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JUN.27.2022

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Moxley Bests Ace in Forbidden Door Main 【NJoA】

Moxley seizes interim AEW gold in Chicago main

The main event of Forbidden Door on June 26th saw the Interim AEW World Championship at stake between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jon Moxley. Tanahashi and Moxley spent the first few minutes of the match feeling each other out, going hold for hold in the ring. When Tanahashi hit Moxley with a crossbody and celebrated by playing air guitar, Moxley felt disrespected and didn’t hesitate to make his feelings known. The men exchanged blows, then Tanahashi focused on Moxley’s legs with two quick dropkicks to the knee and a dragon screw to try to wear down his base and set him up for Tanahashi’s cloverleaf submission.

 

After fending off Tanahashi’s attack on his legs, Moxley gained the upper hand in this back-and-forth battle. He tossed his opponent to the mat from the top rope, then Moxley held Tanahashi’s arms to he couldn’t defend himself and repeatedly stomped the veteran in the head. A piledriver earned Moxley a two count, and he stayed on Tanahashi, locking in his own cloverleaf submission. Tanahashi got a rope break and managed to rally with a somersault senton off the second for a pin, but Moxley kicked out. Tanahashi attempted to hit his Sling Blade on the reeling Moxley, but Moxley evaded the move, throwing Tanahashi to the outside. Moxley followed his opponent, obviously reveling in that familiar, outside action. Tanahashi was still trying to regain his senses as Moxley drove him into the barricade, then aggressively cleared the timekeeper’s table. He slammed Tanahashi through the table, leaving the man clinging to consciousness as Moxley slid back into the ring, forcing the referee to start the count. Showing his true awareness of the AEW rules, Tanahashi jumped under the ropes at nine, breaking the count in the nick of time.

 

As Tanahashi rose to his knees, Moxley delivered a few stiff kicks to his chest, claiming he was the ace today. Tanahashi tried to catch Moxley’s leg in another dragon screw, but Moxley tried to counter into an armbar. Tanahashi escaped and, holding Moxley’s arms, returned the vicious head stomps to his vulnerable opponent. Tanahashi finally hit the Sling Blade on Moxley, who instinctively rolled out of the ring to preserve himself. As Moxley’s face came into view on the floor a few moments later, bright red blood was already starting to cover his features from a cut on his forehead. Tanahashi, unphased, went to the top turnbuckle and hit Aces High on the bloody Moxley on the outside.

 

Tanahashi and Moxley continued to wage a war as they made their way back into the ring. After Tanahashi kicked out of Moxley’s Paradigm Shift, Tanahashi stunned Moxley and climbed to the top rope to hit first Aces High, then High Fly Flow on his prone opponent for a near fall. When Moxley caught Tanahashi with a devastating lariat, he was beside himself with disbelief when Tanahashi kicked out at one. Moxley didn’t let his disbelief stop him. He grabbed Tanahashi in another chokehold as chants of “Go Ace” in support of Tanahashi filled the United Center. Tanahashi tried to channel the strength of the fans and started to fight back against Moxley. Knowing he needed to end the match before he lost any more blood. Moxley leveled Tanahashi with Death Rider for the win to become the new Interim AEW World Champion.

With Blood and Guts seeing Moxley’s allies in Blackpool Combat Club and beyond face Jericho Appreciation Society Wednesday on Dynamite, Jericho and company would try and crash the post match party, only to be headed off at the pass when Claudio Castagloni evened the odds. The incredible Forbidden Door event went off the air with Tanahashi raising Moxley’s hand in mutual respect. 

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