Editor’s Note: This is an opinion-based preview that reflects the views of the author and not the website.
This year’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door isn’t about checking dream matches off a list anymore. It’s about finding the right combinations using whatever top talent is available, regardless of how forbidden or permissible they may be.
The highs are certainly high. Kazuchika Okada vs. Swerve Strickland is an existing opposition of styles and ideas. ZSJ vs. Nigel McGuinness is a time machine. Mercedes Mone in a four-way is equal parts inevitability and chaos. AEW has stacked some of the card with collisions that don’t just sound good on paper — they carry some serious weight.
Not everything is a hit, however. Sure, you get MJF and Hangman tearing the house down, but can we also interest you in some Kip Sabian? I will politely pass and instead indulge in the rest of Forbidden Door, even though it’s really just a regular old PPV. I won’t tell if you won’t.
Here’s my preview and predictions for Sunday’s Forbidden Door from London (1 PM Eastern main card start on PPV).
Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. Kip Sabian & Killswitch
Sure, whatever. Killswitch is back which is very nice for him, but I’ve never had a compelling thought about Kip Sabian. The Cope/Christian reunion tour should have come with more fanfare, but I suppose this is leading to something bigger down the line. Let’s not spill any more digital ink here.
Prediction: Cope and Christian
AEW World Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) and FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) in a three-way
The Hurt Syndicate have been champions since January. It doesn’t feel like it! The most memorable thing they’ve done was engage in an unfulfilling and short-lived partnership with MJF. Their matches are impressive beatdowns delivered by two talented athletic marvels, but that’s all they are. There’s been nothing worth holding on to. AEW hasn’t exactly put forth a murderers’ row of opponents, but at some point, the common denominator in the question must be considered.
A tournament final ending in a draw sure is something. Why even run the tournament if you weren’t going to have a clear winner? That said, the FTR/Brodido match on Wednesday was a certified ripper and significantly better output than anything from the Hurt Syndicate during their time as champions.
Brody and Bandido always deserve gold. Unfortunately, that’s not happening. They’re just here to eat the pin. They deserve so much more.
Prediction: FTR wins the titles
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Alex Windsor, Persephone and Bozilla in a four-way
The more people in a match, the further we stray from God’s light. Maybe this is me getting old. Maybe this is me, in fact, already being old. But one-on-one matches are the purest form of pro wrestling (tag team wrestling notwithstanding).
I’ll allow for indulgences like the occasional triple threat or a cacophony of violence like Anarchy in the Arena. Still, by and large, multi-person matches are too contrived and too empty. There is too much waiting around between spots. If you pay attention, you can feel the space in them. They aren’t without their purpose, but these are fun, empty calories at the absolute best with a floor of something far worse.
Mercedes’ loss at All In shocked me. I was certain she was destined to add yet another belt to her always-growing collection. She didn’t, though that certainly seems to have done little to slow down the momentum of her globe-trotting success.
The rollout of Alex Windsor in AEW has been great, Persephone can work, and Bozilla is full of promise, but there is only one CEO.
Prediction: Mercedes retains
TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher defends against Hiromu Takahashi
Takahashi was a beautiful abnormality — a junior heavyweight force of nature and a ball of kinetic, unique charisma that was a magnet for willing and curious eyes. His self-produced videos, entrance gear, and devil-may-care style made him stand out. His return from a broken neck at Wrestle Kingdom 14 moved me. But fireworks, dazzling as they might be, burn fast and hot, but always blow out. Serious injuries have dampened some of Hiromu’s bombast and output, but his special light still shines.
Fletcher has arrived — not just as a breakout singles star, but as someone who feels inevitable in pro wrestling’s next decade. His journey to the TNT Championship, capped by a stirring street fight victory over Dustin Rhodes, is proof of concept: youthful, athletic, and composed beyond his years, Fletcher has transitioned from an Ospreay-esque tag-team prospect into a headliner with frightening ease. His ceiling does not exist.
Prediction: Fletcher retains
AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Swerve Strickland
Everything has already been said about Okada, a once-in-a-generation ace whose performances on the biggest stages are already part of modern wrestling history. Yet, here’s the thing: we haven’t gotten the full Okada experience in AEW yet. Since walking through the forbidden door full-time, the Rainmaker has felt like the trailer instead of the full movie.
He’s been dominant, sure, looking like a cool billion dollars and still hitting that dropkick like Zeus hurling lightning, but something’s been off. The mystique is there, but the matches haven’t caught up. Maybe it’s just that Okada, who, like any mythic figure, needs the right foil (see Bryan Danielson for evidence) to unlock his highest form. If that’s the case, Swerve might be the key.
This match isn’t just a collision of two stars; it’s a styles clash in the best way. Okada is the high-art technician with the mat as his canvas. Swerve, on the other hand, is a (better) Rick Rude wearing Supreme. He snarls and he seethes, all while being the coolest person in the room. He’s part style, part menace, and always in control. The best-of-the-best transcend wins and losses, and even if Swerve doesn’t win, he controls the conversation.
