The Forbidden Door was finally opened on June 25, 2023, as AEW and NJPW came together for a landmark pay-per-view event. The show featured a stacked card of matches, with stars from both promotions facing off in dream matches.
The main event of the evening was a clash between two of the greatest wrestlers in the world, Kazuchika Okada and Bryan Danielson. Okada, the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, put his title on the line against Danielson, who was making his NJPW debut. The match was a classic, with both men giving it their all. In the end, it was Okada who came out on top, retaining his title.
Another highlight of the show was the match between Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega. Ospreay, the current IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, defended his title against Omega, who was making his return to NJPW after a two-year absence. The match was a fast-paced, high-flying affair, with both men putting on a show for the fans. In the end, it was Ospreay who retained his title, defeating Omega in a hard-fought match.
The Forbidden Door was a huge success, and it showed the potential of the partnership between AEW and NJPW. The show was well-received by fans and critics alike, and it is sure to lead to more cross-promotional events in the future.
Full list of matches:
- Pre-show:
- Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero and Trent Beretta) vs. United Empire (Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan)
- Wheeler Yuta vs. Will Ospreay
- Main show:
- AEW World Heavyweight Championship: MJF (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Bryan Danielson
- IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Kenny Omega
- Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh)
- FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) vs. United Empire (Taiji Ishimori and El Desperado)
- The Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, and Daniel Garcia) vs. Eddie Kingston, Santana, Ortiz, and Wheeler Yuta
- Jay White and Minoru Suzuki vs. Adam Cole and Adam Page
- Sting, Darby Allin, and Shingo Takagi vs. Bullet Club (KENTA, Jay White, and Adam Cole)
Winners:
- Roppongi Vice
- Will Ospreay
- Kazuchika Okada
- Kenny Omega
- Young Bucks
- FTR
- The Jericho Appreciation Society
- Jay White and Minoru Suzuki
- Sting, Darby Allin, and Shingo Takagi
Overall, Forbidden Door was a great show that delivered on its promise of being a landmark event for both AEW and NJPW. The card was stacked with great matches, and the fans were treated to some incredible wrestling. It is clear that there is a lot of potential for the partnership between these two promotions, and I am excited to see what they do next.