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Zack Sabre Jr. Defeats Nigel McGuinness at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

August 24, 2025 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Zack Sabre Jr and Nigel McGuinness shake hands, Johnny Saint Image Credit: AEW

– The 49-year-old former ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness came in as a huge underdog at today’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door London event, but he wasn’t able to make a Cinderella Story come true against reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. Sabre Jr. defeated his rival to retain the title at the pay-per-view event.

McGuinness put in a strong effort during the match. He managed to hit Sabre with the Tower of London, but Sabre just managed to get his foot on the rope at the last second. Eventually, Sabre managed to land an elevated sunset-style pinning combination to secure the pinfall victory.

After the match, McGuinness and Sabre uphold the Code of Honor with a handshake, and they also embraced. In a tense moment, Daniel Garcia and Sabre came face-to-face after the match. Sabre has held the IWGP World Heavyweight Title for 56 days and is in his second reign with the title. He regained the belt from Hirooki Goto in June at The New Beginning in Osaka.

You can check out highlights and images from the matchup below. 411’s live coverage of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 is available HERE.

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AEW, AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Nigel McGuinness, Zack Sabre Jr., Jeffrey Harris

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