All In is in the books, and now AEW looks forward to their Forbidden Door PPV. In partnership with NJPW, Stardom and CMLL. Happening, August 24th, just 5 weeks after All In.
Now we’ve had the first post Dynamite after All In, so what can we expect for Forbidden Door?
AEW Mens World Championship
After his epic victory at All In, Hangman is looking ahead to a long title reign. Forbidden Door has many possibilities for an opponent, so who do I think it is? There’s a few options:
Moxley
This is my least likely outcome. A rematch between these two seems redundant now. I think we get a Blood and Guts between now and Forbidden Door, that might write Death Riders off TV for a while. Either Hangman will team up with his Forbidden Door opponent or perhaps directly after that match Hangman’s opponent will confront him.
Ospreay
Now reports are that Ospreay is taking time off but will be back for the Forbidden Door. I’m very intrigued by what he has planned for the show, I know he wants to face Hangman for the World Title, they dont need long to build that match, but I don’t see him winning it from him, I do see him winning at Forbidden Door though… More on that later.
NJPW Talent?
It’s very common for this PPV to have NJPW talent face off against the AEW Mrns World Champion and visa versa. So, who could challenge Hangman?
Zack Sabre Jnr, I think Zack will have his own, AEW, challenger for this event.
Shota Umino or Yota Tsuji, Both names that are probably unknown the the American/UK audiences but both are rising stars in NJPW and a spot challenging Hangman could do wonders for either career. However, I don’t see either this being a main event if either of these men challenge.
David Finlay, So I understand Bullet Club are not as relevant as they once were, but Finlay challenging Hangman and the numbers game being against Hangman in the match is a simple enough story to tell in the cross promotion PPV.
Gabe Kidd, I know Gabe has been very prominent in AEW lately, but he is first and foremost a NJPW competitor. I don’t know if he relation with the Death Riders helps or hurts his case, but it would be a banger.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tana will wrestle on the show, but I don’t think it should be against Hangman.
Finally, Callis Family’s, Konosuke Takeshita.
I think this would be a better version of what Finlay and the Bullet Club are doing. Perhaps they attack Hangman post Blood and Guts match. I would love Takeshita vs Hangman with the Callis family around too. Fletcher should be TNT Champion by Forbidden Door, or atleast challenging for it at the show. The match would slap but Takeshita will only be finished with the G1 one week before Forbidden Door, so that doesn’t help.
AEW Women’s World Championship
Toni retained her World Championship at All In and
Athena
It feels too good and too soon to be true. Will we get it at Forbidden Door? The venue definitely deserves it, there aren’t many better places for it, and I honestly can’t think of a better match us for the PPV.
Other options:
I imagine Jamie Hayter isn’t ready to come back yet… Alex Windsor is another option, she’s just signed with AEW and English. AEW like to give newly signed, notable names, a small push with a title match to let them show what they can do before letting them settle into their position on the roster.
Thelka is another option, undefeated and hasn’t had too much to go with yet. I do love what they’re doing with her and Queen Aminata, but Thelka can definitely step into a title match here.
Tag Match
I doubt they would do this, but if they want to push the match between Toni and Athena it is very possible. Toni and Alex Windsor vs Athena and Billie Starks? It’s possible.
Mercedes Mone
We still haven’t heard from Mercedes since her loss at All In. My hope is that she about to begin a losing streak after winning so much, I feel like that’d be a great story for her to tell, slowly losing all her belts and hitting rock bottom. Eventually only having her TBS Championship anf clinging onto the it for dear life.
So, at Forbidden Door, I fully expect Mercedes to lose her CMLL or RevPro championship, to who? No idea. I like the idea of her losing the RevPro championship due to them being in UK but this is advertised as a AEW/NJPW/cmll event… So either way I think she will lose a championship here.
Will Ospreay
Home town boy Will Ospreay will definitely make it back in time for this event. Give the man a little recovery time, let him rest, and he will come back to the UK and tear it down. We’ve already gone over why it could be Hangman, so who else could the Aerial Assassin face at Forbidden Door?
Tanahasi
If Ospreay is coming back just a week or 2 before Forbidden Door, and that’s around the time when the G1 will finish. Tanahashi will be looking for his final UK match opponent and there wouldn’t be a bigger match for Tanahasi then Ospreay.
Hopefully, Tanahashi’s knee can take it. I’d hate for his last match in the country to be a Tag match, but if it must be, then we can work something else out. I think Will would be honored to having this last UK match with Tanahashi.
Gabe Kidd
This is another idea floated around. Gabe was some way responsible for keeping Ospreay on the shelf leading up to All In and Ospreay comes back, pissed and attacks Gabe. Again, simple but not the strongest story. Gabe is an incredible wrestler and can tell a story in the ring, so these two surely could out some magic together.
