wrestling / Columns
411’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2024 Preview
Image Credit: AEW
Welcome, everyone, to that special Sunday, when we have another All Elite Wrestling Pay-Per-View to witness and enjoy. Usually, these shows are held within the confines of the company walls, and we would see some top-notch matches between AEW talent. However, it is June/early summer, and as has been tradition in recent years, it is Forbidden Door season! That means that not only do we get AEW matches, but we incorporate New Japan and CMLL talent into the mix as well, to create a “Dream Match” scenario.
Does that mean that we jettison all things AEW in favor of opening the company line for talent from other promotions? Well, not necessarily, as arguably the most important match on the card features the AEW World Title on the line, as Swerve Strickland is set for his biggest challenge yet, as he takes on AEW International Champion Will Ospreay. However, on the other side of that, we have defenses of the TBS Title, AEW Women’s Title, and the IWGP World Title by Mercedes Mone, TIMELESS Toni Storm, and Jon Moxley, respectively, and that is not to say anything less of matches such as Zach Sabre Jr facing Orange Cassidy, and hometown hero Maxwell Jacob Friedman facing off with Hechicero.
All that, and so much more, so as usual, please join me in this trip down the preview for the third annual installment of the Forbidden Door!
Zero Hour
Kris Statlander & Momo Watanabe vs. Willow Nightingale & Tam Nakano
There is certain levels of interest in this match, not just because it progresses the feud between Nightingale and Statlander without them going into a singles match before the upcoming Owen Cup Semifinals match, but it also includes the addition of Watanabe and Nakano. That we have these ladies in the match is a nice bonus and, frankly, it feels so much bigger than the Zero Hour.
Obviously, in matches where the talent between the companies become intertwined, it is hard to predict just how good the chemistry will be between said wrestlers. If the progression towards the mean says Kris goes over Willow in the Owen Hart Tournament, it makes sense that Willow and Tam will win this match, with Willow pinning Momo. No matter the result of the match, it will be a delight to have Momo and Tam cross over with the STARDOM representation on the card.
WINNER: Willow Nightingale and Tam Nakano
Zero Hour
Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & Titan vs. The Lucha Bros & Mistico
I am just going to say that this match should also be on the main card, because the talent involved is too good to be left on the Zero Hour. The better part of this is that, on one side of the ring, we have three members of LIJ, so there is absolutely no qualm about continuity. On the other side of the ring, we have Penta, Rey, and Mistico, the personification of a high-flying team if there ever was one. Also, this is one of the rare matches where we touch all side of the triangle between AEW, CMLL, and New Japan, so that is exciting.
When it comes to who should win this match, common logic dictates that the team who is an actual unit within a company would have the upper hand. However, one simply cannot rule out a win for the team of merry masked men, especially since Mistico is not entirely unfamiliar with Rey and Penta. No matter who wins this match, this is one of the best things about Forbidden Door, where the result does truly feel like a toss up and, no matter who wins, we should get a great match between talented performers.
WINNER: Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & Titan (Team LIJ)
Zero Hour
Owen Hart Cup Tournament Quarterfinal Match
Mariah May vs. Saraya
With absolutely no pun intended, Mariah May is one of the hottest things going on in the Women’s Division, and while she is the child stuck between two upset parents, Toni Storm did give her the gift of being entered into the Owen Hart Cup Tourney. That she happened to draw Saraya, who, along with Harley Cameron and Anna Jay, have been at odds with May, Storm, and Mina Shirakawa just happens to be a major coincidence.
Given the events that transpired on Dynamite this past Wednesday when Shirakawa appeared to accidentally strike May in the head with a champagne bottle when she was aiming for the head of Storm, it does beg the question what physical and mental condition May will be in when she faces the former AEW Women’s Champion Saraya. If she can compete at the level that she is capable of, it would not be a far cry to call her beating Saraya an upset. May has been learning from Storm for the past couple of months and from Shirakawa even before that, so May has found a way to round herself into an even better wrestler. All that to say, this is her match to lose, and Saraya loses nothing in the equation if she drops this match.
WINNER: Mariah May
Chris Jericho, Big Bill & Mystery Partner vs.
