Jon Moxley reflects on AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2022.
Throughout its early years, AEW built a working relationship with NJPW after there had been some tension between the two companies due to the way The Elite (The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Cody Rhodes) left the company to launch AEW. The two promotions came together for the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view, but injuries threatened to derail the show before it began. AEW World Champion CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and other stars were unable to compete due to injuries.
Punk was set to face Hiroshi Tanahashi at the show, but Jon Moxley took his place as AEW crowned an Interim World Champion. In the main event of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Moxley beat Tanahashi in a remarkable match between two top stars.
In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Moxley looked back on the pay-per-view and noted that he never watched his match with Tanahashi, as he felt that it was perfect in the moment. He then shared his belief that, while a lot of people put it together, he was the linchpin of the Forbidden Door pay-per-view
“I’ve never watched it, and I never will. It’s one of those things that was so perfect in the moment. I was supposed to wrestle Tanahashi many times, and it kept getting fucked up for one reason or another. The relationship [between NJPW and AEW] wasn’t necessarily the best before, and I was in the middle of that. Then a couple years later, we’re doing a pay-per-view together, I’m in the main event, and it’s against Tanahashi, which was the last big dream I wanted. There were a lot of people who did a lot to bring that together, but I feel like I was the goddamn linchpin of the whole fucking thing," Moxley said.
Moxley continued by stating that the match with Tanahashi was magical, and it was exactly the way he pictured it. He noted that every second lined up with the way he played it out in his head, and if he watched it back, he'd pick it apart because he criticizes himself.
“It was magical. The match was so fucking perfect. It was exactly how I envisioned it. I was in such a fucking zone. Every single second of it was exactly how I played it out in my head. If I ever watch it back, I’ll pick apart little things because I’m my own worst critic. So that’s why I won’t. It was fucking perfect," Moxley said.
In the same interview, Moxley made it clear that he is excited to return to Japan for NJPW Dominion. Check out his comments here.
Moxley will compete at NJPW Resurgence. Check out the card here. Ticket information is available here.
At AEW Double or Nothing, Moxley and Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta) will face The Elite (Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Hangman Page). Check out the card here.
