Tag: aew x njpw forbidden door

Adam Copeland & Christian Cage teaming for first time in 14 years at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Posted on by Josh Nason

The much-anticipated reunion of Adam Copeland and Christian Cage will come at this month’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door — even if it’s unclear if they are on the same page.

The two will team for the first time in more than 14 years to take on Nick Wayne & Kip Sabian at the August 24th London, England, pay-per-view.

It first came together on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite when the two somewhat embraced.

Copeland had picked up a DQ win over FTR manager Stokely Hathaway after Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler stormed the ring to prevent him from landing a piledriver. That ended the no physicality moratorium between Copeland and FTR (who asked for the clause.

The numbers game eventually caught up to Copeland. Harwood and Wheeler were about to finish him with a spike piledriver when Cage ran out with Copeland’s spiked 4×4 to run them off. Wayne then ran in with a chair, but Cage nailed it with the 4×4 to send Wayne running. (FTR was in the ring at All In: Texas when Wayne, Kip Sabian and Mama Wayne turned on Cage to begin with, and Wayne & Sabian took Cage out earlier this month with a conchairto.)

Copeland and Cage then eyed each other up and Cage handed the object to Copeland who then embraced Cage in a long hug. Cage eventually left the ring, looking at Copeland the entire way back.

It was Copeland who told Cage to “go find himself” at the aforementioned All In to help set the reunion back in motion. The last time they teamed up was as part of an April 2011 WWE SmackDown dark match.

The two longtime tag team partners and friends have been at odds since Copeland first joined AEW in 2023, feuding over the TNT title. Cage interjected himself into Copeland’s World title challenge of then-champion Jon Moxley at March’s Revolution, cashing in his anytime, anywhere title shot. He eventually was submitted by Moxley, costing Copeland the opportunity.

Current AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door card | Sunday, August 24 | London, England

  • AEW World Champion Hangman Page defends against MJF
  • AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against winner of Tag Team title eliminator tournament
  • Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. Nick Wayne & Kip Sabian
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Athena
  • TBS Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Alex Windsor, CMLL TBD and Stardom TBD
  • TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher defends against Hiromu Takahashi
  • Lights out steel cage match: Darby Allin, Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi vs. The Death Riders (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli), Gabe Kidd & The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)

All-star lights out cage match with NJPW icon made for AEW Forbidden Door

Posted on by Josh Nason

This story has been updated.

If your wrestling bingo card had NJPW icon and president Hiroshi Tanahashi competing in a lights out steel cage match in his final ever match in London, England, congratulations.

Tanahashi will be part of the ten-man cage match at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in London, England, joining Darby Allin, Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi against The Death Riders (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli), Gabe Kidd, and the Young Bucks.

Here’s how it all came together.

Following Moxley’s win over Kevin Knight on Wednesday’s Dynamite, Allin came to the ring, attacking Wheeler Yuta when Castagnoli returned to lay Allin out and put him in a body bag intended for Yuta.

Castagnoli and Yuta were about to finish the job when Ospreay ran out to even the odds and take out both men. He then grabbed the microphone and told Moxley, Castagnoli, Yuta and Marina Shafir that they tried to snap his neck at All In, so he was going to snap theirs.

He then told the group to get his friends and he’ll bring his, and they will meet at Forbidden Door in a lights out steel cage match.

Ospreay later revealed backstage to Renee Paquette that he and Allin will be part of a team that is still adding a few members, but he confirmed one made via a phone call: Tanahashi. Near the end of Dynamite, Moxley and crew learned about his addition and went to find the Young Bucks who were in the “extras” area.

The lineups were then later revealed.

It will be Tanahashi’s final match in London as his final year as an active wrestler winds down.

A lot of returns

For Ospreay, it will mark his return to the ring after revealing in July that he would be missing some time due to two herniated discs.

For Allin, it’s his first match since December 22, 2024, when he was in the Continental Classic. He left to climb Mount Everest and made his return at All In: Texas as part of the group helping fend off the Death Riders as Hangman Page won the AEW World title.

Kidd hasn’t competed since sustaining an injury in his NJPW G1 Climax opening match against Konosuke Takeshita which forced him to withdraw from the tournament.

It will be Omega’s first match since losing the Unified title to Kazuchika Okada at All In: Texas.

Current AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door card | Sunday, August 24 | London, England

  • AEW World Champion Hangman Page defends against MJF
  • AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against winner of Tag Team title eliminator tournament
  • Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. Nick Wayne & Kip Sabian
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Athena
  • TBS Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Alex Windsor, CMLL TBD and Stardom TBD
  • TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher defends against Hiromu Takahashi
  • Lights out steel cage match: Darby Allin, Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi vs. The Death Riders (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli), Gabe Kidd & The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)

World title match set for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Posted on by Josh Nason

The second title defense for new AEW World Champion Hangman Page will come at this month’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view against a familiar foe in former champion MJF.

