All articles tagged with #kenta
NJPW star KENTA commented on not being part of the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, expressing frustration that a match between him and CM Punk was being planned without his permission. Despite this, he stated that he had no regrets and plugged his matches at NJPW STRONG Independence Day. AEW CEO Tony Khan declined to comment on the KENTA rumors during the media call.
AEW is reportedly experiencing "divisiveness" after CM Punk's return, with both sides blaming each other for not keeping their issues in-house. KENTA's rumored match with CM Punk is off after he expressed to NJPW and AEW that he wasn't doing the match. Jeff Hardy will be taking time off from AEW for the next few weeks due to travel restrictions. WWE is reportedly in talks to sign a certain tag team from New Japan and promote someone from developmental to join a certain group. Sony had Mercedes Moné "circled" for a role in Bad Bunny's planned Spider-Man universe film, but the movie has been taken off the studio's schedule while the writers are on strike.
A match between KENTA and CM Punk is no longer planned for the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view on June 25. KENTA expressed that he "isn't facing CM Punk", leaving AEW to consider Punk's status for the show. No reason has been given for the match being nixed, but KENTA's tweet that the bout would never happen was in response to it being canceled. Other options are being evaluated for Punk, as most of NJPW's top talent has been booked otherwise.
Backstage reactions to CM Punk's AEW Collision promo were mixed, with some feeling he got out what he needed to, while others found his line about being soft hypocritical. The Young Bucks reportedly took the promo lightly and said "things were okay." The previously reported match between Punk and KENTA is not confirmed, and plans for potential feuds with Chris Jericho, Jay White, and Samoa Joe have changed.
KENTA maintains his stance on only doing a match against CM Punk for a large sum of money, despite rumors of a potential match at AEW's Forbidden Door event. After Punk's return to AEW, KENTA tweeted that the match is never going to happen, leaving fans to speculate whether it's due to the bag not being big enough or if there are other plans in the works.