wrestling / Columns
411’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2026 Preview
Image Credit: AEW
Well, hello, fellow SICKOS, and welcome back to my expected and (somewhat) anticipated preview for the crossover event known as Forbidden Door this Sunday. Emanating from the SAP Center in San Jose, California, this seminal event has seen AEW work in conjunction with New Japan and, more recently, both STARDOM and CMLL in recent years to give us high quality matches that may have a dream match feel to them as well.
And, while the crossover effect feels like it is lacking a bit in comparison to recent year’s events, we still are getting appearances from New Japan talent in Zach Sabre Jr and Shota Umino, and STARDOM talent with Starlight Kid competing for the Women’s World Title. Still, it does feel underwhelming and a bit AEW heavy-handed, but the results should still be favorable!
So, without further ado, let’s get into the Headlines for Forbidden Door!
- One More Spot to Fill! With five of the six spots filled in the TBS Title Survival of the Fittest Match on July 1st, Skye Blue will battle Maika from STARDOM for the final spot.
- Divine Thunder! As a remedy to get purer crossover matches for the show, Thunder Rosa has challenged Divine Dominion for their tag team titles, and she’s bringing Olympia with her.
- Three Team Mayhem! In another attempt to play into the crossover namesake of the show, the Young Bucks will face El Sky Team (CMLL) and Unbound Co. (NJPW)
- Dream Match is an understatement! After issuing the challenge for a match at Forbidden Door, Zack Sabre Jr. and Kenny Omega will face off in what is the textbook definition of a “Dream Match.”
- Moxley’s Conundrum! Announced during the episode of Collision that took place in Sugarland, Shota Umino will defend his IWGP Global title against PAC, and while PAC is in Jon Moxley’s Death Riders stable, Moxley DID take Shota under his wing when he was IWGP Champion!
- Teaching old dogs’ new tricks! After laying out the newly minted Tag Team Champions Christian Cage and Adam Copeland, Clark Connors and David Finlay have been on a tear as of late, but the cagy veterans aim to show the Dogs that they aren’t giving them the floor.
- The Most Wanted! After defeating Jon Moxley and Daniel Garcia with his best friend Brody King at Dynamite in Sugarland, Bandido has made his intentions known that he wants Jon’s Continental Title.
- STARDOM vs. the STARDOM Killer! Thekla invited anyone from STARDOM to come and face her for the AEW Women’s World Title, and Starlight Kid has answered the call.
- Fantasy vs. Reality! After making her triumphant return as Willow Nightingale’s replacement in the Women’s Owen Hart Tourney, Mercedes Mone goes back to the Finals, where she faces another woman who was a replacement for Sareee in Maya World.
- Swerve when you BRUV! In what could be a MOTN candidate (if it’s not Sabre and Omega), former best friends turned enemies Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay will collide in the Finals of the Owen Hart Men’s Tourney.
- Leaving it up to chance! Mark Briscoe found an avenue to a World Title shot after MJF kept refusing his request, and if Mark and his team defeat Team DCMJF inside a steel cage, then Briscoe will earn the title shot he’s been after.
All of this and, of course, so much more in store for us tonight! So, walk with me and talk with me as we explore the entire card for Forbidden Door!
After seeing both Queen Aminata and Harley Cameron Supergirl qualify for the Survival of the Fittest match happening on July 1st to crown a new TBS Champion, I wondered if the last match was going to take place at the go-home episode of Collision. While that turned out not to be the case, we got an update on said situation from Skye Blue herself.
After being bounced from the Owen Hart Women’s Tournament by Maya World in the quarterfinals, Skye will now compete for the sixth and final spot in the SOTF match on the Buy-In for Forbidden Door. And her opponent will be Maika, coming to us from STARDOM. I’m torn on who wins this match, because I feel like Blue has settled into taking big losses in the Triangle of Madness, and she could use a win here. On the other hand, it would seem foolish to bring Maika here just to compete in one match, when the post-Forbidden Door episodes of both Dynamite and Collision will be happening down the highway in San Diego.
WINNER: Maika
At its elemental core, the build for this match is simplistic but it makes sense in a bubble. Thunder Rosa, whose been making the most of her dual contract in CMLL while still being signed by AEW, challenged Divine Dominion for a match and said she would bring a partner. And while one of the reasons that Rosa challenged Megan and Lena was to win the Women’s Tag Team titles, she should bring in extra motivation, since Rosa was one of the many victims that Bayne laid out after her return to AEW.
While we know what Rosa brings to the table, some people may not know what Olympia’s game entails. At last year’s Women’s Grand Prix match in CMLL, I was impressed by many of the ladies I had never seen but came away impressed with Olympia and how much of a badass that she is. Despite this, both Kross and Bayne are badass women, and while Rosa and Olympia should push the Champions, the reign of the Divine will continue.
WINNERS: Divine Dominion (And Still!)
Have you ever stopped and wondered about the possibility of all things? Have you ever considered just what it could be when the DOOR is open? Well, folding nicely into both of those esteemed concepts is this 3-way tag team match, pitting Nick, and Matt Jackson against El Sky Team, consisting of Mistico and Mascara Dorada, and Unbound Co, consisting of Shingo Takagi and Titan. Oh, and with the companies that these six men work for, it nicely interpolates the Forbidden Door concept!
While nothing is on the line here per se, the match itself should cook if proper time is allocated and in conjunction to where this one sits on the card. We know what Nick and Matt bring to the table, and even if they just go out and “play the hits,” the hits chart very highly, and they always bring out the best in their opponents. We’ve seen both Dorada and Mistico (and in the latter’s case, heard him, for we shall sing his song in perfect harmony), and we know that they are always amazing in the ring. And while we are aware of Shingo and Titan on their own, I cannot say with conviction that I have seen them as a team in Unbound Co yet. I know, I am a simpleminded SICKO.
As for who wins this match, it does feel like a toss-up to me. Considering that most of the crossover match results should favor AEW, I find myself leaning towards Mistico and Dorada in this match. Yes, I know, the show is in San Jose, which isn’t TOO far from where the Jackson’s grew up, and I know that Shingo is the strongest man in the match and Titan is a wildcard, but I feel a win here for Dorada and Mistico. The “fun” aspect of this match is that the Bucks don’t have to be pinned, so they don’t lose anything if they aren’t involved.
WINNERS: El Sky Team
The term “Dream Match” is used too much for my liking, to the point that when something is given that anointment, it feels hollow and without effect. But that is the fun aspect of the Forbidden Door concept, because anyone can walk through that door (which sounds unironic when you think about it) and challenge any AEW talent to a match. And not only did Zack Sabre Jr. walk through that door (which was already exciting), but he challenged Kenny Omega to a match (excitement level dialed too insane).
Sabre stated that the main reason he wanted to challenge Omega was because he has never beaten Kenny in the US. In fact, in the history of their interactions with one another, Omega has defeated Sabre in a singles match twice, as far back as 2013 and, more recently, in 2018. To add insult to injury, one of the two losses Zack suffered to Kenny was in his home country of England at 4FW Battle Britannia in 2013.
So, with the information provided, one would assume that Sabre is ready to return to the favor and defeat the Best Bout Machine at a co-sponsored AEW event, right? Well, Sabre winning here no doubt gives him a nice shinny trinket and bragging rights, but Omega is working towards one final run as AEW World Heavyweight Champion. And while, assumedly, MJF will be tied up with Mark Briscoe heading into Redemption next month, Omega stacking a win over an exceptionally talented and very game Sabre doesn’t hurt his case at all.
WINNER: Kenny Omega
Fresh off winning the IWGP Global Heavyweight Title belt from Andrade El Idolo and in a match that also included Drilla Moloney, Shota Umino has challenged PAC and will put his newly won title on the line. And if this match feels like it was randomly generated in the TEW booking system, it in fact wasn’t, and there is a reason for this.
Everyone knows that it was Jon Moxley who not only helped to train Umino, but he also took him under his wing. In fact, the connection was so strong between them that Umino ended up taking some of Jon’s moves for himself, including the Paradigm Shift. However, recent events have not only seen Umino be kicked out of the good graces of Moxley, but PAC was the one to initiate this action.
PAC is an incredible wrestler who works well with everyone, but Umino just won the Global World title, and it would seem illogical to move the title from him already. This would also imbue the situation further still if Umino would not only lose the title belt so quickly, but to the man who attacked him and set this into orbit in the first place. PAC has a strong showing, but in the end, Umino digs deep to retain his title.
WINNER: Shota Umino (And Still!)
