole. But most fans will admit that his rise to title contention was a more compelling story than his actual reign.
Ultimately, Punk winning was absolutely the right choice, but with his untimely injury, this could be an opportunity for Page to rebound and prove he’s still a main event star rather than sinking back down to the midcard.
Granted, this will force Tony Khan to alter his original plans of having Page challenge Kazuchika Okada for his IWGP World Heavyweight Title at the upcoming Forbidden Door pay-per-view. According to veteran journalist Dave Meltzer on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio:
"I had seen a lineup, which was interesting because it was Punk and Tanahashi for the AEW title and the other match was Okada and Adam Page, which actually could be a hell of a match for the IWGP title." (H/T: Wrestling Observer)
Meltzer further went on to speculate:
"I don't know if that will happen, change, or whatever, and then the rest of the show is probably a lot of tag matches between factions on each side." (H/T: Wrestling Observer)
It's worth noting that Okada and Page have faced each other once in NJPW during the 2018 G1 Climax tournament. It would be a dream match for sure but perhaps Hangman would want to reclaim the AEW World Title that he lost over everything else.
#4. Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson should absolutely be in world title contention. He came close to defeating then champion Adam Page during his run and it's a shame that he had to leave the title scene right after. But forming the Blackpool Combat Club and teaming with the likes of Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta and William Regal isn't such a bad compromise.
Unfortunately, the American Dragon apparently sustained an injury during the Anarchy in the Arena match against the Jericho Appreciation Society at Double or Nothing. Following the event, Danielson recently pulled out of a Sunday meet and greet in Massachusetts.
In a report on Fightful, a staff member explained that the American Dragon was unable to fly due to injury. Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer has further corroborated the story, reporting that two sources had stated that he will only miss action for up to two weeks.
He would make an excellent candidate to become the interim champion and represent the company in the meantime. This could set up a dream match between Danielson and CM Punk in the near future which could be potential box office draw.
#3. Owen Hart Foundation Tournament winner Adam Cole
After winning the inaugural Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, Adam Cole could very well have a run as AEW World Champion in the near future.
The former NXT Champion might have come up short against former champion Hangman Page at Revolution 2022. But despite his recent failures, Cole is riding a wave of momentum following his tournament win. He also has the support of the Undisputed Elite, which makes him a legitimate threat. He will almost certainly thrive as an interim world champion, reigning supreme in AEW like he did in NXT.
The rivalry between Cole and Punk is a dream feud as well once the Chicago star returns from injury, with the two having never faced off in the past. Given his past experience in New Japan, he can easily hold his own against the likes of Tanahashi or Goto as well.
#2. Jon Moxley
According to AEW President Tony Khan, Jon Moxley is the current number one contender and thus doesn't need to enter the battle royal on this week's Dynamite. Khan spoke about his decision on Twitter, explaining that the former WWE Superstar gets the preference as he has beaten a higher quality of opponents:
"Jon Moxley is the only AEW wrestler with 7+ 2022 singles bouts undefeated on TV (Dynamite/Rampage/Battle of the Belts) + PPV (Revolution/Double or Nothing). (7-0. Moxley + Anthony Ogogo only undefeated 7-0 records in 2022, Moxley ranked higher based on opponents quality.)"
Regardless of the convoluted reasoning, Mox is one the company's top draws and deserves to be in and around the world title picture. His run as the main champion was affected by the pandemic so he definitely deserves to win the belt in front of fans.
After returning from his brief stint in rehab, the 36-year-old appears more motivated than ever to become a two-time AEW World Champion. He definitely deserves the accolade.
#1. MJF
It's no secret that MJF is the biggest news topic in pro wrestling right now. The controversy between MJF and AEW/Tony Khan spilled over onto television when the Salt of the Earth cut an extraordinary promo, lambasting the company and the owner, specifically.
What fans didn’t see on Wednesday’s Dynamite after MJF’s promo was that during the commercial, CM Punk came to the ring to confront him, but MJF ran away.
A lot of people took this as AEW subtly planting seeds for a future rematch between them after their recent feud. The best way to reignite this rivalry is if MJF were to become the interim champion while Punk is away.
MJF winning the battle royal, beating Moxley and then going on to win the interim title at Forbidden Door before having to face a returning CM Punk to determine the ‘real’ champion when Punk’s back is a money feud just waiting to happen. While most fans were expecting the 'Summer of Punk', we could be getting the 'Summer of MJF' instead.
