ALL ELITE WRESTLING x NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING
FORBIDDEN DOOR 2025
AUGUST 24, 2025
O2 ARENA
LONDON, ENGLAND
Watch: Prime Video / Triller / PPV.com / YouTube
Post-PPV Review Show (FlagshipPatreon.com)
MEET YOUR PREVIEWERS
Suit Williams: You can read Suit’s long-form previews and reviews of wrestling from around the world here at Voices of Wrestling. Check out his blog Williams Watches Wrestling, where he engages in watch projects like As Good As It Gets, his newest project, watching the best of 1997! Follow Suit on all social media platforms @SuitWilliams.
Jeff Andrews: Jeff doesn’t really do this type of thing very often and is currently going through a messy divorce with his New Japan Pro Wrestling fandom. If you’d like to give him advice to help him through these difficult times, you can direct it to his X account @Jeff_Andrews21.
ADAM COPELAND & CHRISTIAN CAGE VS. KILLSWITCH & KIP SABIAN (W/MOTHER WAYNE)
Suit: We start with the reunion of Edge and Christian, which will mark their first PPV tag team match since WWF Invasion 2001. They had a short reunion in 2011 before Copeland’s near-decade-long hiatus from wrestling. I have my questions on how much this run will matter from a drawing standpoint, those questions being variations of “were Edge & Christian ever that much of a draw to begin with?” The rivalry they had with the Hardy Boys centered around the stunt show ladder matches did have a strong influence, but they were largely part of the furniture as Stone Cold Steve Austin & The Rock were drawing the houses. Even if they were stronger draws than I give them credit for, those matches were TWENTY-FIVE years ago. There will be people singing Copeland’s song in the crowd who were not alive during the time these two were running hot. Hell, Nick Wayne wasn’t alive then.
With that said, these two do have history in AEW with their long feud over the TNT Championship in the back half of 2023. They’ve also done a decent job of giving them reasons to team up again, with both guys being outnumbered by former friends who turned on them. They also haven’t betrayed Cage’s excellent character work to get this done, with Cage refusing to change his tendencies and only working with Copeland to deal with their problems together. In putting this on paper, the only issue I’ve had with all of this is Copeland, who has peaked at mediocre since his return from injury this year.
The reunion tour begins here as Cope & Christian take on Kip Sabian and Nick Wayne…’s injury replacement, the returning Killswitch. Wayne claims a broken foot has taken him out of Forbidden Door, which could be a blessing in disguise, as the company could circle back to this match when Wayne is healthy and there are higher stakes – more on that later. Killswitch is returning from a scary bout of double pneumonia that put him on the shelf for over a year, taking both Cope & Christian out with chokeslams on the Glasgow Dynamite. As far as the match goes, Kip Sabian being booked on PPV makes the prediction part of this incredibly easy. Prediction: Copeland & Christian
Jeff: Copeland and Christian getting a tune-up PPV match before their inevitable attempt at the titles versus FTR makes a lot of sense when you consider these two haven’t worked a meaningful match together in 20+ years. Say what you want about this team and where they rank as far as work and historical greatness, they will almost certainly get one of the biggest pops of the night, and if I were booking it, they’d likely open the show. I suspect this match will be a crowd-pleasing, short spectacle that ends with Copeland and Christian getting their hand raised in the middle of the ring. Prediction: Copeland & Christian
AEW TNT TITLE MATCH
KYLE FLETCHER (C) VS. HIROMU TAKAHASHI
Suit: The new TNT Champion, Kyle Fletcher, defends the title against Hiromu Takahashi. I was a defender of Dustin Rhodes winning the TNT Title at All In, and after seeing how the TV feud with Fletcher turned out, I was 100% right. Never let them accuse me of being a humble man. Fletcher won the title in a violent, bloody street fight that gave him far more shine than winning an ice-cold four-way at All In would have. He issued an open challenge to the New Japan roster, and multiple-time IWGP Jr. Champion and four-time Best of the Super Junior winner Hiromu Takahashi answered it.
