Category: NJPW News & Results

Forbidden Door 2023 results: Naito, Sting combine to get a fun win

A fun six-man tag featured some AEW and NJPW icons at Forbidden Door.

Sting is in full Joker makeup for this one, the first time he’s done that in a while. The announcers mention the choice of Tetsuya Naito as a partner is partially to get in the head of Chris Jericho, which it definitely is.

Naito starts the match against Sammy Guevara, matching trademark poses early on. Naito manages to hit a couple moves in quick succession, then tags in Darby Allin. Guevara gives way to Minoru Suzuki, but Allin decides to stand and trade with him. That might be a mistake, so he switches to wrestling instead.

Sting gets a big reaction as he steps in against Suzuki. Minoru shakes off requests for a tag from Jericho but relents so the two icons can stand across from each other for the first time. Before they can throw down, Suzuki rushes in and all six men follow.

The ring clears so Sting and Jericho can trade punches for the first time in the same match. Jericho misses a corner charge and ends up in the Scorpion Deathlock. Guevara tries for a top rope stunner from the far side of the ring and basically smashes Sting’s head into the canvas.

Sammy and Chris hit a double shoulder tackle, and all three heels pose. Guevara hands out corner punches to Sting, who escapes and tags Allin back in. He hits a Code Red on Guevara for a near fall, but Sammy answers with a Spanish Fly for two.

Guevara tries his own take on the Stinger Splash and mostly misses, and now he and Darby are both down. Naito and Jericho tag in to face each other, with Naito hitting a swinging neckbreaker as the announcers mention their battles in 2018-19.

All three heels grab sleepers at once, but Sting and Darby escape and Allin launches into his cannonball tope to Suzuki. He tries one on Jericho too, but The Ocho counters with a well-timed Judas Effect.

Jericho gets a table out and sets it up on the floor. Sting ends up on that table, but Jericho and Guevara argue about what’s next. Sammy relents and hits  630 splash that puts the Icon through the table.

Naito and Jericho battle it out, and somehow Sting is already back up. Jericho hits a Codebreaker amidst the chaos, but Naito kicks out at two. He’s in trouble and Sting looks gassed.

Not for long, however, as he comes in and gives Naito the break he needs to do a running rollup and pin Suzuki.

Jericho goes after Naito with his bat, Floyd, but Sting disarms Jericho and the heels limp away.

Click here for full Forbidden Door 2023 results from Toronto.

Forbidden Door 2023 results: Jack Perry turns sore loser against Sanada

See how Sanada was able to keep the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Perry at Forbidden Door 2023.

Hook accompanies Jack Perry for his walk to the ring for this big title opportunity. Sanada has just Douki with him from Just Five Guys. Red Shows is the referee for this one and gets some love from the crowd.

Chants break out for both wrestlers as the referees discuss how neither man was familiar with the other’s work. Perry gets the Snare Trap applied, but the champ quickly gets to the ropes.

Sanada does a couple of leapfrogs and hits a beautiful dropkick. But Perry blasts him off the apron to the floor and hits a tope suicida before hurling Sanada into the barricade.

They trade shots before Sanada looks for the Paradise Lock. Neither he nor Perry can get it applied, but the champ gets it on tight the second try before booting Jack from behind with a dropkick and using an arrogant cover for two.

Now chops are exchanged in the middle of the ring, with Perry taking the worst of it. A big boot crashes home for Sanada, but Perry rallies with a thrust kick and a running lariat. A Tiger Driver forces the champ to kick out at two.

Sanada buys himself a breather with a neck screw as Red Shoes checks on both wrestlers. They rise to their knees to exchange more strikes, and Jack doesn’t look out of place in these Strong Style spots. He catches Sanada with a backslide for two, then drops into Skull End, Sanada’s own hold. The champ’s boot eventually reaches the bottom rope for a break.

A series of counters leads to a Sanada TKO for  two count. Perry rolls away from a moonsault to hit a poison rana; he also counters Skull End into a pinning predicament.

Sanada hits his own poison rana and a Shining Wizard for another near fall. His moonsault is on target now, and that’s it for Jungle Boy.

But the real drama comes afterward, when Perry turns on Hook, clotheslining him on the ramp and holding his tag team partner’s FTW title aloft, seemingly turning heel in the process.