During Wednesday’s Dynamite, the two had an in-ring confrontation as Page has been a thorn in MJF’s side for several weeks, unwilling to take his bait as he holds an anytime, anywhere World title shot earned at All In: Texas in the Casino Gauntlet match.

The two threw insults at each other until Page got MJF so heated by calling him a coward and demanding he cash in his shot at Forbidden Door that MJF finally agreed and then quickly regretted it.

It will be Page’s second title defense after retaining against former champion Jon Moxley on the July 30th Dynamite, and MJF’s first World title shot since he lost it to Samoa Joe at December 2023’s Worlds End.

The two have a history in AEW and one that has seen them in two singles matches before: one in the 2019 Dynamite Diamond ring finals that MJF won and another this past March at Revolution that Page won.

Current AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door card | Sunday, August 24 | London, England

  • AEW World Champion Hangman Page defends against MJF
  • AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against winner of Tag Team title eliminator tournament
  • Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. Nick Wayne & Kip Sabian
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Athena
  • TBS Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Alex Windsor, CMLL TBD and Stardom TBD
  • TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher defends against Hiromu Takahashi
  • Lights out steel cage match: Darby Allin, Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi vs. The Death Riders (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli), Gabe Kidd & The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)

Jim Ross sets date for return to AEW broadcast booth

Posted on by Josh Nason

Jim Ross will be returning to the AEW broadcast booth in just a few weeks time.

The WWE Hall of Famer revealed on his Grilling JR podcast Thursday that through his communication with AEW head Tony Khan, he will be heading to London, England, for this month’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view from the O2 Arena to “call a couple matches.”

Ross loves the venue (“It’s a hell of a building”) and is excited to be heading there, comparing it to London’s version of Madison Square Garden.

The 73-year-old made his return to the booth for July’s All In Texas — his first show after he underwent successful surgery to remove colon cancer. He revealed afterward that he experienced “a bad fall” in his hotel room just days before the event, but was still able to make his scheduled appearances Friday and then Saturday.

Current AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door card | Sunday, August 24 | London, England

  • AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against winner of Tag Team title eliminator tournament
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. TBA
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Athena
  • TBS Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Alex Windsor

New title match confirmed for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: AEW

Alex Windsor now has the opportunity to win her first-ever AEW title in front of her countrymen and women later this month.

Windsor won a four-way no. 1 contender’s match on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite to earn a spot in a four-way against reigning TBS Champion Mercedes Mone (pictured above) at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, set for Sunday, August 24th in London, England.

Windsor picked up the victory in the match that also featured Queen Aminata, Skye Blue and Billie Starkz after pinning Starkz with a small package. Reigning AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm got involved, preventing Athena from interfering on Starkz’s behalf.

Mone confronted Windsor after the match, leading to Athena and Starkz laying out Windsor and Storm with the three heels standing tall.

Windsor, a native of England, will be looking for her first major championship while Mone is in search of her 19th successful title defense as part of a run that has lasted nearly 440 days.

The match will also feature wrestlers from Stardom and CMLL who will each separate qualify.

Current AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door card | Sunday, August 24 | London, England

  • AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against winner of Tag Team title eliminator tournament
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. TBA
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Athena
  • TBS Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Alex Windsor vs. CMLL TBD vs. Stardom TBD

Women’s World title match confirmed for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Posted on by Josh Nason

After winning her opportunity to challenge for the AEW Women’s World title at July’s All In, Athena isn’t waiting long to cash in her ticket.

Made official on Thursday’s AEW Collision, she will challenge Toni Storm for the title at August’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in search of her first run with the gold.

Athena pinned Storm on Wednesday’s Dynamite in a tag team match after weeks of taunting Storm for when she would call her shot. Athena’s ROH Women’s World title will not be on the line.

While the two have shared the ring seven times in their respective careers, the match will be their first singles encounter.

Storm, currently in her fourth reign, will be looking for her fifth successful title defense and her first since defending against Mercedes Mone at All In.

Current AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door card | Sunday, August 24 | London, England

  • AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against winner of Tag Team title eliminator tournament
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. TBA
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Athena

Grudge match official for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: AEW

In a match that has been in the crosshairs since after AEW All In, Kazuchika Okada vs. Swerve Strickland for Okada’s Unified title is now official for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door.

The match was announced during Thursday’s special live edition of AEW Collision.