This may be the most interested I’ve been in a Hiromu match on paper since before the pandemic. Outside of a single challenge for the NEVER Openweight Title against Henare, which just so happened to be one of my matches of the year for 2024, Hiromu has been spinning his wheels in New Japan for about half a decade as a junior that’s long needed to graduate to heavyweight. Hiromu has required either a fresh coat of paint or a fresh set of opponents, and Fletcher fits the bill as one of the brightest and freshest stars in AEW. AEW is aware of it as well, as they’ve recently re-signed Fletcher to a big-money deal. This match should be stellar, and it will be another in a long line of showcase Fletcher singles matches on PPV. Prediction: Kyle Fletcher
Jeff: I have been the low-man on Takahashi for the better part of 5 years as I’ve indicated on any platform that will have me, but this feels like a meaningful opportunity for him. In New Japan he’s been treading water, they clearly don’t see him as a heavyweight and there’s nothing fresh or exciting waiting for him in the Junior division. Simply put, there’s a real meaningful chance this is the most important match Hiromu works for the rest of the year, and I have a hard time believing he’d phone it in or try for anything comedic with an opportunity like this.
Then there’s Kyle Fletcher. I believe Kyle Fletcher has been the best young star in the business for the better part of the last year. His work has been outstanding, having Don Callis in his corner has helped to cover any flaws he might have from a promo perspective, and it seems like with every match he has more and more to offer from the perspective of physical presence and charisma. From a work perspective, there’s a real argument that given enough time, this could be the best match on the show. Both of these men are crazy when given an opportunity to be, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if this is the match of the show when it’s all said and done.
While Hiromu is likely auditioning for more spots in AEW in the future and potential Heavyweight ascendance, there is zero threat of him winning this match. Prediction: Kyle Fletcher
AEW TBS TITLE MATCH
MERCEDES MONE (C) VS. ALEX WINDSOR VS. PERSEPHONE VS. BOZILLA
Suit: Mercedes Mone has bounced back from her loss at All In: Texas by winning three more titles, including one at the Revolution Pro Global Wars show on August 22nd. She defends her title on Forbidden Door in the traditional women’s four-way match against Alex Windsaaaaaaaaaaaah, CMLL’s Persephone, and STARDOM’s Bozilla. While Persephone has made appearances in ROH, and while it would be awesome to see The Bozilla toss people around in AEW, the result here isn’t in much doubt. The Mone Train keeps rolling down the line, makes me lonely. Prediction: Mercedes Mone
Jeff: Any sportsbook taking action on this match is actually a charity in disguise. There’s no question as to who’s winning this match, and heating up Mercedes after she took a shockingly clean loss to your top star is absolutely the right decision. I’m not a huge fan of four-ways, but this match will likely serve its purpose well enough. This is a spotlight match for Mone to pick up yet another win on a big show, and sometimes the easy decision is the correct one. Prediction: Mercedes Mone
AEW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE ELIMINATION MATCH
THE HURT SYNDICATE (BOBBY LASHLEY & SHELTON BENJAMIN) (C) VS. FTR (CASH WHEELER & DAX HARWOOD) (W/STOKELY) VS. BRODIDO (BANDIDO & BRODY KING)
Suit: I was ready to rip the Hurt Syndicate in last month’s preview of All In: Texas for what seemed like shenanigans done to avoid taking a fall. Then, Shelton Benjamin took a pinfall loss on Collision to Kevin Knight, the Syndicate got their asses kicked on the following Dynamite, then retained the titles anyway. This month finds another oddly constructed three-way match for the titles, featuring Brody King & Bandido as makeshift partners and FTR as the heavy favorites after the two teams fought to a draw in a contender tournament final.
