The IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship appears headed for one of the most anticipated matches on the Forbidden Door card. At Yuji Nagata Produce Blue Justice XVIII on Saturday, a video from PAC issued a direct challenge to champion Shota Umino for the AEW x NJPW co-promoted pay-per-view on June 28 — and Umino wasted no time making his feelings known.
The challenge video aired following a tag team match in which Umino teamed with Ryusuke Taguchi to defeat Zane Jay and Jake Lee. With the crowd still buzzing, Umino stepped up and responded to PAC’s callout, though the full details of his remarks remain behind the event itself.
The matchup would be a compelling one on paper. Umino has emerged as one of NJPW’s most exciting homegrown stars in recent years, developing his craft while working in the UK before returning to Japan as a polished, credible main-event performer. PAC, of course, is no stranger to NJPW audiences and has long been one of the most respected in-ring workers in the world, holding a reputation for brutally physical, high-stakes performances whenever he steps through the ropes.
Forbidden Door has become one of the premier crossover events in professional wrestling since its debut, and a title match with this kind of pedigree would fit squarely in the tradition of the show delivering dream matchups fans wouldn’t otherwise see. June 28 is fast approaching, and with Umino’s response now on record, the stage looks set for the IWGP Global title to be front and center on that night’s card.
Source: Wrestling Observer / F4W