Moxley
I remember Will mentioning on a podcast that he would love nothing more then to be the guy for AEW, that means facing Moxley at All In to save the company. Will wasn’t able to do that but Moxley hasn’t gone away yet and the completely vanquish the Death Riders perhaps Ospreay v Moxley could be the final match, at Forbidden Door. Or maybe a Stadium Stamped or Tag with Darby but neither of those feel big enough for this event.
Swerve
I don’t actually think this one is going to happen now, with Okada and Swerve now feuding. But a No.1 Contenders match between these two, that would be perfect for Forbidden Door.
Zack Sabre Jnr
Currently the NJPW IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Zack is bound to have a match on this show, but with whom? Zack will just be coming off a gruelling G1 Climax tournament, ending only 1 week before Forbidden Door, so the set up would be fast but doesn’t mean we can’t get a dream match. I have my pick.
Samoa Joe
I would love a Samoa Joe return the same week that Zack shows up to give us a dream match between the two. Both men have expressed a desire for this match and I have wanted ever since they came face to face at an ROH in 2023, bickering over who the better TV Champion was.
Bryan Danielson
These men have had two matches together, 4 if you count the Indies but they are still tied and are due a rubber match. I’m not sure where Danielson stand with AEW but I’m sure he will make it to the show. This plays as a big match for both men and a big win for Zack in his home nation.
Gabe Kidd or Takeshita
I’m thinking if either of these men could beat Zack in one of their G1 matches together, since they share the same block, then they could have some claim to a title match.
Rest of the Card
So for the rest of the card, I full expect a lot of Multi Man matches. How these will play out, I’m not sure but they’ll be there. Swerve vs Okada is a strong possibility. MJF vs Mistico is probably a safe bet for the show. Kyle Fletcher as TNT Champion could also have a 1 on 1 match with someone, or fight for the title at the event, OR have a Multi-Man with himself on one side and Dustin on the other.
You also have to consider that El Desperado, Bolton Oleg, El Phantasma and Tomohiro Ishii hold NJPW singles championships. Ishii and Taichi hold Tag Championships. Sareee and AZM hold Women’s Championships.
Then on CMLL Side, I doubt will have as much of a presence as NJPW but still notable. Look, there’s a lot of Champions in CMLL but I expect more Multi Man matches from their side.
Full Match Card Predictions
I’ll do an actual prediction first, then fantasy book what I would love.
Actual Prediction
Hangman vs Gabe Kidd vs Konosuke Takeshita – AEW Mens World Championship (No idea)
Zack Sabre Jnr vs Samoa Joe – IWGP World Championship
Okada vs Swerve Strickland – Unified Championship
Tanahashi vs Will Ospreay
Toni Storm vs Athena – AEW Womens Championship
Toni Storm vs Zeuxis – CMLL World Womens Championship
MJF vs Mistico
Darby, Danielson, Shota Umino vs Moxley, Claudio, Yuta
Sareee vs Kris Statlander – IWGP Womens Championship
Brody King, Ishii, Yota Tsuji, Dustin Rhodes, Sammy Guevara vs Fletcher, Josh Alexander, Archer, Trent, Rocky Romero
And a few more pre show Multi Men and Women matches.
Fantasy Booked Card
Hangman vs Okada – AEW Mens World Championship (Very strong first defence, these two have teased this for over a year)
Swerve vs Ospreay – No.1 Contenders match for ALL OUT (If not this then do Hangman vs Swerve vs Ospreay)
Tanahashi vs Shibata
Zack Sabre vs Samoa Joe – IWGP World Championship
Toni vs Athena – AEW Womens World Championship
Mecedes vs Sareee – IWGP Womens Championship (Mercedes tries collecting more belts but Sareee wins)
Danielson, Darby, Shota Umino vs Moxley, Claudio, Yuta
Ren Narita vs Yota Tsuji vs Dustin Rhodes vs Kyle Fletcher vs Sammy Guevara vs El Phantasmo – AEW TNT Championship Ladder Match
Gabe Kidd vs Konosuke Takeshita – IWGP Global Championship
Maybe a three way tag team match with members of every team fighting for a tag championship opportunity at their own promotion – FTR WIN
Again, fill the pre show with big multi man matches.
Forbidden door was a hard event to fantasy book, there’s no real indication yet where the stories would go in either company with AEW being so focused on All In and NJPW running their G1 Climax all the way up to August 17th, one week before Forbidden Door.
Some of this show is going to feel rushed, but I have no doubt Forbidden Door will be another banger for AEW.