"Lot of history" - AEW's Claudio Castagnoli names opponent he wishes to face at Forbidden Door 2
AEW star Claudio Castagnoli recently revealed that he wants to wrestle Kazuchika Okada if a second Forbidden Door pay-per-view happens next year.
Castagnoli is no stranger to Forbidden Door as it was at the June 26 event that he first stepped foot in AEW by beating Zack Sabre Jr. Meanwhile, Okada also competed at the pay-per-view for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship but lost to Jay White. The match also included Adam Cole and Hangman Page.
Speaking with MuscleManMalcolm, the former WWE star admitted that he chose Okada because of the history dating back to their time at CHIKARA. The Rainmaker once appeared in the independent promotion in the mid-2000s.
“I just pick [Kazuchika] Okada mainly because I’ve known Okada for over ten years actually when he wrestled at CHIKARA. Me and Chris Hero had a house that a lot of the guys stayed at, including Okada, and then I saw him again when he was training in Mexico," Castagnoli said.
The ROH World Champion also recalled having a picture with the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion during their CHIKARA days.
"I think I have a picture of me and him [Okada] when I still had hair and when he was not ‘Rainmaker’ yet, so I think there’s definitely a lot of history there. So yeah, that would be one of many guys I would want to face," he added. [H/T EWrestlingNews]
6/26 Claudio Castagnoli vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door
https://t.co/vKIl7GkKwx
AEW President Tony Khan previously stated that he is open to a sequel to Forbidden Door, but only in North America. He added that he is down with the Japanese version of the spectacle but won't name it 'Forbidden Door.'
Claudio Castagnoli recently retained his ROH World Title against another Japanese star
Last night at the AEW Battle of the Belts III, Claudio Castagnoli had his first ROH World Championship defense against Konosuke Takeshita.
The Japanese star put the Swiss to the limit as he pulled out all the stops by unleashing his entire bag of repertoire. In the end, however, Castagnoli executed a Ricola Bomb on Takeshita to retain his world title.
Giant Swing in full effect by the champion Claudio Castagnoli! #AEWBattleOfTheBelts III is on TNT! https://t.co/qpDB9YsM81
It will be interesting to see who Claudio Castagnoli faces next to defend the ROH World Title. Fans will have to stay tuned to All Elite Wrestling programming to find out who will be the next number one contender.
What are your thoughts on the possible Claudio Castagnoli-Kazuchika Okada dream match? Let us know in the comments section below.