Click here for full Forbidden Door 2023 results from Toronto.

Forbidden Door 2023 results: MJF cheats, defeats Hiroshi Tanahashi

MJF has to take a few shortcuts to get by New Japan’s Ace at Forbidden Door 2023.

Sticking with his guns in the build to this match, MJF wears a robe to the ring that says “New Japan is an indie.” He begins mocking Hiroshi Tanahashi as soon as the bell rings, doing a poor air guitar, but the Ace quickly shows him how it’s done. The champ dislikes that and heads up the ramp, to which Hiroshi gets a “coward” champ going.

MJF tries to ambush his challenger with a kick to the gut when he returns to the ring, but Tanahashi is ready for it. That doesn’t save him from being sent hard into the turnbuckles, then strung out over the top rope.

Sending Tanahashi back to the mat with a shoulder, MJF shows the crowd a double bird, but the Ace gets a rollup for two before falling victim to an abdominal stretch. MJF grabs the top rope for extra leverage, staying one step ahead of the referee and berating the fans while he does it.

The crowd tries to will Tanahashi to escape, and Bryce Remsburg finally has enough and kicks MJF’s arm off the ropes. Tanahashi starts to build momentum with forearms to the face and a scoop slam. He hits a senton off the middle rope and gets a two count.

The Ace goes up top, shoving MJF to the ground as he struggles with his footing. He flies and lands on the champ but sells some of the damage to his midsection. Now MJF tries to go up top, but he’s thrown down and hit with a Sling Blade for another near fall.

Is it time for the High Fly Flow? No, because MJF is able to hit the ropes to crotch his foe. That leads to a huge superplex by the champ, one that leaves both men stunned, though MJF is able to cover for two.

MJF signals for the end and looks for the Heatseeker, then switches tactics to a double underhook shoulderbreaker. He covers for another near fall but looks like he has hurt his knee a bit too.

The champ is in Tanahashi’s face calling him a joke. That seems to fire up the Ace, as do the “Go Ace” chants. MJF pokes him in the eyes and flicks off the crowd again, but he turns right into a Dragon Screw.

Tanahashi applies the Texas Cloverleaf, dragging MJF back toward the center of the ring. The champ reaches the ropes for a break, then knees Hiroshi in the gut. Tanahashi fights back with the Twist and Shout and another Sling Blade. He goes up top, but his High Fly Flow catches both knees of MJF.

Both men are down after that impact, with the fans clapping to urge them up. MJF is selling the heck out of his left knee, so credit to him. MJF finally grabs his belt, which Remsburg takes away from him, so Tanahashi’s schoolboy can only gets two.

When Tanahashi is shoved into Remsburg, however, MJF is able to sneak on his Dynamite Diamond Ring, and his ring-aided right hand allows him to get the pinfall and retain the title.

Click here for full AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 results.

Forbidden Door 2023 Zero Hour results: 4 matches on the pre-show

See who won on the Forbidden Door pre-show with live Zero Hour results.

Before one can step through the Forbidden Door, one must prepare for Zero Hour. Or something like that.

Scotiabank Arena in Toronto is preparing for the second AEW x NJPW supershow, which once again is so stuffed with action featuring the stars of both companies that some of it needs to happen on the pre-show.\

A total of four matches will air live for free on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. One is an all-New Japan affair between United Empire and Los Ingobernables De Japon, while two are crossover bouts. There’s also a first round match in the Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament that pits ROH Women’s World Champion Athena against rising star Billie Starkz.

We’ll update this post live in real time as the matches unfold.

Forbidden Door 2023 Zero Hour results:

  • Mogul Embassy (Swerve Strickland, Toa Liona, Brian Cage and Bishop Kaun) def. Chaos (Rocky Romero, Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta) and El Desperado when Strickland pins Romero
  • Athena def. Billie Starkz by pinfall in a Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament first round match
  • El Phantasmo def. Stu Grayson by pinfall
  • Los Ingobernables De Japon (Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi and Shingo Takagi) def. United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher and TJP) by pinfall when Takagi pins TJP

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 results: All the winners from Toronto

AEW and NJPW come together once again for Forbidden Door. See who had their hands raised in Toronto.

It’s time to see which side of the Forbidden Door reigns supreme.

