With the forbidden door bursting wide open between AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling in recent times, whether it be through the likes of Yuji Nagata and Minoru Suzuki coming in to face off against Jon Moxley, or the arrival of the current head of the Bullet Club, Jay White, it is as clear as ever that the working relationship between AEW and NJPW is in very good place.
With rumors having swirled in regard to this topic since KENTA first appeared in AEW, it seems more likely than ever that a proper AEW vs. New Japan event could be happening in the near future. With both rosters featuring some of the best talent in the world, choices would need to be made for what cross-promotion matches would be put together.
10 Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. The Young Bucks
With AEW having such a strong emphasis on tag team wrestling, there would need to be at least one high profile match if given the opportunity to do some big-time cross-promotional matches. New Japan unfortunately has a very depleted tag team division in 2022, but do have an extremely strong team in the form of Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI, representing CHAOS.
The Young Bucks have been a part of some of the best tag team matches, not only in AEW, but everywhere they have gone. Pairing the current IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions against the former AEW World Tag Team Champions, and arguably the best tag team in the world, would not only raise the New Japan's team stock, but it would allow them to go toe to toe with The Young Bucks in a tag team special.
9 Shingo Takagi vs. Wardlow
After putting on some consistently great performances in New Japan over the past several years, Shingo Takagi finally got to have a run as the face of the company during 2021, in which he became IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Meanwhile, Tony Khan is actively building a future top babyface in Wardlow, who has been a long-term project since AEW's launch.
Pairing these two meaty men against each other would allow Shingo to shine in front of a fiery AEW audience, while also giving Wardlow a marquee match against one of the best professional wrestlers alive. This is not necessarily the most exciting match on paper, but with Shingo's track record and Wardlow's few impressive big-time singles matches, it could have a lot of potential.
8 Kota Ibushi vs. Adam Cole
Since AEW's inception, Kota Ibushi has been one of the names from New Japan that fans have been actively hoping for, alongside Kazuchika Okada, due to his ties with Kenny Omega. While neither man has yet to appear, Okada has been name-dropped and referenced on numerous occasions, and Ibushi did technically feature during the 2019 AEW Halloween Dynamite episode in Omega's video package.
An extremely exciting match that could be put together for Kota Ibushi against an AEW wrestler would be none other than Adam Cole. The two all-star wrestlers have yet to clash in a singles match, and with both typically putting on show-stealing performances, this could be a huge deal.
7 Minoru Suzuki vs. Chris Jericho
Despite critics saying he has lost a step, Chris Jericho is still trying to prove his haters wrong, as he continues to be a featured player within AEW, albeit doing much less than he did in 2019 and 2020. A match that Jericho himself has openly said he wants is a match against New Japan's own Murder Grandpa.
Minoru Suzuki made a shocking appearance at AEW All Out in 2021, and subsequently had several matches within AEW. While the match would not likely be an in-ring classic, this would feel like an incredibly special affair with two genuine legends facing off in the form of Minoru Suzuki versus Chris Jericho.
6 Hiromu Takahashi vs. Darby Allin vs. El Desperado vs. Jungle Boy
New Japan's Junior Heavyweight division is home to some of the most exciting wrestlers around, with Hiromu Takahashi and El Desperado leading the pack. Having both men square off in a Fatal 4-Way match against the likes of Darby Allin and Jungle Boy, two of AEW's most exciting cruiserweight-style wrestlers, would lead to an entertaining bout.
As far as reasons behind the match, there would not really need to be one, though for an added level of intrigue, putting the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on the line would make this a must-watch, fast-paced sprint.
5 KENTA vs. CM Punk
A match that not only fans of AEW and NJPW have asked for, but that KENTA himself has said he wants, is a dream match pairing the two Go-to-Sleep users against one another. KENTA was the first New Japan talent to crash through the forbidden door, and with him continually calling out CM Punk, it seems likely that he will once again feature on AEW programming within the future.
Having a battle that has been a longtime coming between KENTA and Punk would likely lead to a heated match between the two. While both are very strong in-ring workers, giving this an added level of animosity by putting a No DQ or Street Fight stipulation on it would be a great choice as well.
4 Kazuchika Okada vs. MJF
While fans would love another meeting between Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega, a rather interesting match-up could be sitting in the laps of both promotions, pairing Okada with one of the hottest names in pro-wrestling. The man that now says he is better than the best in the world, MJF has shown that not only is he electric on the mic, but he can back it up in-ring as well.
MJF beat the best in America, so going international and calling out The Rainmaker would make waves across the wrestling world, and should Okada accept, the two could put on an all-time classic match.
3 Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Bryan Danielson
During his insane run during the 2021 G1 Climax, Zack Sabre Jr. made it clear that he wants Bryan Danielson, and to the surprise of nobody, so does everybody else. With these men being two of the best technical wrestlers to ever live, this would be a grappling fan's biggest dream.
Whether taking place in Japan or in North America, a bout between ZSJ and The American Dragon would leave fans needing a break after an incredibly technical bout showcasing their skills and prowess against one another. The sooner that this match happens, the sooner fans can fantasy book a rematch.
2 Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Adam Page
After having a run in the G1 Climax tournament before AEW's debut, Adam Page caught some serious praise from The Ace of New Japan, with Hiroshi Tanahashi stating that he saw Hangman as the future, as long as he could cut the Bullet Club poison out of himself.
Years later, Page is now the top guy in All Elite Wrestling, currently in the midst of his first AEW World Championship reign. Tanahashi appeared in a video promo during 2021 in AEW, but has yet to wrestle for the promotion. Running Hangman versus one of the best to ever wrestle, and one of the faces of New Japan, would be a huge honor and a strong match.
1 Jay White vs. Kenny Omega
A match that has been only done once, Jay White versus Kenny Omega is arguably one of the biggest matches New Japan and AEW could pull out of their pockets, aside from another Okada versus Omega battle. Omega being the former head of the Bullet Club, and White being the current leader, there is already storyline potential, and history between the men.
Whether this match were to happen on a stage like Wrestle Kingdom or one of AEW's PPV events within the United States, such as All Out, it would certainly be one of the most talked about matches of the year. With The Switchblade now being in AEW, the chances of this happening have increased significantly.