As previously noted, AEW World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk announced on Friday’s AEW Rampage that he has suffered an injury, and will be out of action for some time as he recovers from surgery.
Punk will not be relinquishing the title, but rather an Interim World Champion will be crowned at the June 26th AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door PPV event. It’s believed he suffered a broken foot during a six-man tag team match on Wednesday’s Dynamite.
AEW announced the following details regarding the Eliminator Series that will crown this interim champion:
All Elite Wrestling Presents the AEW Interim World Championship Eliminator Series
June 4, 2022
Ontario, CA — During All Elite Wrestling’s (“AEW”) live broadcast of RAMPAGE from Ontario’s sold out Toyota Arena, AEW World Champion CM Punk announced that due to injury he would be out of action indefinitely, however, he would not be relinquishing the AEW World Championship. Following this development, AEW President and General Manager Tony Khan has announced the AEW Interim World Championship Eliminator Series beginning this Wednesday at AEW DYNAMITE on TBS.
The multi-stage Eliminator Series will feature:
• An exciting Battle Royal featuring many of the top competitors in AEW, which will open the broadcast of AEW DYNAMITE, live this Wednesday, June 8, from the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, MO, with the winner advancing to compete in the main event.
• That same night, the winner of the Battle Royal will meet former AEW World Champion and #1 Ranked Jon Moxley in an Eliminator Match in the main event of DYNAMITE, with the winner advancing to compete for the Interim AEW World Championship at FORBIDDEN DOOR on June 26, live from the sold out United Center in Chicago, IL.
• Meanwhile, on June 12, at New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s (“NJPW”) DOMINION event from the historic Osaka Jo-Hall, highly decorated NJPW stars and long-time rivals Hiroshi Tanahashi and Hirooki Goto will face off in an Eliminator Match for the Interim AEW World Championship, with the winner also advancing to FORBIDDEN DOOR on June 26, live on pay-per-view.
• The winner of AEW’s June 8 Eliminator Match will face the winner of NJPW’s June 12 Tanahashi vs Goto Eliminator Match in the main event of FORBIDDEN DOOR on June 26, to crown the Interim AEW World Champion.
After AEW World Champion CM Punk is medically cleared to compete, the winner of the AEW Interim World Championship Eliminator Series will face CM Punk in an AEW World Championship Unification Match.