For the second straight year, AEW and NJPW are coming together to do something that only a few years ago would have been unthinkable, putting some of the top pro wrestling stars from North America and Japan (and all around the world, frankly) together on one massive card.

Following the success of the first Forbidden Door last year in Chicago, the sequel is coming to us from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. If anything, the card for 2023 looks even better than the original, with most of both companies’ big stars participating.

The night will start and end with big matches. The AEW World Championship is on the line right off the bat, with MJF (reluctantly, as is his wont) defending his title against the Ace of New Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi. The main event is a dream meeting between two of the very best wrestlers on the planet over the last 10-15 years, Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada.

Yet neither may be the best bout of the night. That honor could very well go to a rematch of a pairing that many consider a top candidate for match of the year, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. The two men absolutely thrilled during their first meeting at Wrestle Kingdom in January, where Omega prevailed. Ospreay will pull out all the stops to get his win back, and there’s no reason to think the result won’t once again be spectacular.

We’ll be updating this post in real time as the action plays out.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 results from Toronto:

(click any match with a link for full details)

Forbidden Door 2023 Zero Hour pre-show matches: LIJ, Athena and more

See which matches will be on the Zero Hour pre-show ahead of Forbidden Door 2023.

Before Forbidden Door returns for the second year, there’s going to be a Zero Hour loaded with AEW and NJPW talent.

That’s what happens when you simply have too many notable performers to stack on one show. Even though the main card on Sunday night in Toronto has 10 matches, there’s still some star power in reserve for the pre-show.

Several more matches were announced on AEW Collision on Saturday night, making the Zero Hour moniker more apt than ever in some ways. Los Ingobernables fans should certainly be happy, as while the group was conspicuous by its absence from Forbidden Door, three of its members will team to face United Empire prior to the main card.

(And Tetsuya Naito made the big show, as he turned out to be the mystery partner for Darby Allin and Sting.)

El Phantasmo and the team of Rocky Romero, Trent Baretta and El Desperado will also have matches, and there will be a Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament bout to boot.

The Forbidden Door Zero Hour pre-show begins at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on Sunday night, and can be viewed for free live on Twitter, YouTube or Facebook. Here’s what you’ll see if you tune in.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Zero Hour card:

  • Athena vs. Billie Starkz – Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament first round match
  • United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher and TJP) vs. Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi, Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi)
  • Stu Grayson vs. El Phantasmo
  • Mogul Embassy (Swerve Strickland, Toa Liona and Kaun) vs. Rocky Romero, Trent Baretta and El Desperado

Forbidden Door 2023 predictions: Who will win each match in Toronto?

Who will come out on top when AEW and NJPW come together once again in Toronto for Forbidden Door 2023?

While All Elite Wrestling treats a drama-free work environment like its own forbidden door, the actual Forbidden Door event looks to be the best pro wrestling show of the year on paper.

The card has a little bit of everything. It’s got a dream match between Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada. It also features a grudge match between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. We’ve even got arguably Japan’s biggest star going against AEW’s young sensation.

And yes, it even has CM Punk, who missed last year’s event due to injury. The show has got it all, and the backstage drama could make an unwanted cameo, too.

With that said, here are my predictions for the event, which emanates from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto:

IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Will Ospreay

The first encounter between these two (Wrestle Kingdom 17) was arguably the best match of 2023 to this point, and it took place all the way back on Jan. 4. I have no reservations in believing that they will do everything in their power to top that at Forbidden Door.

As far as a winner, I’m going to go with Ospreay to regain the title he lost back in January. Ever since Omega left New Japan Pro Wrestling and joined AEW, Ospreay has been one of the people in line to replace him as the promotion’s top foreigner. Whether he has succeeded in filling Omega’s shoes is up for debate.

However, Forbidden Door presents an opportunity for Ospreay to not only win back the title he lost at Wrestle Kingdom, but also put the world on notice that he is indeed capable of fulfilling the role Omega once held and thrived in.

By the way, I have a not-so-sneaky suspicion that Don Callis will have some involvement in the outcome.

Winner: Will Ospreay

Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada

If there is one match I have to watch on this show, it’s this one. Before this match was announced, it had never occurred to me that Danielson and Okada never had a match together — and that I also wanted to see it so very badly.