With rumors flying around about the Hurt People balking at losing straight up to FTR, this would be an easy way for the champs to lose the belts without losing. However, the elimination rules added to the match mean that the Syndicate would have to be beaten to lose the titles. Is it a matter of getting a babyface team over by beating the Syndicate while still accomplishing the goal of getting the titles onto FTR? Will the Syndicate get themselves disqualified in some form or fashion? Will the Syndicate just win anyway, like they did in Texas? There’s a lot of intrigue here, but not a lot around the winners, as FTR will win to set up the blowoff match with Cope & Cage in Toronto. Prediction: FTR
Jeff: It’s a shame that the Hurt Syndicate feels like they’ve become a much less interesting act in part due to their refusal to take meaningful losses in this company. This feels like a cautionary tale, a lesson to both bookers and talent on what it means to refuse to do business. I believe The Hurt Syndicate would likely be a more prominent act within the company if they lost occasionally, because it’d broaden the range of talents they could work with. Similarly, if you’re the booker it limits what exactly you can do with the talent in question. How could you ever trust this group of men over 40 to put over your young stars? If you can’t trust them to do that, what exactly is the point of them being here? To this point they’ve been an act that destroyed one of your top stars, then has done nothing but dominate the Mid-Card and have weird angles with MJF ever since.
FTR to their credit have been out of the spotlight for a while, but seem to be getting a tune-up for a major tag title feud with Cope & Christian. I for one will be very happy to see FTR move away from the smiling babyface routine, and onto more interesting ventures that will finally see them putting on the types of matches I’ve always liked to see them in. Brodido would be an interesting direction to go with this title change, it’s a cool thrown together team that I wish we’d see more of in wrestling in 2025, but I suspect they’re the team on the outside looking in. Prediction: FTR
AEW UNIFIED TITLE MATCH
KAZUCHIKA OKADA (C) VS. SWERVE STRICKLAND
Suit: It really does not feel like we’re getting Okada vs. Strickland this weekend, given the sleepy build to this one. Okada was pissed that Swerve cost The Young Bucks their EVP positions, and Swerve got in his face and asked him what he was going to do about it. The rest of the build has largely been video promos, save for one extremely odd interview segment where Okada brought up a knee injury Strickland had been nursing since 2019.
The result was in little doubt to me to begin with, but with the news of Strickland’s torn meniscus and the belief that he’s finally going to take some time to rehab it, the result is a stone-cold, lead pipe lock. I wouldn’t have Okada lose this title until the finals of the Continental Classic, and getting a feature win over Swerve will build Okada’s eventual toppling. Can we ask for 80% Okada for this match? Is that a fair amount of effort to ask for here? Prediction: Kazuchika Okada
Jeff: I’d be a lot more excited about this match if these two hadn’t stunk up the joint a year ago when Swerve was champion. Okada continues his North American tour of putting in effort when he feels like it, and we already have tangible evidence that Swerve is not one of the stars he sees as worthy of that output. If Okada comes to the UK high off the coin-drop pop and unwilling to do much after the fact, this could be one of the more boring matches of the night.
Of course, this feels like a match where the outcome will be decided by something outside of the ring. Between the commentary on Swerve’s meniscus and the looming specter of Don Callis in the periphery, it’s hard to see a world where this match amounts to what it potentially could be. I wouldn’t have Okada lose in a spot like this, but I also think it’s safe to wonder if Swerve continuing to lose in spots like this is the type of thing that could push him back down the card and make it more difficult for people to believe in him.
I think the correct decision from this match is actually Swerve beating Okada. It would give Swerve a fresh new direction in the company, and it might provide some creative spark to Okada’s presentation, which feels sorely needed. With that being said, I think both of these men are stuck in the mud so to speak, and with the rumors of Swerve’s meniscus being an issue going around, the outcome here feels pretty clear. Prediction: Kazuchika Okada
AEW WOMEN’S WORLD TITLE MATCH
TONI STORM (C) VS. ATHENA*
(*THIS IS THE OFFICIAL EXECUTION OF ATHENA’S CASINO GAUNTLET CONTRACT)
Suit: We get a battle of AEW & ROH Women’s World Champions, as Athena EXECUTES HER CONTRACT against Timeless Toni Storm. Storm is one of the biggest stars in the company, of any gender, and has been treated like it with a ton of television time and prime star positioning. The intrigue in this match revolves around Athena and how the company really sees her.