I must give credit to Clark Connors and David Finlay, because they have grown on me as a tag team (sans having the MADMAN around), and they have picked up some big wins along the way, including knocking off the Young Bucks recently. And while this is admirable, they have one final test to pass if they want to win the tag team titles from Christian Cage and Adam Copeland, the new Tag Team Champions who they attacked weeks ago.
After chasing FTR for the Men’s Tag Team Titles and finally winning them at Double or Nothing in May, Copeland (with resistance from Cage) was going to bring back their famous “Five Second Pose” segment. And, heck, Adam was even SO generous that he passed out old click cameras for the fans to take flash photography with! However, Connors and Finlay sent a direct message to the Champions when they not only attacked them but continued to taunt them with their own “Five Second Pose.”
Cage and Copeland would catch the Dogs when they tried to do their bit where they attack the Stage Manager, and after a short brawl, the Tag Team Title match was set in stone. Obviously, despite how much better Clark and David are a tag team rather than a trio with Gabe Kidd, it would be foolish to have Cage and Copeland drop the titles here. Hell, they just won the titles a month ago and they have let to defend them thanks to the attack by the Dogs. In that spirit, Connors and Finlay put in a strong effort, but in the end, Cage and Copeland show their younger opponents how the “Five Second Pose” really works.
WINNERS: Christian Cage and Adam Copeland (And still!)
Mark this match down as one that I never thought about but now that it is official, I am excited to see it unfold! And while Bandido came off a recent win with his best friend and dancing partner Brody King over the Death Riders, the overall history has not been kind to Bandido when he has faced Moxley before.
Moxley defeated Bandido in three multi-person matches in a span of two years from 2023 to 2025, with two of those wins coming with the Death Rider’s predecessors in the Blackpool Combat Club. But in a “What have you done for me lately” world, Bandido does have the ultimate momentum after the tag team win last week on Dynamite in Sugarland.
Moxley is seamlessly able to collaborate with any wrestler no matter if they are bigger than him, smaller than him, or equal in size to him. And while Bandido is known for the high-flying aspect of his game, his strength matches and could exceed that of Moxley’s. I’ve betted against Moxley before and I have been wrong, so at Double or Nothing, I took Moxley to beat Kyle O’Reilly and it was proven right. Does a prediction for a Moxley retention strike twice in a row, or can Bandido add another singles title next to his ROH World Title? I’m going to say no, that Moxley’s stellar run with the title continues despite an A-Grade effort from Bandido.
WINNER: Jon Moxley (And Still!)
If you sit down and pay attention, Thekla will beguile you with the story of that time where she got fired from Japan. Sure, she’ll throw in the time she spit on the logo of STARDOM on the video wall and call all the other women dumb bitches, but it’s a fascinating story, however. Case in point, Thekla has been on a tear as the Women’s Champion since she dethroned Kris Statlander in February, and Tony Khan even went as far to say she would be one of his new age “Four Pillars” of AEW.
Not content to degrade STARDOM and call all women dumb bitches, Thekla issued a challenge to any of the Joshi wrestlers who were brave enough to come to AEW and face her for the Women’s World Title. Enter Starlight Kid, who is no stranger to Thekla. In fact, dating back to the beginning of 2022, Starlight Kid has opposed Thekla THIRTY THREE TIMES, with only TWO of said matches being a singles encounter and Starlight Kid winning both.
While Starlight Kid is one of the most recognizable Joshi wrestlers and has been remarkably successful in her ten years in the business, there is no heat here over Thekla losing the Women’s Title to someone who has never once stepped foot in an AEW ring. For my money, Thekla retains the title here and should reign with the belt until at LEAST All-In London, depending on who ends up winning the Owen Hart Women’s Tournament Finals.
WINNER: Thekla (And Still!)
Maya World has been on the run of her career through two rounds in the Owen Hart Women’s Tournament, knocking off Skye Blue and then shocking the Forever Champion Athena in the Semifinals this past week on Collision. And yet, she wasn’t even supposed to be in this tournament to begin with, as she was a near last-minute substitute for Sareee, who wasn’t cleared to compete.
For that matter, neither should her opponent, the dominant and previously title stacking Mercedes Mone. Mone made her return to the company weeks ago and, as Wildcard, knocked off Alex Windsor and then defeated Hazuki last week in, for my money, the best match on Dynamite. And while Mone held up to thirteen titles at the same time recently, the one title that she has yet to win is the AEW Women’s World title. That is something that, with a win here, she can course correctly towards.