I’m jazzed for this one. Okada’s deliberate pacing and crescendo-building offense vs. Swerve’s penchant for brutality. Will Okada finally paint his masterpiece in an AEW ring? And if not now, when?
Prediction: Okada retains
IWGP World Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Nigel McGuinness
Of the many, many wonderful ZSJ quotes, there are none better than when he said putting on a great technical match for the United States is “like reading Shakespeare to a dog.” Kings stay kings. The good news for ZSJ is that this audience, like his opponent, will largely not be from the United States.
Both of these beautiful Brits — a fact, not an opinion — will get every opportunity to wrench and bend and torque and twist each other’s limbs on their home soil. How incredible for McGuinness to get a proper singles match at the sold-out O2 Arena. How perfect that ZSJ gets to lock up with a British wrestling legend. How lucky are we, silly Americans, that we’ll get to try and appreciate what should be a technical masterpiece.
As compelling and interesting as this match is, there is no serious chance of the title changing hands. The potential addition of Daniel Garcia does introduce some intrigue. He’s been struggling, languishing even, for some time now. Does he flip the script and turn heel on Nigel? Tune in on August 24th (only on PPV!) to find out.
Prediction: ZSJ retains
Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi), Darby Allin, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay vs. Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley), Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) and Gabe Kidd in a lights out cage match
A man with no knees who can’t walk, a man with half his insides removed held together by duct tape, a man who publicly announced neck problems, a daredevil who climbed Mount Everest, and Ibushi walk into a lights out steel cage match.
Rarely, if ever, has there been a match that had a higher risk of a career-ending injury.
My choice for the winner of the “he really shouldn’t be doing this match” is the president of NJPW and the Ace of the universe, Hiroshi Tanahashi. A living legend and all-time big match performer, his bona fides are exhaustive and deserved, so far be it from me, a loser, to question him. But, man. It’s painful when he tries to move at anything with a pace brisker than a stroll, so how can he do a match like this? He just struggled through a six-man tag on Dynamite. I have a feeling I’ll be watching this one through my fingers, just hoping everyone comes out of it ok.
Much of the intrigue lies in the logistics and layout of this match. There are a lot of people to be in one cage at the same time. The argument that this should be the annual Blood and Guts match is a sound one. Hopefully, the cage is more of a recommendation rather than a requirement, because a brawl all over the arena would be more fun than ten dudes bumping around in a cage trying not to kill each other.
Prediction: Omega, Ibushi, Allin, Tanahashi & Ospreay
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Athena
To begin, a proposition for the sicko owner of AEW: be brave, Tony Khan. Be bold. Now is the time to be audacious. Let Athena soundly and quickly beat Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship. Don’t deprive your audience of a good match, but give us something different.
AEW leans heavily into the more sprawling epics littered with kickout after kickout after kickout. Imagine for a moment this is a ten-minute sprint, a slugfest between two of the best women workers of our generation with the governors completely removed from their engines. Let them empty the tanks quickly and viciously before going home with authority.
It took Storm hitting countless piledrivers to put away Mone at All In. How momentous and ground-shaking would it be if Athena beat Storm with one finisher? A star would instantly emerge. Athena has been that star for years, carrying a mostly unwatched brand on her capable back. It’s time to bring her to the front and keep her there. Few can do what she does in the ring, and it’s high time for the world at large to easily see it.
Prediction: Athena wins the title
AEW World Champion Hangman Page defends against MJF
The AEW World Championship is a heavy crown for any head. The burden of expectations, the burden of being the best every night, is never ending. There are no bye weeks with a roster overflowing with talent like Ospreay, Allin, Fletcher, G1 winner Konosuke Takeshita, Swerve, and, of course, MJF.
A conquering hero like Hangman should be up for the challenge. There’s nothing like returning to the summit in an act of cathartic triumph before having to deal with the devil all over again. There are no breaks, there are no skips, and for Hangman to have a lengthy run, he must always be at the top of his game.
It speaks to MJF’s versatility and vulnerability as a performer that he can make whatever he does feel important. His time on TV and PPVs is almost always deserved. It’s been over a year since MJF has been involved in a title program of any kind, let alone the World title. Yes, he’s currently the CMLL Light Heavyweight champion, but in AEW canon, he’s been beltless.
But he’s never been an afterthought; he’s never been wandering the wilderness. The best continue to matter even if they aren’t involved in a top title program. Love him or hate him, whenever MJF is around, everything he does matters.
Count me among those who did not like the added stipulations to this match. MJF and Hangman sold this program on their own with nothing extra needed. All this does is open the possibility for unwanted chicanery and lean into the worst part of MJF’s performances. Pulling the rug out from Hangman after he spent two years getting back to the top would be bold, but it would be unwise. He keeps the gold.
Prediction: Hangman retains
Follow along with our AEW Forbidden Door coverage all weekend long.
