The forbidden door is wide open.
That was on full display as soon as MJF defended the AEW world title against Hiroshi Tanahashi in the opening match of the joint AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view in Toronto on Sunday. This was a unique card, one that centered on outstanding pro wrestling and featured matchups we otherwise would never see.
The match of the night saw Kenny Omega fall against Will Ospreay, losing the IWGP United States title in the process. It was bloody, personal and dynamic, blending together athleticism and storytelling at its finest.
Forbidden Door opens endless possibilities for New Japan and AEW. In the main event, Bryan Danielson defeated Kazuchika Okada. It is rare to see Okada lose and almost shocking to see him lose by submission, which is how the finish occurred. It was Okada’s first submission loss since 2015, and though it ended in a sequence that was not the original plan—Danielson fractured his right forearm during the match, causing many changes over the final 10 minutes—it remained a compelling final match. The finish sets the table for a rematch, perhaps in London at Wembley Stadium—or in the Tokyo Dome.
Here are the results:
- AEW world champion MJF defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi
- CM Punk defeated Satoshi Kojima to advance to the semifinals of the men’s Owen Hart Cup tournament
- AEW International champion Orange Cassidy defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Katsuyori Shibata and Daniel Garcia in a four-way match
- IWGP world heavyweight champion Sanada defeated “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry
- The Young Bucks, Hangman Page, Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita and Shota Umino
- AEW women’s champion Toni Storm defeated Willow Nightingale
- Will Ospreay defeated Kenny Omega to win the IWGP United States championship
- Sting, Darby Allin and Tetsuya Naito defeated Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara and Minoru Suzuki
- Bryan Danielson defeated Kazuchika Okada
Courtesy of AEW
The opening match saw MJF defeat Hiroshi Tanahashi. There was solid chemistry between the two, which is not surprising when taking into account that MJF—beneath the heel persona he rarely sheds—is a massive wrestling fan with a tremendous amount of respect for those who paved a path to stardom. Tanahashi is an eight-time IWGP heavyweight champion and, though he is no longer the same performer at 46, is still a critical piece of New Japan’s present and past. The victory for MJF, which he won with the help of a foreign object, is an instant addition to his list of greatest moments.
An incredibly fun match took place in the second bout of the night, as CM Punk and Satoshi Kojima wrestled in the opening round of the men’s Owen Hart Cup tournament. Punk brought out the absolute best of 52-year-old Kojima. It was a reminder of Punk’s brilliance. Even when the crowd in Toronto was booing him, Punk held them in the palm of his hand. This was his first singles match since September, and, except for an imperfect GTS, it showed that Punk can still deliver in a way few others can. If the plan is to turn Punk heel, then a perfect chance to do so would be after he wins this tourney.
The four-way international championship match was another chance for Orange Cassidy to shine. Now 257 days into the title reign, he continues to put together outstanding matches, this being the latest. There were highlights from Zack Sabre Jr. and Katsuyori Shibata, and Daniel Garcia ultimately took the pin. This was followed by the IWGP world heavyweight championship bout, which was a foregone conclusion—there was zero chance “Jungle Boy” was going to beat Sanada. Under 11 minutes, it was exceptionally short for an IWGP title match. The fireworks occurred afterward, when Jungle Boy turned heel and laid out Hook. There is incredible potential for Jungle Boy as a villain, with a lot of anticipation for his first heel promo.
The Young Bucks, “Hangman” Adam Page, Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro Ishii teamed together to defeat Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita and Shota Umino. There was plenty of action in the 10-man tag, and the excitement really picked up when Moxley and Kingston first shared the ring together. This didn’t end the feud between The Elite and the Blackpool Combat Club; it only adds to it. After getting the winning pinfall last month in the “Anarchy in the Arena” match at Double or Nothing, Yuta took the pin this time around, which was scored by Ishii.
The lone women’s match of the pay-per-view took place when Toni Storm defended the AEW women’s title against Willow Nightingale. It was hard not to imagine what it would have been like had Mercedes Moné been involved. Neither Storm nor Nightingale possess anywhere near the presence or charisma of the injured Moné (in their defense, few do). A positive was that this further cemented Storm as champion, but another missing piece in the division is Jamie Hayter, who is also on the injured list.
The match pitting Kenny Omega against Will Ospreay was, in a word, spectacular. Ospreay is an athletic marvel, but Omega (who is 10 years older) stayed with him every step of the way. Omega is one of the best wrestlers in the world, and he told an incredible story in this match. It turned into desperation mode as both men—covered in blood—went for broke to win the title. Ospreay’s sky twister press from the top turnbuckle to the floor was a thing of beauty.
One fault was that Don Callis was allowed to remain ringside even after he was thrown out, which was somehow ignored by the referee. A bloodied Omega barely escaped defeat after he was stabbed with a screwdriver, then got nailed with a Hidden Blade and Storm Breaker. This led to one last comeback from Omega, who ultimately fell short (it looked like Omega was dropped on his face when Ospreay gave him a Tiger Driver ’91). This was a rare caliber of match, one that would have been further enhanced by the voice of Jim Ross, who unfortunately was not on the call due to his recent injury.
TIGER DRIVER '91!!! #AEWxNJPW #ForbiddenDoor https://t.co/hBJXT0imWt pic.twitter.com/DBCSASTXdV
— SirLARIATO (@SirLARIATO) June 26, 2023
Ospreay won the match with another Hidden Blade and Storm Breaker, giving himself the most significant win of his career in this instant candidate for Match of the Year. The sight of Omega reaching for the title—which was no longer his—was the perfect ending to this classic.
Before the main event, there was a six-man tag. It was remarkable to see Sting, Chris Jericho, Tetsuya Naito and Minoru Suzuki all share the same ring. This had its moments, but it ultimately was one of the matches that could have been instead highlighted on Dynamite with its own spotlight. Naito, who still has chemistry with Jericho, picked up the victory for his team.
Then, finally, came the main event. Even the entrances were special, especially Bryan Danielson walking out to the newest addition to AEW’s vast musical library in Europe’s “The Final Countdown.” (Tony Khan said after the show that the rights to the song were a one-time deal.)
Kazuchika Okada and Danielson worked an outstanding match. The story was built around Danielson’s escaping Okada’s Rainmaker, which he did successfully on the first three attempts—until Okada hit it on the fourth but Danielson kicked out. That was odd, as that did not factor into the finish, which came when Danielson forced Okada to tap out, which is extremely rare.
With the broken forearm clearly affecting him, Danielson used his legs to assist in the Lebell lock. Despite an on-the-fly ending, it was still an entertaining match—and it sets up a rematch between the two, perhaps as soon as August at Wembley Stadium. Wherever it goes next, the story will benefit greatly from Danielson’s boasting about making Okada submit.
Overall, Forbidden Door was excellent. It could have cut a few matches (a four-hour show is long) and it would be great to include women from Stardom on next year’s card, but this stood out as a chance to see matchups we otherwise never would. MJF-Tanahashi and Punk-Kojima offered a compelling start to the card, and there was the phenomenal showing between Omega and Ospreay. The Danielson-Okada finish allows their program to continue and offered a surprise finish to cap off an exceptional night of pro wrestling.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