If AEW sees Athena as a top line star, she’s got a great chance to win this match and establish herself as a true dominant force as AEW Women’s World Champion alongside her nearly Roman Reigns-length reign as ROH Women’s World Champion. She will have a cavalcade of babyfaces to challenge her, whether it be a rematch with Storm or matches with names like Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, Mercedes Mone, or Queen Aminata. An Athena win here could also give Storm a new mountain to climb, as she’s nearly cleaned out the women’s division over the last two years. But, if AEW simply sees Athena as a good worker, she’ll lose here and head back to ROH having done her job of giving Toni a strong challenge of the month.
While in my heart of hearts I don’t think Athena is winning, I think that would be the more intriguing option in this match. As an early and vocal critic of Timeless Toni, even I cannot deny her excellence in 2025. But an Athena win here would be a big shot of adrenaline to this women’s division and give a fresh face on top for the rest of the division to chase. Minions rejoice, as I’m going with Athena to win the title here. Prediction: Athena
Jeff: Of all the things AEW has done right since they opened up shop 6 years ago, Toni Storm might be at the top of the list. Despite her having worked in the WWE, she feels like an AEW original creation with the Timeless Toni character, and the evolution of her work from both an in-ring and character perspective. I, typically a disciple of the No-Fun school of Lanza have actually grown to enjoy the Toni Storm character at times even if it does often slip into being a touch too silly for my preferences. If the gimmick was attached to an inferior worker or someone who was less into it, it would’ve died a death by now but that isn’t the case. Toni has grown into the character, and the company has continued to book her as its top women’s star because of that.
Then there’s Athena. Whenever I hear about ROH TV from the 7 people who watch it, it almost always pertains to Athena. Her work has always been above-average for the division, but I do get the impression that a lot of fans think she’s even greater than she is for reasons that are not immediately clear to me. She’s had very good matches, she works a very snug style and should absolutely be featured near the top of this division if you want to continue to add to its legitimacy. In a division with a desperate need for good workers, there is really no reason Athena should be off AEW TV after this match.
In the same breath however, there’s also no reason she should take the title from your most established women’s star in a spot like this. The goal of this match should be a showcase for Athena, but the end of the match has to be Toni retaining her title. Prediction: Toni Storm
IWGP WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH
ZACK SABRE JR. (C) VS. NIGEL MCGUINNESS (W/DANIEL GARCIA)
Suit: There has been some understandable consternation from New Japan fans about the lack of New Japan names on Forbidden Door, with only five New Japan names on the card at press time. There’s also been some frustration at the fact that Nigel McGuinness, a mostly retired color commentator, is challenging for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title against Zack Sabre Jr. The blame can be spread multiple ways, as while AEW is too eager to prove bad faithers wrong by “tellin’ stories” for the one show where the story can simply be a showcase of international stars from partner promotions, New Japan has shown a complete lack of urgency in building the next generation of marketable stars that can slide into either of these World Title matches. It’s a multifaceted issue that will continue until one of those aspects change.
Personally, I get the frustrations, but I also think Sabre vs. McGuinness in London is a great match to book on Forbidden Door. Having watched The Last of McGuinness and seeing the pain and anguish Nigel went through as his career initially ended, I’ll always be happy for Nigel to get big showcase matches and get a semblance of closure. The match where Nigel got the title shot, the Technical Spectacle on the Aug. 16 Collision, was an awesome spotfest of grappling that’s going to end up as one of my favorite television matches of the year. This match with Sabre should be just as good in front of an English crowd that will eat it up. I’ve got high hopes for the match.