Samoa Joe, HOOK and Katsuyori Shibata
Despite how much FUN the Learning Tree has been (yes, they have been fun, do not fight it), it must be said that the trio of Joe, HOOK, and Shibata has been just as much fun and is one heck of a combative trio. Unfortunately for us, the Learning Tree is one man short, as “Bad Apple” Bryan Keith is suffering from an elbow injury, meaning that Chris and the Redwood Big Bill need another partner. For the sake of this exercise, I am going to pretend that spoilers do not exist for who that third man is for the Learning Tree, although I do appreciate the fact that they incorporated Minoru Suzuki, only to tease teaming with him and instead challenging him for the FTW Title.
Speaking of said title, it has been no secret that HOOK will stop at nothing to get that title belt back from Jericho and into the HOOK/Taz family linage, and to rightfully change what the initials stand for back to what they were originally. With the guidance of one Papa Joe (remember, this is a come full circle moment, as Joe was once managed/advised by Taz in TNA) and “Speak-N-Spell” Shibata, HOOK should be able to get some measure of revenge on Jericho and the Learning Tree in this match. Whether that enables him to not only get a rematch for the FTW Title and if he would win it back remain to be seen, but in the here and now, I see no reason why team JoebataHOOK cannot win this to progress the feud to the next logical step.
WINNER: Samoa Joe, HOOK, and Katsuyori Shibata
The Young Bucks & Kazuchika Okada vs.
The Acclaimed & Hiroshi Tanahashi
What was originally started out as a battle for the AEW World Tag Team Titles has taken on some new life and added spice with the inclusion of not only the Rainmaker Okada, but also the Ace of New Japan (and current President) Tanahashi. For as much history as The Bucks have with Max Caster and Anthony Bowens, Okada and Tanahashi have even more history between them, and it is cool to see these two guys bash it up one more time, albeit in a 6-man tag team match.
We have already established the fact that The Acclaimed have defeated the EVP Bucks in an Eliminator match, making it not only one of the rare occurrences where the challengers win an Eliminator, but setting them up soon for a tag team title shot, a set of belts Castor and Bowens are no strangers to. Speaking of not being strangers to one another, Rainmaker and The Ace have had multiple showdowns in News Japan over the years, were once considered two thirds of the new “Three Musketeers” (the third one being Shibata). And while it will be fun to see them meet up one more time, this match should focus on the feud that is central to the company, which is Bowens and Castor continuing their pursuit of the tag team titles again. And while The Acclaimed cannot win the tag team titles in this match, a win by them and their partner The Ace could continue to sow seeds of doubts in the minds of the champions as to whether they can defeat their future challengers.
WINNER: The Acclaimed and “The Ace” Hiroshi Tanahashi
MJF vs. Hechicero
After being off for a while due to injury, the conquering hometown hero will be making his triumphant return to the most magical place in the world, Long Island! MJF has a match with the expert in submission moves, and while it seems like an odd match to have on the show, it does serve some purpose in the bigger picture.
Let us be honest, no way is Hechicero going to win this match, which is a given. Not only is MJF coming home which should give him the advantage, but he needs the win to continue to rebuild his program and get back to where he wants to be, which is obviously the AEW World Title. However, that does not mean that we cannot have a good match where MJF plays face in peril until the hometown crowd wills their favorite scumbag back into the match. They could also build up the feelings by having the Gates of Agony and Brian Cage try to get involved because, remember, Hechicero has been included in the former Mogul Embassy. But in the end, it should not matter, because while MJF wants to face Daniel Garcia and could be overlooking Hechicero, the hometown boy will have another win to put under his belt.
WINNER: MJF
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Orange Cassidy
Are you familiar with the expression, “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” Well, I hope so, because on paper, this match should not work, and when you consider who participates in this match, it should not work. And yet, while we know that ZSJ can work with anyone in the ring, Orange has shown that he is able to adapt and work with anyone he is paired up with and he never looks out of place.
The winner of this match should be obvious, and yet I wonder if this is one of those instances where Orange could stand to take a loss. Let us not kid anyone here when I say that Cassidy has been well protected, even in defeat, and seems to win matches you might think he would lose. For looking into things, a little bit too much, I feel like this is a match Zach should win, but for some reason, I do not see that being the case. No matter what happens, we should get a great match, and is a MOTN candidate if given a good amount of time.
