Tony Khan Responds After IWGP Champion Yota Tsuji Floats Idea of Boycotting Forbidden Door

With AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door on the horizon, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji stirred the pot by publicly raising the idea of boycotting the joint event — and his reasoning cut right to the heart of a long-standing criticism of how AEW has historically handled the IWGP title.

Tsuji took issue with the way the championship has been treated during past Forbidden Door crossovers, pointing specifically to the title being defended in multi-man matches and being put on the line against challengers who, in his view, had not legitimately earned the opportunity. For a title with the lineage and prestige of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, those are fighting words — and Tsuji clearly wanted that point heard loud and clear heading into this year’s collaboration.

For what it’s worth, Tsuji acknowledged that his feelings about AEW’s booking decisions don’t extend to a personal dislike of Tony Khan, adding some nuance to what could easily have been read as a blanket condemnation. Still, the comments put Khan in a position where a response was essentially unavoidable, and the AEW president did weigh in on Tsuji’s remarks.

The exchange adds an interesting layer of real tension to the build toward Forbidden Door. Whether Tsuji’s comments are purely promotional heat or reflect genuine frustration — likely some of both — they’ve succeeded in drawing attention to how the IWGP title is booked when it crosses over into AEW’s orbit. That’s a conversation that’s been brewing in wrestling circles for years, and now it has the champion himself leading the charge.