Strickland came out to assist The Outrunners on Wednesday’s Dynamite after their loss to the Young Bucks. The Bucks and Okada were beating the two down when Strickland came out to even the odds and ultimately, lay out Okada.

Strickland has targeted Okada since the Dynamite following this month’s All In. The two have competed in a singles match once, a DQ win for Strickland in July 2024. They have shared the ring twice since then, once in July 2024’s Blood & Guts match and then again in a tag team match this past March.

Okada, the Continental Champion, won the Unified title at All In by virtue of his win over International Champion Kenny Omega in their winner take all match. Strickland will be looking for his first title run since losing the World title to Bryan Danielson at August 2024’s All In.

Current AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door card | Sunday, August 24 | London, England

  • AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against winner of Tag Team title eliminator tournament
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. TBA
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Athena

Hiroshi Tanahashi’s final UK match set for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Posted on by Josh Nason

As Hiroshi Tanahashi’s final year as a wrestler continues, his final match in the United Kingdom is now official.

Announced Saturday night by the man himself, the NJPW president will step into the ring at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door on Sunday, August 24th at The O2 Arena in London, England.

Tanahashi made a surprise appearance at last Sunday’s AEW Double or Nothing, joining Brody King and Tomohiro Ishii in making the save for Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly & Adam Cole following their loss and subsequent beatdown by The Don Callis Family (Josh Alexander, Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, Lance Archer, Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta).

He has been part of every Forbidden Door to date, failing to defeat Jon Moxley in a match for the then-interim AEW World title in 2022; losing to then-AEW World Champion MJF in 2023; and then losing in a trios bout that featured himself and The Acclaimed falling to The Elite’s Young Bucks & Kazuchika Okada in 2024.

In April, the 48-year-old wrestled his final match in the United States, losing to Konosuke Takeshita at NJPW Windy City Riot.

It was first announced in October 2024 that Tanahashi was set to retire at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4, 2026, at the Tokyo Dome.

AEW reveals venue & date for Forbidden Door, debut country for Dynamite & Collision

Posted on by Josh Nason

The venue and date for this August’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door has been revealed in addition to venues and dates for AEW’s debut in Scotland.

In an interview with the BBC London News, AEW head Tony Khan said that the annual pay-per-view featuring AEW talents taking on both NJPW and CMLL talent will emanate from the O2 Arena in London on Sunday, August 24th.

It will be the fourth-such event in company history dating back to 2022. It will be the second time it will be held internationally following 2023’s event in Toronto, Canada.

Tickets will go on-sale on May 2nd with fans able to sign up for a presale.

AEW debuting in Scotland

With the news came another reveal: AEW will debut in Scotland for the first time ever.

Khan said both the Forbidden Door go-home editions of Dynamite and Collision will be held at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on Wednesday, August 20th for a dual taping.

The brand debuted in Wales last August for the All In go-home editions of Dynamite and Collision.

Tickets will go on-sale on May 2nd with fans able to sign up for a presale.

Shibata wants to challenge for IWGP World title at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Katsuyori Shibata dreams of challenging for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door this summer.

While speaking with Tokyo Sports, Shibata stated his desire to challenge either Hirooki Goto or Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Goto is the current champion, recently winning the belt from Zack Sabre Jr. at the New Beginning in Osaka. His first title defense will be against Tanahashi at NJPW’s 53rd Anniversary show this Thursday.

Goto and Shibata have been friends since high school, and the two were once IWGP Tag Team Champions together. Shibata told Tokyo Sports that he and Goto have always envisioned themselves facing off for the IWGP World title. Now that Goto is champion, this is the time that dream can become a reality.

“It’s probably only possible at this point in time that Goto has. If there is a possibility, it would be Forbidden Door and if he could hold it to that point, the possibilities would come all at once,” Shibata said. “I don’t want to give up on my dream, because my dream is to make it come true. The rest depends on Goto’s efforts.”

Forbidden Door 2025 is taking place in London on Sunday, August 24. It’s the fourth straight year that AEW and NJPW have collaborated together for the pay-per-view.

A member of the NJPW roster for more than two decades, this is Goto’s first reign as IWGP World Champion. Shibata has never held the title before. His most recent time challenging for IWGP gold was against Kazuchika Okada in 2017, when Shibata suffered a life-threatening subdural hematoma during the match.

Shibata is now signed to AEW and competes in both AEW and ROH. He’s part of a trio called The Opps with Samoa Joe and Hook.

In an interview with NJPW’s website after winning the IWGP title, Goto was asked if he had heard from Shibata.

