– A highly anticipated championship bout has been officially confirmed for the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door event. AEW Women’s Champion Thekla is set to defend her title against Stardom sensation Starlight Kid at the June 28 pay-per-view in San Jose, California. This matchup follows weeks of tension involving Thekla, who has frequently criticized Stardom and directed hostile remarks toward company president Taro Okada.
– Momentum is building for another massive Forbidden Door encounter as MJF and Mark Briscoe prepare to build their factions. During the latest episode of AEW Collision, it was revealed that both men will select the participants for the upcoming 6-on-6 Steel Cage Match. In anticipation of that clash, their respective groups will face off in a 12-man tag team match during next week’s show in Sugar Land, Texas.
– The landscape for the upcoming Survival of the Fittest match is also taking shape. Hikaru Shida and Persephone have both secured their places in the tournament after winning their qualifying matches on Collision. Both athletes will advance to a six-woman elimination match on the July 1 edition of AEW Dynamite in San Diego, where a new TBS Champion will be crowned.
– Additionally, the women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament is approaching its final stages. AEW has announced that Athena will face Maya World in a semifinal match during next weekend’s Collision in Sugar Land. The victor will advance to the tournament finals, which are scheduled to be determined next weekend.
– In a major development from NJPW Dominion, an AEW standout made a high-profile return. Gabe Kidd has returned from injury and immediately targeted the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship. Following Shota Umino’s victory in a three-way match against Drilla Moloney and Andrade El Idolo, Kidd stormed the ring to attack the new champion. Delivering a heated promo, Kidd claimed Umino does not belong in the Death Riders and vowed to seize the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship in the near future.