The result isn’t in any question as Nigel probably isn’t working the Destruction Tour next month, so the point of intrigue is Daniel Garcia. Garcia’s TNT Title run fell flat, as while his performances were very good, he wasn’t given a strong showcase and got lost in the shuffle. He’s been coming up short in big spots over the last few months, losing to Kyle Fletcher for a TNT Title shot at All In, getting pinned in the re-booked TNT Title match at All In, then just losing out on this IWGP Title shot in the Technical Spectacle. This story has been building for a good while, and the focus on Garcia after the Technical Spectacle and Nigel’s unintentional little brothering makes the most likely outcome of all this a Garcia heel turn and a refocused push.
I’ve still got a ton of Garcia stock, and I think his work is stronger as a heel, so there’s a chance this turn gives him life the same way FTR’s turn gave them a jolt of energy earlier this year. Plus, Gedo seeing a company put the spotlight on a 26-year-old at the end of an IWGP World Title match may show him that such a thing is possible. Prediction: Zack Sabre Jr.
Jeff: NJPW fans complaining about the state of their world title because of this match is very silly to me. The G1 was just main evented by a comedy heel goober to a half-empty Ariake Arena and the world title has spent most of the year being defended against people roughly the same age as Nigel, and with similar pushes to boot. After Wrestle Kingdom, the IWGP World Heavyweight title was won by Goto, a guy who lost over half his G1 matches last year and who had been effectively rendered obsolete in the singles title scene to this point for the better part of 5 years. Thankfully, the next match was against a true star at the peak of his powers. Wait, one second. I’m getting a call..
Sorry, I’m receiving word that actually the next title defense was against Hiroshi Tanahashi, and unfortunately no time machine was involved so it was in fact the 2025 version who spends half the match pulling his pants up and the other half doing a silent prayer that his knees might move in the ‘forward’ direction. Thankfully the next title defense was against Yuji Nagata, a man who is closer to senior discounts at the buffet than he is to Nigel McGuinness as far as age is concerned, and who hasn’t won a meaningful match in NJPW proper since 2022 when he beat top star Kosei Fujita, a Young Lion who had not yet turned 20. It’s hard for me to hold Tony Khan to the fire when there have been 3 world title challengers who feel as though they earned their title shot all year, and I’m including Goto for winning the dopey Rambo at WK in that number, as well as ZSJ for bravely losing his title then asking for a rematch after doing little to nothing in between. If NJPW fans want their world title treated with respect and prestige, they should ask Gedo to keep that energy throughout the year.
Ignoring the cries of people who can’t let the dead rest easy, this match is an outstanding showcase for both Nigel and Zack Sabre Jr. in front of their home country, and this is another match that has the potential to be the match of the night for me. I would’ve loved to have seen this match contested under World of Sport rules or something like that, but I’m never going to complain about watching 2 wonderful technical wrestlers compete in front of what will almost certainly be an ecstatic British crowd. If Nigel finds a way to be great here yet again, it might really be time to consider using him more often in the future, as he truly does feel like something special when he’s featured on these shows. With that being said, the result of this match is as obvious as any match on the card, and this show will end with Zack Sabre Jr. getting his hand raised. Prediction: Zack Sabre Jr.
AEW WORLD TITLE MATCH – TITLE CAN CHANGE HANDS VIA DISQUALIFICATION OR COUNTOUT
HANGMAN PAGE (C) VS. MJF
Suit: I believe the top two matches on Forbidden Door were altered after the news of WWE using their debut event on the ESPN Unlimited platform and running John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar to counterprogram next month’s All Out event. (How anyone actually watches the damn thing, I don’t know.) These two matches were going one way, then took hard left turns in the closing stretch of the build. Take this World Title match here between Hangman Page & MJF. After Page beat Jon Moxley in a rematch for the title on Dynamite at the end of the Chicago residency, the story between these two was very simple and very effective. MJF thought he could manipulate Page into giving him a title shot, and instead, the self-assured and extremely confident World Champion baited MJF into EXECUTING HIS CONTRACT in order to get a World Title shot on this show. Despite my distaste for these two being referred to as “the main character” and “the main antagonist” on television – save that shit for Twitter – the character dynamic between these two was strong and the match felt hot. It was all good just a week ago.