The story tells itself: Danielson is widely regarded as the best technical wrestler in the world. Okada, while not quite as technical as Danielson, can lay claim to being simply the best all-around wrestler on the planet given his classics with Omega and others. These two worlds collide (no pun intended) on Sunday, and it should make for an absolute classic.

So who will win this match? For me, this is one of those proverbial toss-ups. You really can’t go wrong either way, but my gut is telling me that Danielson will pull off the victory.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

AEW World Championship: MJF (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

MJF has had some pretty big matches during his short career, but I believe Hiroshi Tanahashi represents his biggest contest to date.

MJF, as he has reminded everyone on many occasions, has proven that he can hang with the best in the world time and time again. But I’m not sure he has faced someone with both the star power and the longevity like Tanahashi. Yes, MJF has gone up against the likes of Danielson, CM Punk and Chris Jericho, but none of them were the face of a major promotion for as long as Tanahashi was with New Japan.

MJF has many feathers in his cap, but I believe beating Tanahashi will be the biggest.

Winner: MJF

AEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Willow Nightingale

Since Toni Storm recently won the title, I’m going with her to retain. However, I think Willow Nightingale will put on a star-making performance in defeat.

Winner: Toni Storm

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Sanada (c) vs. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry

No matter who Sanada faced in this match, I was probably going to pick him to retain. Seeing that his opponent was going to be Jack Perry only confirmed my thoughts. Nothing against Perry, who I am a big fan of, but I could not imagine New Japan putting its top title on him at the moment.

Winner: Sanada

Men’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament (Quarterfinal): CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima

According to reports, Punk was originally scheduled to face KENTA in what would have been another dream match over the who is the master of the GTS.

However, that never came to fruition and in steps Satoshi Kojima, who is a tremendous replacement.

Regardless of whether it was KENTA or Kojima, I’m still picking CM Punk to win and advance in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.

Winner: CM Punk

10-man tag: The Elite, Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Blackpool Combat Club, Konosuke Takeshita and Shoto Umino

This match feels like it will be pure chaos. When the dust settles, however, I think the bad guys come away with the win mainly because I think AEW wants to maintain the momentum the Blackpool Combat Club has built up in recent months.

Winner: Blackpool Combat Club, Konosuke Takeshita and Shoto Umino

Six-man tag: Le Suzuki Gods (Chris Jericho, Minoro Suzuki and Sammy Guevara) vs. Sting, Darby Allin and ???

As of this writing, it has not been confirmed who Sting and Darby Allin’s partner. However, that will be unveiled on the second episode of Collision Saturday night.

Regardless of who the mystery partner is, I’m going with the good guys with this one.

Winner: Sting, Darby Allin and their mystery partner

AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Daniel Garcia vs. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Orange Cassidy has found miraculous ways to retain his title, and I think his run of good fortune continues at Forbidden Door. Although the outcome feels like more of the same, I believe this is a match that could steal the show.

Winner: Orange Cassidy

Adam Cole vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor

SPOILER WARNING IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED RAMPAGE YET …

… but Tom Lawlor shows up on the show and attacks Adam Cole, setting up a match between them at Forbidden Door.

Lawlor is great, but I have no reason to expect Cole to take a loss in this one on his way to getting another match with MJF.

Winner: Adam Cole

Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament (Quarterfinal): Billie Starkz vs. Athena

This may be a nitpick in some people’s eyes, but I think it would have been nice to get this onto the main card instead of the pre-show. Obviously, something has to be on the pre-show, but the main card currently features only one women’s match.

Shoving the other women’s match to the pre-show is a move fans lambasted WWE for routinely doing just a couple of years ago.

No one can make the excuse that there just isn’t enough time. AEW’s pay-per-views typically run well over three hours because everyone is trying to have their own mat classic, which can make for a lot of great wrestling, but it typically comes at the expense of the women’s roster.

I feel like AEW’s women’s division is deep enough to have two matches on every pay-per-view, and if that means having a men’s match on the pre-show then so be it. If that meant putting the International title match (for example) on the pre-show, then so be it.

As far as the winner, I’m going to roll with the Ring of Honor women’s champ.

Winner: Athena

Don’t count on Goldberg appearing at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Tony Khan tried to downplay the possibility of Goldberg appearing at Forbidden Door.

On Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite, AEW completed the majority of its build-up for Forbidden Door. Among the announced matches, Darby Allin and Sting will team with a mystery partner to take on Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Minoru Suzuki.

At Thursday’s media call, AEW President Tony Khan was asked if Bill Goldberg, who has been speculated to have his retirement match soon, will join Allin and Sting on Sunday for Forbidden Door. While Khan confirmed discussions with Goldberg, it does not sound like he will be their partner.

“I have had nice conversations with Bill about being involved with AEW at times,” Khan said. “It’s a good thought. I don’t know if it would be the perfect fit for who Sting and Darby are going to bring to Collision this weekend, but I also want to leave all doors open for them and their partner for Forbidden Door. It would ideally be somebody that would step in and be a good fit for the Forbidden Door show.”

Khan continued to praise what Goldberg had accomplished in pro wrestling but still refrained from making any declarations.

“Bill Goldberg is a legend in pro wrestling, one of the biggest names in the sport, and I have certainly had nice conversations with him at times. As for who Sting and Darby bring in this weekend, there have been a lot of guesses, and a lot of them have been more in line with New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest names. Goldberg has gone over and competed in New Japan too. I’ve had nice talks with Bill about doing things with AEW, and that’s probably all I can say.”

Allin and Sting will announce their mystery partner on Saturday’s episode of Collision. Whether it’s someone from AEW, NJPW or a legend like Goldberg, the options available remain endless.

Sanada says he doesn’t know who Jack Perry is, thinks IWGP belt superior to AEW title

Sanada also bemoaned his title being put up in an open challenge, calling it “worth more” than AEW’s top championship.

During his time in AEW, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry has made plenty of new fans. Alas, the man holding NJPW’s top title, Sanada, doesn’t appear to be among them.

The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion issued an open challenge for his title ahead of Forbidden Door this Sunday in Toronto. It’s fair to say he expected … well, someone other than Perry to answer it.

Not only does Sanada claim to not know who Perry is, he sounds like he’s rethinking the whole open challenge thing.

“I have no knowledge of Jack Perry,” Sanada said to Tokyo Sports (h/t DeepL). “It’s sad to see someone like that challenge the IWGP. Is an open challenge really that easy to decide? It’s the IWGP. I think it’s worth more than the AEW belt.”

Sanada added that he has no intention of allowing the IWGP title to head overseas with the G1 tournament coming up.

Perry, meanwhile, had his chance at the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing, but saw MJF retain the title in a four-way match that featured all of AEW’s so-called “Four Pillars.” He’s spoken openly about his desire to claim a singles title in 2023 — and he’ll have semi-regular tag team partner Hook in his corner this weekend — but it’s fair to say not many people are picking him to upset Sanada.

The second annual Forbidden Door supershow is set for the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto this Sunday. Other New Japan talent confirmed for the card include Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Minoru Suzuki, Shota Umino, Tomohiro Ishii, Satoshi Kojima and Zack Sabre Jr.

Forbidden Door is back in select movie theaters this weekend

Considering seeing AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door in a movie theater this year? We’ve got the details for you.

Want to check out AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door this weekend but aren’t fortunate enough to be able to attend in person in Toronto and don’t want to splash out for the $50 on PPV? AEW and Joe Hand Promotions have a potential solution for you.

As was the case last year and generally has been for AEW PPVs, the companies are joining forces to bring Forbidden Door 2023 to select movie theaters this Sunday, June 25. Participating theater chains in the U.S. include AMC, Cinemark, Marcus Theaters and Regal, while Cineplex and Landmark Theaters will show the event in Canada.

Some Dave & Buster’s and Tom’s Watch Bar locations will also carry the card, which is headlined by multiple title matches and a dream bout between Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada.

“The ‘Forbidden Door’ event has the professional wrestling community buzzing,” Joe Hand, Jr., President, Joe Hand Promotions, said in a press release. “AEW continues to create exciting events that bring fans together in community settings. Fans can expect to catch this event at select Dave & Buster’s, Tom’s Watch Bar locations and many of America’s premier movie theaters.”

You can click here for AMC Theater ticket information, or here for tickets and showtimes at Regal. We’ve also got a guide on how to watch Forbidden Door in general if you want to explore other options.

More Forbidden Door 2023 resources: