AEW and NJPW are gearing up for their annual Forbidden Door pay-per-view at New York’s EBS Arena on June 30, where talents from both promotions will collide. While matchups are yet to be confirmed, AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland is eager to square off against Shingo Takagi at the event.
“I’ve been a Shingo fan for like 15 years,” Strickland shared with the Social Suplex Podcast Network. “I met him many times, been on shows with him. Never worked him.
Matter of fact, this Forbidden Door will be the first time I’m on the main show, so that’s why I’m saying, if I can be a tool or a conduit for somebody to take a story and ride off of that and become something from that, I hope that helps.”
Strickland aims to use this year’s Forbidden Door to inspire others, drawing from his own journey of setbacks before capturing the AEW World Championship.
He hopes his narrative resonates with people. Regarding Takagi, Strickland expressed admiration for the NJPW star, making him a top choice for a showdown.
“For Forbidden Door, I think Shingo would be one of my favorite people that I’ve watched for years. That would be someone I would like to tie it up with.”
Takagi, the current IWGP NEVER Openweight Champion, clinched his fourth title reign by defeating Evil at Sakura Genesis earlier this month.
With past accolades, including the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, a match against Strickland at Forbidden Door 2024 could indeed headline the event.