WINNER: Orange Cassidy
Owen Hart Cup Tournament Quarterfinal Match
Bryan Danielson vs. Shingo Takagi
You know, I just realized that I mentioned that Zach and Orange could be a candidate for Match of the Night, and then I saw this match as the next one in my write-up. And, frankly speaking, if this match does not serve up another candidate for match of the night, then something is off. This, my friends, is what we envision when we hear the words “Dream Match.”
Given that Takagi is obviously visiting from New Japan, you would think that it seems like an adamant conclusion that Danielson wins this and moves on in the Owen Cup Tourney. And yet, I feel as if that might be a little short sighted because, if Takagi does win this match and he moves on, then he would be able to stay around for some time to fill out the rest of the tournament. And I mean, could you imagine how many more awesome matches Shingo could have with some of the other guys in this tourney? However, the safe bet is to follow Danielson, as he has a lot more to accomplish in what he is calling his final year of full-time wrestling.
WINNER: Bryan Danielson
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match
Jon Moxley vs. Tetsuya Naito
Call me crazy (okay, I know I am but anyway), but I did not think that I would ever see Moxley holding the top prize of New Japan in the year 2024 (or any year, for that matter). And it has been a fun run for Moxley as the IWGP World Champion, as he has defended the belt on a few occasions and made things interesting with a “Gaijin” wrestler winning the title. However, all things being fair, the title belt should be on someone who is dedicated to the company, and Naito fits that bill a lot closer than Moxley does.
Does that mean that Jon does not have a chance to retain the title and continue his title reign? Absolutely, that can happen, however, it does seem that the title reign of Moxley was a way to show that New Japan could mix it up when it came to who held their top title. And I will be honest with you here, the title reigns of EVIL and SANADA did not exactly inspire the warmth and candor of the title reigns by Chono, Tanahashi, Okada, or, yes, Naito. The bigger question then becomes, how does gang warfare factor into this, as the BCC should not be too far away from the match, but neither should LIJ. I just feel like it has been a fun run for Moxley as the champion of another promotion, but the title goes back to New Japan.
WINNER: Tetsuya Naito (NEW IWGP World Heavyweight Champions)
AEW TBS and NJPW STRONG Women’s Championships Match
Mercedes Mone vs. Stephanie Vaquer
For those who were curious, yes, this will be a winner-takes-all match, as the winning lady will not only retain their title belt but take the other one from the loser. In many ways, this could be seen as a full circle moment for Mone, as she involved in the original crowning of the New Japan STRONG Women’s Title, losing to Willow Nightingale, albeit as reported that the match result was changed due to Mercedes suffering an injury during the contest. Whether this match comes from the fact that she never got a fair shot to win the title originally or not, the match itself should be great.
Obviously for years the in-ring talent of Mercedes has been known, but what about her opponent? Vaquer is one of the fastest rising stars in wrestling and has made a name for herself as her ascent has been a glorious thing to see. I also personally feel that the promo packages that AEW has done for her simply do not do her talents justice. She would look fantastic holding two belts and competing and defending both across all parts of North America.
There is just one minor problem, however, and that is the fact that AEW would more than likely not put their title up, even if it were the TBS Title, and see it carried around other companies and not return to AEW. This is also where we circle back to the point about Mercedes getting injured during the crowning of the original STRONG Women’s Title match, and one feels like this is a do-over for Mone to get the title that was earmarked for it. At the least, we can hope that the match kicks all sort of Arse, and both ladies get epic intros.
WINNER: Mercedes Mone (Call her Mone Two Belts!)
AEW Women’s World Championship Match
Toni Storm vs. Mina Shirakawa
Unabashedly and unashamedly, I will confuse that this has been one of the best feuds going within the company, be it among the men or the women. Sure, there have been much longer running feuds within the company, and one must assume that after this match Shirakawa is going back to Japan and STARDOM. But do you know what? I am not going to let any of that get in the way of any personal enjoyment of this match from any aspect, be it the presentation or the actual in-ring performance.
I think everyone can agree with me when I say that the most interesting thing about this feud has not been the women themselves, but the fact that the two have been trying to appeal to the senses of Mariah May. In a nadir, this feels like two parents amid a divorce, and both Storm and Shirakawa are trying to spoil her in hopes that she will choose them over the other. It seemed down the middle, as May had no leaning alliances to either lady, in fact, she had been trying to get them to get along. That was until Shirakawa hit May in the head with a champagne bottle that we have to assume was meant for Storm. This action could force May’s hand in allegiance to her idol and the one that she has been cosplaying as for some time. Also, as I have stated many times before in my columns, this is not any time to have Storm lose the title, and I am sticking with it.
