Hiroshi Tanahashi intervenes as Shota Umino retains title at Forbidden Door

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Tonight’s (June 28) Forbidden Door pay-per-view featured IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Shota Umino defending the gold against “The Bastard” PAC. The craziest spot of the match brought back memories of those crazy Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka matches from ECW and Japan 25+ years ago when PAC powerbombed Umino from the ring through a table on the outside. The nasty bump prompted AEW commentator Nigel McGuiness to say it “damn near killed” Umino. The fighting spirit of @Shooter_us can not be so easily distinguished, but @BASTARDPAC sends him FLYING into the table below! Watch #ForbiddenDoor LIVE on HBO Max PPV pic.twitter.com/q1zZMGqC3l — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 29, 2026 It turns out that Umino was not dead from the Awesome Bomb, as he came back to win the match and retain the title. PAC’s Death Rider stablemate Jon Moxley entered the ring after the match was over to confront Umino, his former protege. But out came NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi to run Moxley out of there. Okay fine, maybe it’s more like briskly walk Moxley out of there. Before the situation between @Shooter_us and @JonMoxley could escalate, Hiroshi Tanahashi appears to make a statement on behalf of NJPW! Watch #ForbiddenDoor LIVE on HBO Max PPV pic.twitter.com/mSr0VUR8mn — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 29, 2026 The Ace retired from in-ring competition earlier this year, so this wasn’t an angle to set up some kind of match between him and Moxley. He was instead there for a quick cameo on the cross-promotional show to proudly celebrate a win for one of his NJPW star champions. Did you get a kick out of seeing Tanahashi hit the ring at Forbidden Door? What did you think of that Awesome Bomb through the table? Let me know in the comments below, Cagesiders. Catch up on all the results from Forbidden Door in our live blog right here.