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AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door II will take place this weekend, June 25th. Only a few matches have been announced yet, but MJF is set to face NJPW veteran Hiroshi Tanahashi. Betting odds have now been released, and it seems like the odds are in Friedman's favor.
The Salt of the Earth has already claimed that he might not even show up to the pay-per-view, putting the match into question as well. This will notably be Tanahashi's second AEW World title shot and the third match under the All Elite Wrestling banner.
According to the official betting odds courtesy of BetOnline, MJF is the favorite to win with -5000 odds against Hiroshi Tanahashi's odds of +1000. While Friedman is favored to win the bout, this could also indicate a massive upset resulting in The Salt of the Earth losing his treasured championship.
CM Punk seemingly still has his AEW World Championship, which the star alluded to during his return promo last Saturday. Many fans now believe that Friedman will no-show, allowing The Second City Saint to fill in for him and defend the title in his stead.
Missed out on the first-ever episode of AEW Collision? Catch up with the results right here.
According to reports, Hiroshi Tanahashi will likely end up losing to the AEW World Champion
While betting odds are merely an indication of how the bout might go, the star power of both wrestlers is likely a better indication of who will come out on top.
According to Dave Meltzer in a Wrestling Observer Radio episode, Hiroshi Tanahashi is no longer considered a top guy in NJPW, and the promotion will likely not have an issue with him losing.
"Politically, Tanahashi is now a guy (…) for years and years and years and years, Tanahashi, Okada, Naito and who was the fourth guy (…) it’s like, ‘You can’t beat these guys.’ And then Tanahashi’s no longer on that list, so he’s a star who can lose, and that’s why he wrestled Moxley on the last Forbidden Door show.” (H/T: WrestleTalk)
However, it remains to be seen who could possibly come out on top and whether Tanahashi will face MJF or CM Punk. Since the pay-per-view is only a few days away, fans will find out very soon.
