Major Update On Plans For AEW World Title Tournament

CM Punk announced on Friday night that he is currently injured and will be out of action indefinitely. Punk will not be relinquishing the AEW World Championship, but an interim champion will be crowned in his absence.

Tony Khan has now confirmed that the interim champion will be crowned via the AEW Interim World Championship Eliminator Series. A battle royal will be held on Dynamite and the winner will go on to face Jon Moxley in the main event of the show. The winner of that match will then advance to the Forbidden Door pay-per-view.

Tanahashi and Hirooki Goto will face off at NJPW Dominion on June 12, and the winner of that match will go on to compete for the Interim AEW World Championship at Forbidden Door on June 26. AEW issued the following release announcing the tournament:

“Ontario, CA – During All Elite Wrestling’s (“AEW”) live broadcast of RAMPAGE from Ontario’s sold-out Toyota Arena, AEW World Champion CM Punk announced that due to injury he would be out of action indefinitely, however, he would not be relinquishing the AEW World Championship Following this development, AEW President and General Manager Tony Khan has announced the AEW Interim World Championship Eliminator Series beginning this Wednesday at AEW DYNAMITE on TBS.

The multi-stage Eliminator Series will feature:

*An exciting Battle Royal featuring many of the top competitors in AEW, which will open the broadcast of AEW DYNAMITE, live this Wednesday, June 8, from the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, MO, with the winner advancing to compete in the main event.

* That same night, the winner of the Battle Royal will meet former AEW World Champion and #1 Ranked Jon Moxley in an Eliminator Match in the main event of DYNAMITE, with the winner advancing to compete for the Interim AEW World Championship at FORBIDDEN DOOR on June 26, live from the sold-out United Center in Chicago, IL.

* Meanwhile, on June 12, at New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s (“NJPW”) DOMINION event from the historic Osaka Jo-Hall, highly decorated NJPW stars and long-time rivals Hiroshi Tanahashi and Hirooki Goto will face off in an Eliminator Match for the Interim AEW World Championship, with the winner also advancing to FORBIDDEN DOOR on June 26, live on pay-per-view.

* The winner of AEW’s June 8 Eliminator Match will face the winner of NJPW’s June 12 Tanahashi vs Goto Eliminator Match in the main event of FORBIDDEN DOOR on June 26, to crown the Interim AEW World Champion.

After AEW World Champion CM Punk is medically cleared to compete, the winner of the AEW Interim World Championship Eliminator Series will face CM Punk in an AEW World Championship Unification Match.”