Tony Kahn and AEW are about to kick down the Forbidden Door and there is so much good professional wrestling going on right now that there is basically no time to sleep.
Ever since the pandemic has cooled down off (to some degree) and air travel has become easier there has been talk about the forbidden door being opened. It is not off base to say that the cross-promotional supershow that will see the best of the New Japan roster in Chicago taking on AEW wrestlers is the biggest such card of its kind in history.
WWE is rumored to have wanted it, AEW is the company that has made it happen.
New Japan is used to this kind of thing. The company’s Wrestle Kingdom event – think a Japanese Wrestlemania – was extended to three nights for the first time this year. The first two days were traditional battles between talent on the NJPW roster, but the third day was a cross-promotional showdown with another Japanese outfit in Pro Wrestling NOAH. This would be like AEW and WWE agreeing to a card with members of each roster looking strong and going over. It will never happen.
While it would be cool to come up with that card (maybe a future project) the AEW and NJPW rosters at Forbidden Door should put on one heck of a show. Much of the talent that founded AEW – think the now-departed Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, and The Young Bucks – have an extensive history with New Japan. That being said, there are still plenty of matches that we need to see happen at the event.
Here are my top three choices for MUST see matches at Forbidden Door:
Kenny Omega vs. Kota Ibushi
Injuries might get in the way of this one but if Omega and Ibushi are good to go then it simply has to happen. The Golden Lovers storyline has dipped and weaved its way through multiple promotions and more layers than a feud between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa.
That is to say a LOT.
There has been love and hate. Wins and losses. More manga than you can shake the proverbial stick at. What there hasn’t been is any kind of conclusion since Kenny left for AEW and Kota signed a long-term contract with NJPW. This is the place to end a story (or perhaps just rekindle it) in a massive way.
Orange Cassidy vs Toru Yano
Every card needs a match that is a little different. There is going to be a ton of high-end wrestling on this show, so some comedy relief is needed. This is a match that pits two comedy wrestlers coming from different ends of the spectrum. Yano is basically nuts, ripping off corner pads and finding all kinds of ways to cheat to win in the best way. Cassidy will likely just watch Yano, hands in pockets, before bringing out his own schtick. Simple but effective.
Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson vs Anyone
You could sell me on Mox and Danielson vs Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika and I would be (excuse the pun) all in. The clash of icons would be something, let alone the fact that Okada and Tana have teamed up on multiple occasions when they feel the honor of New Japan is at stake. What I really want, however, is Mox and the American Dragon in a war. Factionally, it doesn’t make sense, but throw the team of Tomohiro Ishii and the legendary Minoru Suzuki at the AEW pair and take my money.
Rey Fenix vs Hiromu Tanahashi
Hiromu will likely be in a faction war of some type with LIJ in a big multi-man here, but for me the money is he taking on Rey Fenix. There are plenty of other high fliers who could be involved in a match like this (PAC, Will Ospreay, etc) but there is something about the way Hiromu wrestles that makes him a must-watch. Also, Rey is just really, really good.
Those are my four matches (though I could have been at 10 or 12 minimum) What do you want to see at AEW x NWJP Forbidden Door?
Always remember folks. Pro Wrestling is Real.