Since winning the AEW TNT Championship (or, admittedly, even before that, but much worse since then) Kyle Fletcher's ego has been getting more and more inflated, with him putting out an open challenge for a match at the upcoming AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door event, set to go down on Sunday, August 24, 2025 at the O2 Arena in London, England.
Heading into tonight's episode of AEW Dynamite, his opponent had yet to be announced. However, after the results of an eight-man tag team match that took place on this episode, Fletcher now has his opponent.
This match featured Fletcher team with his Don Callis Family stablemate, Josh Alexander, along with The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) against the pairing of Tomohiro Ishii, Brody King, Hologram, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Hiromu Takahashi.
Takahashi scored the victory for his team, pinning Alexander, which was enough to make it officially announced that Takahashi would be stepping in the ring with Fletcher and will receive that TNT Championship title shot.
This will be Takahashi's first time challenging for an All Elite Wrestling championship, as his only other title match in association with AEW was at the joint event Wrestle Dynasty where he fought for New Japan's IWGP Tag Team Championship instead.
Here is the current lineup for the AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door card:
- Lights Out Steel Cage Match: Will Ospreay, Darby Allin, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and The Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. The Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta), Gabe Kidd, and The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)
- Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. Nick Wayne & Kip Sabian
- Tag Team Match for the AEW World Tag Team Championships: The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin) (c) vs. TBD [FTR or Brodido]
- Singles Match for the AEW Unified Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Swerve Strickland
- Singles Match for the AEW Women’s World Championship: “Timeless” Toni Storm (c) vs. Athena
- Four-Way Match for the AEW TBS Championship: Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Alex Windsor (AEW) vs. TBD (CMLL) vs. TBD (Stardom)
- Singles Match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. TBD from AEW
- Singles Match for the AEW TNT Championship: Kyle Fletcher (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
- Singles Match for the AEW World Championship: “Hangman” Adam Page (c) vs. MJF
Who do you think will win at Forbidden Door? Leave a comment below with your predictions!