Real reason why 46-year-old legend is MJF's next opponent for the AEW World Title - Reports
AEW World Champion MJF has already faced many of the biggest names in the pro wrestling industry. His next major opponent will be Hiroshi Tanahashi, and according to reports, this bout is only happening because the veteran is no longer considered "unbeatable."
Tanahashi faced Jon Moxley during last year's AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view. During last night's Dynamite, the star made a video appearance and challenged The Salt of the Earth to a championship match at this year's Forbidden Door event.
According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Tanahashi is no longer considered an "Ace" by NJPW, which is why he's facing Friedman.
"Politically, Tanahashi is now a guy (…) for years and years and years and years, Tanahashi, Okada, Naito and who was the fourth guy (…) it’s like, ‘You can’t beat these guys.’ And then Tanahashi’s no longer on that list, so he’s a star who can lose, and that’s why he wrestled Moxley on the last Forbidden Door show.” (H/T: WrestleTalk)
#NJPW's Master of the Century @tanahashi1_100 has challenged #AEW World Heavyweight Champion @The_MJF at #ForbiddenDoor!!! Will #MJF accept?
#ForbiddenDoor on Sunday, June 25th LIVE on PPV! #AEWxNJPW
@njpwglobal https://t.co/gilKCbCR5p
This report could be seen as a spoiler about the outcome of Friedman's clash with Hiroshi Tanahashi at Forbidden Door II since NJPW could allow the star to suffer another defeat. Fans will have to catch the pay-per-view to see which star reigns supreme.
Missed out on last night's AEW Dynamite? Catch up with the results right here.
Eric Bischoff believes that Tony Khan has to go the extra mile to keep the AEW World Champion happy
MJF's constant threats to jump ship to WWE have confused many fans and veterans. At this stage, nobody knows if it's simply a part of his character or if there's truth behind it.
During his recent interview with Ariel Herwani, Bischoff explained why he believes Tony Khan must work hard to re-sign MJF next year.
"If I'm Tony Khan, I'm going to work pretty hard to keep MJF on my roster because, if you look at that roster, there's not a lot of other talents that are anywhere close to MJF in terms of vulnerability and connection," said Bischoff. (15:59 onward)
What an opening match between Adam Cole & MJF!
Watch #AEWDynamite on LIVE on TBS
@AdamColePro | @The_MJF https://t.co/Tlj6t1ODBG
Eric Bischoff also noted that AEW is filled with many veterans who are amid their final in-ring runs, and due to MJF's age and skillset, he believes Tony Khan should invest in the star. It remains to be seen if the "Bidding War of 2024" will become a serious concern for Khan.