Then, in an incredibly odd segment on the Glasgow Dynamite, MJF threatened to set Mark Briscoe on fire unless Hangman gave him the title shot with the additional stipulations of the title changing hands on a DQ or countout. There’s a version of that angle that’s red hot and adds heat to the feud – no pun intended – but the detached pre-tape version that we actually got has been almost universally panned. Not only does MJF not have to EXECUTE HIS CONTRACT, which I prayed would just be burned off here, but it’s assured that this match is going to be full of a lot more nonsense than we originally thought. That’s probably why it got bumped from the last spot on the card. Also, wouldn’t the contract have already been EXECUTED if the match was announced? Are contracts reversible like that? This is so dumb. Pro wrestling doesn’t need to be dabbling in contract law, and Money in the Bank is a burnt trope that needs to be sequestered to the WWE and their moment farming.
This match not going on last also ups the odds that we get a title switch. I can see MJF possibly getting the belt with a DQ and running a quick rematch next month, but that’s a very risky move that could do more harm than good. MJF keeping the contract still makes Hangman the favorite, but my interest in this match has dipped dramatically after the go-home angle. Hangman wins, but the feud must continue. Prediction: Hangman Page
Jeff: I don’t like MJF, and he’s one of the most out-of-place wrestlers left in this company. Between the dopey cash-in stuff and his god awful love of WWE-esque angles, I truly could not have less time for the man and hope the minute his next contract expires, papa Haitch offers him the bag and I never have to watch him cut an edgy theater kid promo again. The only thing I’ve really gotten from this feud, is that Mark Briscoe should be pushed much harder in this company and if MJF wins this title off of Adam Page at some point in the near-future, Mark Briscoe should be positioned as his first challenger and in my honest opinion, he should beat him. In a company of cartoon characters and bullshit, Mark Briscoe has somehow come out of this feud feeling like an actual human being and the fans still love him for it.
I’m sure this match will be good if more than a little overwrought, and I’m sure I’ll have to hear about MJF’s wrestling genius as a guy who works one great match every couple months and puts on underwhelming TV angles for the rest of that time-period, but I can’t be asked to care about this match. I hope Adam Page beats him. I hope Adam Page beats him, then MJF cashes in and gets beat again so I never have to hear legalese about a cash-in on TV ever again. Adam Page will win this match, that much seems obvious from the stipulations but, unfortunately, I don’t think the war will be over.
Shout out to wrestling mastermind MJF for making an Adam Page feud one of the least interesting things on this show. Prediction: Hangman Page
LIGHTS OUT STEEL CAGE MATCH
DARBY ALLIN, KENNY OMEGA, KOTA IBUSHI, HIROSHI TANAHASHI & WILL OSPREAY VS. DEATH RIDERS (CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI, JON MOXLEY, GABE KIDD) & THE YOUNG BUCKS (MATT JACKSON & NICK JACKSON)
Suit: Well, this escalated quickly. After Darby descended from Everest and the roof of Globe Life Field, he’s been stalking Jon Moxley and outright challenged him to a match at Forbidden Door in the Darby Allin way of stapling a FORBIDDEN DOOR sign to Wheeler Yuta’s head. Then, Moxley just…said no. Remember when I thought the top two matches on Forbidden Door were affected by Wrestlepalooza?
Enter Will Ospreay. After All In: Texas, Ospreay announced that he had legitimate neck issues for about eight months – coinciding with the Kyle Fletcher turn and Tiger Driver story – and had herniated disks that he later confirmed would require surgery. But he’s still gotta make the town, bruv, so he challenged Moxley to a Lights Out Steel Cage match with as many people as each guy could find. Moxley gathered Claudio Castagnoli, Gabe Kidd, and reconnected with the downtrodden Young Bucks to make his side. Meanwhile, Ospreay’s team includes Darby Allin, Hiroshi Tanahashi in his final date in the UK, and also the Golden Lovers. I’m not convinced that Omega and Ibushi are aware they got booked in this match given that they’ve been ghosts since All In, but hey, here’s hoping they have fun. I doubt the Golden Lovers being put across the ring from the Young Bucks was done by happenstance.