“Just ‘I’m waiting in America!’ [laughs],” Goto responded. “I got a few messages from other wrestlers, foreign wrestlers over there I wrestled before. I was surprised how happy so many foreign fans were for me.”

Yuji Nagata has also challenged Goto to a future title match if he’s successful in his defense against Tanahashi.

JNPO wrestling year in review series: Punk-led clashes & a newly-opened forbidden door

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: WWE

We’re at the halfway point of my annual JNPO wrestling year in review series, hitting on the month of June.

Joining me for the first time is Garrett Kidney of the ‘You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me‘ podcast looking back at TNA history one month at a time.

Some of the many topics we hit upon in this hour include:

  • WWE Clash at the Castle which saw CM Punk screw hometown favorite Drew McIntyre out of winning the WWE World Heavyweight title
  • The annual AEW x NJPW x CMLL Forbidden Door which saw Will Ospreay take his first AEW loss, the return of Britt Baker, and several other new champions
  • The launch of the ‘NXTNA’ era as WWE and TNA began an unexpected partnership
  • WWE further expanding their interpromotional relationships with NOAH and Marigold

All that and lots more of the news you somewhat remember and that you also forgot awaits you with a click below:

Click here to listen

Here’s the rest of the series:

Date set for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 in London

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Though All In won’t be in the United Kingdom next year, AEW is still set to hold a summer pay-per-view in London.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door will take place in London on Sunday, August 24, 2025. The official announcement was made during the pre-show for All In this afternoon. AEW has not revealed the venue for the PPV.

Before the news was officially confirmed, there had been advertisements spotted around London promoting Forbidden Door 2025. This will be the fourth consecutive year that AEW and NJPW have collaborated together for the event. Chicago, Toronto, and Long Island (New York) were the prior locations.

The date for Forbidden Door coincides with the summer bank holiday weekend in the United Kingdom. In 2023 and 2024, All In was held in London during that weekend. But AEW has announced that Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas will be the venue for All In 2025 next July. All In will then return to the U.K. in 2026.

It was also revealed during the pre-show that AEW will make its Australia debut with a Grand Slam stadium show next February.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door advertised for London next year

Posted on by Josh Nason

An ad spotted at Wembley Stadium indicates that next year’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door will be taking place in London, England.

During the press conference last week to reveal that next year’s All In would take place in Texas as opposed to London, AEW head Tony Khan said that the company had “big plans for England” in 2025 in addition to confirming that All In would return to London in 2026.

It will be the fourth-such event and the second to be held internationally following the 2023 card that was held in Toronto, Canada. The show, traditionally held in June, features wrestlers from both AEW and NJPW in addition to CMLL and Stardom.

It is the second-such crossover event on the books for 2025 as NJPW will host Wrestle Dynasty on January 5th — the day after Wrestle Kingdom at the Tokyo Dome. Based on the initial announcement, it is their version of Forbidden Door with wrestlers from the same organizations participating.

AEW’s event calendar may fill up even more sooner than later as Khan confirmed media reports on Thursday that they are looking at holding an event in Australia next year — one the Australian version of Sporting News stated is in the advanced stages of being a stadium show.

July 8, 2024 Observer Newsletter: AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door recap, WWE Money in the Bank weekend preview

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Image: AEW

Subscribers can now read this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Last Sunday’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door on 6/30 at the UBS Arena felt like part of a familiar pattern.

Ratings and attendance are low. The PPV comes, and the company does a strong show, the crowd is lively, it’s well received, and you often think maybe this could be the start of positive momentum. Certainly Revolution and Dynasty came across that way, and Forbidden Door fit into that pattern.

The repeated strong PPV shows, which do well from a business standpoint and crowd reaction standpoint, leave one thinking the product is really good and perhaps there will be a turnaround because of it. If there’s a lesson learned is that perhaps these strong AEW PPV shows is what may have kept the PPV end of the business strong when other aspects showed decline. But over the last year, the strong shows, perhaps even All In, the biggest success by far in company history, haven’t moved the others aspects of the business.

But there is no way to downplay the live arena success of the show. Forbidden Door had a long show with a generally hot crowd, which was explosive during the main event. It did a $1 million gate in the New York market, at the UBS Arena in Long Island. It’s a market they run all the time, and did this gate even though they just ran a PPV in that market only six months ago and WWE ran Madison Square Garden with great success two days earlier with an angle that led to a ton of talk.

But from a PPV standpoint, it’s definitely a question.

Other stories this week include:

  • A preview of this weekend’s WWE Money in the Bank and NXT Heatwave
  • A changing of the guard for the upcoming NJPW G1 tournament
  • The much-discussed WrestleMania 40 documentary…and more.

Click here to read