Maya has the sympathy of the fans and the wrestlers alike, as she was a substitute for Sareee even after suffering her own personal heartbreak when she lost her younger brother. And Maya proved that beating Skye was no fluke when she knocked off the unbeatable Athena this past Saturday. But will all the good vibes and the wins so far that Maya has stacked be enough to dethrone the CEO?
WINNER: Mercedes Mone (2026 Owen Hart Women’s Tournament Winner!)
Owen Hart Men’s Tournament Finals: Will Ospreay vs. Swerve Strickland
How the narrative has changed around both Swerve and Will in the past year. In July of last year, both men worked to help Hangman Adam Page defeat Moxley and win the World Heavyweight Title, but now, they stand worlds apart in the build-up to the Men’s Owen Hart Finals.
Everyone’s favorite BRUV punched his ticket to the Finals by defeating Samoa Joe in the quarterfinals and then Mark Davis in the semifinals. Along the way, Ospreay has been using what he’s learned from the Death Riders to improve his neck health and adding the Flying Armbar to his repertoire. On the other side of the ring, Strickland knocked off both members of Brodido in the quarterfinals and semifinals to get to the Finals on Sunday. With Strickland being more sinister, more fiendish, and more calculating, he stands a great chance to make it to All-In London to oppose the World Heavyweight Champion.
Obviously, the perceived notion is that Ospreay is going to win this match, giving the fact that All-In London is in, if you can believe, England, and obviously, Will is from England. He’s driven this point as much on last week’s Dynamite when he came face-to-face to chat with Swerve (and Prince Nana). However, could we really rule out Strickland winning here, because it feels like he would be deserving of the shot as well. One thing is for sure; this has the potential to steal the show in San Jose!
WINNER: Will Ospreay (2026 Owen Hart Men’s Tournament Winner!)
(If Mark’s team wins, then he will earn a World Heavyweight Title shot)
It was in August of last year at All-Out when Mark Briscoe defeated MJF in a Tables and Tacks match, sending MJF away for a while to lick his wounds and recover in time to come back and win the World Title once again at World’s End in December. Briscoe insistently asked for a title shot after MJF became a three-time Champion at Darby Allin’s expense, to which MJF kept refusing him. Eventually, Briscoe talked to Tony Khan, who granted him a path to the World Title if his team is successful inside the steel cage on Sunday.
When you are trying to get a title shot and you must rely on others to achieve it for you, it’s a smart choice to pick people you know you can trust. To that end, Briscoe has enlisted the help of his fellow Conglomeration members Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong, while also enlisting the former TNT and World Champion Allin, and current International Champion Takeshita. From a tact standpoint, picking Allin and Takeshita makes sense, since Darby wants to get his hands on Kevin Knight, and Takeshita wants revenge on all things Don Callis Family.
Speaking of, MJF has enlisted the help of Don Callis Family members in the form of Jake Doyle, Andrade El Idolo, Kazuchika Okada, Kyle Fletcher, and Knight to turn Briscoe’s dream into a nightmare. The cracks and the fissures have already been showing up in this team, namely between MJF and Knight, MJF and Andrade, and even Knight and Okada. But the beauty of this kind of match is that it allows you to have fun inside the cage without needing to rely on tags and co-existence between people who can’t stand one another.
If the stipulation didn’t make the winner of this match obvious, then the loss that Team Briscoe suffered last week and then the post-match beat down telegraphs their win here. And, if I am being honest, while MJF will have to defend his World Title at All-In London, he DOES need an opponent for the newly minted Redemption PPV coming up in July. So, who better than the Chicken Plucking Farmer who is the master of Redneck Kung-Fu? Just, you know, don’t expect him to beat MJF when the title shot comes.
WINNERS: Team Briscoe
And that’ll do it for my preview of Forbidden Door! I will wrap this up by saying what I always do, and that is if you clicked on my article, read it, and posted a comment, I thank you for the support! It means a lot to me as do the responses, whether good, bad, or indifferent!
Forbidden Door airs from San Jose this Sunday at 8:00PM EST, with the Buy-In starting at 7:00PM EST, and is available for purchase in all the usual places!
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