AEW has a great track record with these wild and crazy plunder matches, with Anarchy in the Arena this past May being phenomenal. This cage match not having Blood and Guts rules (as of when I’m writing this preview), it should avoid the pitfalls of that stipulation, even with Ospreay’s tendency to go a bit overboard in big blowoff matches. My expectation is that they give everyone some room to work with this cage and have a Hell in a Cell/Cage of Death style cage that surrounds the whole ringside area, which should give this a new dynamic to the few cage matches we’ve gotten in AEW history.
With Ospreay’s neck injury now being canon, I think this is a prime spot to write him off of television for a while. I’m a bit skeptical of how badly he’s hurt. Maybe it’s naïve hope that my favorite wrestler in the world won’t need to miss a year plus, and I do believe he could use some time off anyway, but the idea of needing serious neck surgery yet doing a big plunder match anyway feels odd to me. Look at Tanahashi, he would post x-rays of “his” banged-up arm before G1 tours, then have his arm worked over constantly. Then again, I didn’t believe Edge was retiring back in 2011 until he actually left, so maybe I just don’t believe pro wrestlers at their word. It’s gotten me this far.
Either way, Ospreay getting taken out in a major angle in London would be a great character motivation for him to come back to London next year in the main event of Wembley and stand tall in front of his people. It would line up a major Moxley/Ospreay match in AEW, which we actually haven’t gotten yet despite these two being on opposite sides of warring factions for months, and add fuel to the eventual Darby/Moxley match that I expect for Toronto. Expect the Death Riders to walk out victorious, possibly with some extra help from a local bastard. Prediction: The Death Riders
Jeff: I have a lot of reservations about this match, but I suspect that the names involved will make it nearly impossible for it to truly be bad. There’s an argument that as far as ten-man main event matches go, there has never been one with more talent on offer than this match in the history of wrestling. That sounds hyperbolic, but that is partly owed to the fact that these types of matches are very rare, and also to the fact that the in-ring talent here is incredible. I’m fascinated by some of the dynamics of this match, and in a weird-way this match feels like it embodies the Spirit of Forbidden Door better than any of the matches that came before it. A mismatch of current and former NJPW talent as well as AEW stars in a face and heel matchup that could go either way.
The complicating factor of this match is Will Ospreay. He’s been alluding to this being his last ride for a while and he’s never been afraid to let his shoulders touch the mat for a pinfall. The whole Will Ospreay story is frustrating to me in general, as it feels like AEW continued to kick the can down the road on the best wrestler of this generation and that the peak may already have been missed, and who knows what Ospreay is going to look like after a neck surgery at his age? It’s depressing to think about what could have been with Will Ospreay, but I suspect that if he is as injured as people seem to believe, he is going to lay it all out there and take some truly vile and nasty bumps in this match before it’s all over.
Then you have Ibushi. How good is he still? The returns on his work since 2021 have been.. Less than ideal to say the very least, and his employment feels like a favor to Kenny Omega pretty much exclusively. Tanahashi is beyond washed at this point, and I suspect he’ll spend most of this match out of the picture and his presence in this match was meant to hide him.
The Death Riders need to get their heat back if you want them to stay viable as a heel-stable, and I suspect that’s exactly what this match is here for. Darby and Ospreay are going to take criminally insane bumps, Moxley is going to perform some deranged act of body-horror, but at the end of the night I believe Ospreay will be looking at the lights before disappearing off of TV for a very, very long time.
If Will Ospreay is healthy and this neck issue amounts to speculation, the correct end to this match is the Babyface team prevailing to end the show. If it’s true, the outcome is clear and the Death Riders might buy themselves some new life by sending another top star of this promotion packing for a long, long time. Prediction: The Death Riders
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