Although, it is going to be a real shame to see Mina lose and go back to Japan because, Good Golly Miss Molly…
WINNER: TIMELESS Toni Storm (STILL AEW Women’s World Champion)
AEW TNT Championship Ladder Match
Jack Perry vs. Lio Rush vs. Dante Martin vs.
Mark Briscoe vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. El Phantasmo
Do you ever feel like something was SO obvious that you could see it coming a mile away? I feel like that is what we are getting in this match. And I mean this as absolutely no disrespect to any of the men competing for the vacated TNT Title belt, but look at who is involved, and I feel like you can earmark just two of them as serious contenders to win the title, barring anything unforeseen or unplanned.
The fact that the EVP Bucks tried to just award Perry the TNT Title after Adam Copeland had to surrender it due to injury makes the winner of this match seem like an adamant conclusion, doesn’t it? And I mean, again, no disrespect to anyone else in the match, but are we really buying a TNT Title victory for Rush or the visiting Phantasmo, who was the sixth and final man to qualify by defeating Jobber Entrance AR Fox on Rampage this past Friday? Martin would make a fun title holder, but not only has he had some history with injuries (albeit not nearly as much as Darius) but there are underlying tensions between himself and Rush and, frankly, I just hope he doesn’t get injured AGAIN in this type of match like he did at Death Before Dishonor last year. Briscoe might be a fun promo and he might be good at ladder matches, but he is also the ROH World Champion, and I do not see it being in the cards for him to have two title belts.
There definitely can be an argument made for Takeshita winning the belt, especially if he gets backup from the Don Callis Family, and who would argue against that? I have been saying for quite some time now that Takeshita is deserving of singles gold in AEW, and this would be the perfect time for it. Unfortunately, his name is not “The Scapegoat” Jack Perry, and he is not a member of the Elite, and so this entire exercise feels futile, even if should get an amazing match out of it, because the result has always felt like the crowning of Perry as TNT Champion.
WINNER: “The Scapegoat” Jack Perry (NEW AEW TNT Champion)
AEW World Championship Match
Swerve Strickland vs. Will Ospreay
First thing is first, as I am sure that everyone is aware by now, but if you are not, let the record state that, while Ospreay DOES have the International Title, his title is NOT on the line, and this is NOT a winner-takes-all title match.
So, with that bit of business out of the way, welcome to the match that, while it is extremely interesting and should be a lot of fun, we should not have because the result will wreck someone. On one hand, we have Ospreay who has not lost any singles match yet in AEW and picked up his first title in his first opportunity, taking the International Title from Roderick Strong back at Dynasty in April. On the other hand, we have Strickland, who some people have criticized his title reign as far as not having any worthy challengers to defend against. Oh sure, they will tell you that Christian Cage is just a mid-card guy despite having some of the most nuclear heat in the company, and no one thought Claudio Castagnoli would take the belt from Swerve despite being more than capable of having a world title reign. This truly could come down to forces outside of the ring and beyond the control of the men involved in the match.
You might remember an off-hand remark that Ospreay made to Strickland during their first interaction post-announcement of the title match, saying that he did not need the Don Callis Family to help him out. This is true, as Ospreay won the International Title with no help from anyone in the Family and had to fend off the entirety of the Undisputed Kingdom to topple Strong. Strickland has his enemies too, as he not only has the former Mogul Embassy he has dealt with for a while, but also the Patriarchy, and Cage being upset that he did not get a rematch for the AEW World Title.
Honestly, when it comes down to it, the smarter bet is to define the World Title reign of Strickland with a big-time win, and in a match where Ospreay would not stand to lose his title or a whole lot of ground because he will still be over like Rover. There are other scenarios that exist, such as the interference playing a role in the match, more than likely this comes down to the Callis Family taking out Ospreay. Another scenario exists where the men could go to the time limit draw, but if this is the main event of the show (as it should be), then that does not stand to work out so well. Strickland gets a huge win here, and Ospreay sees him again sooner rather than later.
WINNER: Swerve Strickland (STILL AEW World Champion)
Catch Forbidden Door this Sunday, starting at 7PM with the Zero Hour action, and 8PM for the main card. As always, the show is available in all formats and wherever you can watch it!
