What does the ideal Forbidden Door look like? We have some ideas.
It’s opening once more. On June 25 AEW and NJPW are having their second Forbidden Door pay per view, a crossover between the two biggest wrestling companies in the world not named WWE. It’s a rare occasion to both give us the dream matches we’ve been dying for, and also making good on the disappointment of 2022.
Last year’s Forbidden Door was good. Heck, it was one of the more memorable shows of the year — but a spate of injuries leading up to the event meant we never truly got the dream card we hoped for.
Now, with everyone healthy, we can finally make the event we always wanted.
Already announced
IWGP United States Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Will Ospreay
This was rumored to be happening back at Forbidden Door last year, but with Omega hurt we had to wait until Wrestlekingdom 17 to see these two lock up. Of course, it was an instant classic.
Ospreay is absolutely adamant on working his style, and it takes a special talent to keep up. Omega has the ability to be the ultimate opponent in pro wrestling who can adapt to anyone’s style and be completely malleable. The second meeting of these two should be amazing.
This can establish Wrestlekingdom 18 as the rubber match that ends this feud and puts these matches in the history books as some of the best ever.
Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada
I mean, we don’t really have to sell this one too hard. It’s only two of the greatest wrestlers of a generation squaring off for the first time ever. Danielson has continued to wrestle at a high level since joining AEW, and aligning himself with the Blackpool Combat Club has allowed him to get more into a ground-based, grappling and submission style that the American Dragon has always done well. Okada is a five-tool player when it comes to pro wrestling, but since switching to the black shorts and kickpads he’s become more strong style than before. An angry Okada vs an angry Danielson should be one of the best matches of the year.
Fantasy booking
Jon Moxley vs. Kota Ibushi
I don’t think it takes a crystal ball to see where AEW is headed. The aim will be to sell as many tickets as possible to All In at Wembley Stadium and the booking is hurtling towards a Blood & Guts Match featuring The Elite, Hangman Page, Okada and Ibushi vs. BCC and Ospreay.
The final piece of this puzzle, and the guys who haven’t had beef yet are Moxley and Ibushi. Heck, you could sub in Claudio Castagnoli for Mox is you want to have someone else eat the pin from Ibushi.
Technically Kota isn’t signed to NJPW right now, but he’s known for his time there. At this point it feels like a foregone conclusion that he’ll be AEW bound in the immediate future, and this would be a good way to unveil Ibushi as Kenny Omega’s “Ace in the Hole” to finally take down Don Callis.
Just give me the Golden Lovers music and I’ll be happy.
Orange Cassidy vs. Shingo Takagi
I don’t think it’s an overreaction to say that Orange Cassidy has been the best and most reliable singles champion AEW has ever had. He consistently puts on amazing matches as the International champion, the crowd LOVES him, and most importantly, he can work different styles with anyone, including Katsuyori Shibata.
If they book him against Takagi, a man who’s wrestling style can get over with anyone and everyone, there’s potential for this to be the match of the night. Takagi combines explosive power with the traditional strong style of wrestling that we’re accustomed to, and could work well with Cassidy’s nonchalant style.
CM Punk vs. Kenta
Every card needs a pure crowd-pleaser. Look, I don’t really need that many CM Punk matches in my life anymore, and at this point I think he’s much better as a personality than in-ring performer. That said, Punk vs. Kenta is a match people have wanted for YEARS, and it never materialized.
This makes sense in terms of the beef Punk has with Bullet Club, and we can finally settle the “Battle of the GTS,” once and for all.
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Rey Fenix
Alright let’s kick this card into high gear. Two wrestlers who operate at a breakneck pace going against each other in a first time dream match is exactly what Forbidden Door is supposed to be. This is dream match central, and we’re fantasy booking, so I need this match to happen INSTANTLY.
Daniel Garcia vs. Zach Sabre Jr.
Obviously ZSJ is high profile enough that he has to win, but I don’t care. I need to see a pure mat wrestling showcase between two of the most innovative wrestlers in the entire business.
Both are practitioners of wrestling as art and science molded into one. They’re not doing power moves. Nobody is jumping off the top rope. It doesn’t matter though, as these guys will find the most incredible ways of turning each other into human pretzels. Give me 15 minutes of pure chain and submission wrestling and I’ll be happy forever.
Andrade, Rush and Naito (LIJ) vs. Trent Baretta, Chuck Taylor and Tomohirro Ishii (CHAOS)
I know this won’t happen. There’s way too much drama surrounding CMLL in Mexico with Rush and Andrade to allow them to work a show involving New Japan. Still, this is fantasy booking and I need it.
Los Ingobernables is still one of the coolest wrestling factions on the planet not named “Bullet Club” or “Bloodline.” We’ve had tantalizing teases of a true reformation, but behind-the-scenes drama has stopped a full display. If everything could be put aside for one night I would love to see Naito team up with Andrade and Rush again.
House of Black vs. Ren Narita, Minoru Suzuki and El Desperado
This is one that I feel like both promotions can pull off, especially with how many six-man teams both have. House of Black are the current AEW six-man champions, and they operate in House Rules matches, which are very different from normal matches, in order to increase the pain they can inflict. Well, go ahead and try and inflict that pain on Minoru Suzuki, wrestling’s favorite murder uncle. He’ll simply laugh and hit you so hard you’ll forget where you’re at.
This match would be physical, technical, and another good way to showcase the House of Black, who have been on fire since winning the six-man tag titles.
