CM Punk advances to the next round.
At AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Punk faced Satoshi Kojima in an Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament Quarterfinal match. The bout marked Punk's first match on an AEW pay-per-view since AEW All Out 2022, as he made his return to AEW after a lengthy absence on the premiere of AEW Collision.
Punk and Kojima traded stiff shots throughout the bout; an early chop from Kojima sent Punk over the barricade. They continued to go back and forth, and Punk hit plenty of his signature moves, including a diving elbow drop. Kojima gained momentum with a diving elbow drop of his own, and he drilled Punk with a barrage of strikes. Kojima fought his way out of the Anaconda Vise, but Punk scored the win with the GTS.
Leg-drop by CM Punk --
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 26, 2023
Order #AEWxNJPW #ForbiddenDoor on PPV right now!
----: https://t.co/QkT7hO9Xh4
--: https://t.co/SWp7bcLK64@cmpunk pic.twitter.com/enD5c4fzU0
Devastating diving elbow by CM Punk right across the throat of Kojima!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 26, 2023
Order #AEWxNJPW #ForbiddenDoor on PPV right now!
----: https://t.co/QkT7hO9Xh4
--: https://t.co/SWp7bcLK64@CMPunk pic.twitter.com/5zV3Umm6cR
Punk will face the winner of the first-round bout between Roderick String and Samoa Joe, which will be held on the July 1 episode of AEW Collision.
Click here to catch up on our coverage of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door. For a full review, check out our post-show podcast on our YouTube channel.
