Jon Moxley's world title reign could be in serious jeopardy at Forbidden Door III
AEW star Jon Moxley's world title reign may be in trouble at Forbidden Door 2024. He is scheduled to face Tetsuya Naito at the third edition of the yearly cross-over pay-per-view.
The Purveyor of Violence accomplished a long-time goal earlier this year when he defeated Naito to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at NJPW Windy City Riot 2024.
A fighting champion through and through, Moxley has successfully defended his belt against challengers from both AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, including Powerhouse Hobbs, Ren Narita, Shota Umino and EVIL. He also defeated Konosuke Takeshita and Rocky Romero in Eliminator Matches respectively at Double or Nothing 2024 and on the subsequent episode of Dynamite following the pay-per-view.
Some time earlier, it was announced that Jon Moxley would put the IWGP World Title on the line against Tetsuya Naito at Forbidden Door 2024. The Stardust Genius even made an appearance on this week's episode of Dynamite to brawl with the former AEW World Champion ahead of their matchup on June 30.
Although Moxley has been a dominant champion, his title reign could be in jeopardy, according to the betting odds for Forbidden Door that were revealed by BetOnline. The odds indicate Naito as the betting favorite with a score of (-)150, and The Blackpool Combat Club member as the underdog with a score of (+)200. The possibility of a draw was also projected, although the chances of a tie are likely to be low.
Fans will soon find out if Tetsuya Naito can bring back the Tokyo-based promotion's top prize back to NJPW with a win at Forbidden Door 2024.
Tetsuya Naito raised the stakes for his match against Jon Moxley
Earlier this month, eighteen out of twenty participants of the 2024 G1 Climax were named by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Interestingly, the list did not include Jon Moxley, who currently holds the IWGP World Heavyweight Title.
Days ahead of his clash against The Ace of the World at Forbidden Door 2024, Tetsuya Naito raised the stakes for their upcoming world championship bout. During an interview with Tokyo Sports, the LIJ leader stated that should he lose to Moxley at the upcoming pay-per-view, he will hand over his spot in the G1 Climax tournament to the latter.
"I wonder if they didn't offer him the tournament, or if they did and he turned them down. I don't know if Moxley will have the schedule open, or if New Japan will approve it. However, there have been cases in the past where it was approved (when Satoshi Kojima handed it over to Hiroyoshi Tenzan before the 2016 tournament). If I don't get the belt back, the IWGP World Champion who has beaten me consecutively will be a much more deserving opponent than me. After all, it's a Grade 1 fight," Tetsuya Naito said. [H/T - Fightful]
It remains to be seen whether Jon Moxley can retain his title in the UBS Arena this Sunday.