Tony Khan Declines To Comment On CM Punk vs. KENTA Rumors

As previously reported, AEW had been allegedly planning a match between CM Punk and KENTA for Forbidden Door on Sunday, before KENTA turned the match down. During a media call to promote the event (via Fightful), Tony Khan was asked about the match and if it might happen. Punk will face Satoshi Kojima on the show instead, as part of the first round of the Owen Hart Cup tournament. Khan said:

“As for anybody else that was allegedly going to be involved or allegedly rumored, I can’t really comment to that. This is a great hard-hitting match and this is the match I want to see. I thought it was very fitting that one of the most decorated champions in the history of Japan, Satoshi Kojima, who has been the GHC Champion, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, the Triple Crown Champion, to have one of the most decorated heavyweights ever in Japan come here and wrestle one of the most decorated heavyweights in America, CM Punk, it’s a huge matchup. Kojima, for us, is an amazing get. He was involved in All Out 2021 and had a great match with Jon Moxley. I love working with Kojima and he was somebody I really wanted to bring back for this event. For me, personally, Kojima versus Punk is a match I always wanted to see. They both always wanted to wrestle each other. It’s a great match for us on the card.“