Tag: Will Ospreay

Forbidden Door 2023: Top takeaways as AEW, NJPW deliver again

AEW and NJPW teamed to put on the best night of top to bottom wrestling in 2023 at Forbidden Door.

Backstage drama seems to be All Elite Wrestling’s new norm but when the bell rings, the young promotion routinely delivers.

Forbidden Door this past Sunday was just the latest example.

With the help of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, AEW presented what will probably be the best pure wrestling show all year. There will be shows with hotter finishes and more dramatic moments, but as far as in-ring action goes, it would be hard to find something that matches what we witnessed in Toronto this past Sunday night.

However, that does not mean Forbidden Door was a perfect show by any means. Here are my takeaways from the event:

Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay have a bloody good time

The encounter between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom got quite bloody toward the end, but this one was somehow even bloodier.

If you’re squeamish about seeing blood, you may want to skip this one because plasma was everywhere. If that wasn’t enough, Omega and Ospreay beat the crap out of each other for nearly 40 minutes.

And the finish — my lord the finish! The match ended with Ospreay delivering a brutal-looking Tiger Driver ’91 to Omega, which is saying something considering how awful that particular Tiger Driver already looks. The level of danger involved doesn’t necessarily need to be heightened.

With all of that said, I still really enjoyed this match, and it was probably my favorite of the night. I know the blood can be overwhelming for some, especially considering the health risks involved. But in my opinion, it added to the tension of the match and enhanced it. Omega and Ospreay went on a mission to tear down Scotiabank Arena brick by brick, and they succeeded.

Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada have a less bloody, but still brutal main event

While Omega versus Ospreay was the bloodiest match of the night, the most painful-looking contest was the main event between Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada.

For nearly 30 minutes, Danielson and Okada punished each other with devastating moves. At least they looked devastating because both of these men looked to be in a great deal of pain for a good chunk of the match. Sure, that could be tremendous selling, but I am willing to bet some of that was real.

(Editor’s note: Turns out it was, as Danielson says he broke his arm during the bout.)

The fans got a little spooked during the match when Danielson looked to be having some sort of medical episode in the ring. Given his injury history, it was not outside the realm of possibility that Danielson could suffer such an event. Fortunately, it was just a ruse, which meant Danielson was OK, but I think the fans were a little taken aback by it.

Speaking of taken aback, the finish came sort of out of nowhere. I mean, you look at the way Danielson was bending Okada’s arm during the modified version of the LeBell lock and I’m sure I would have quickly tapped out as well.

However, it didn’t feel like the crescendo to a high-stakes encounter. It just felt like the end of a match. Hopefully, there is more in store from these two in the future so they could potentially rectify it.

Jack Perry turns on Hook

After being a good guy for his entire AEW career, Jack Perry is turning a new leaf: He is entering his bad boy phase.

Gone are the days of catering to the fans. Gone are the days when fans sang along to “Tarzan Boy” by Baltimora. Gone are the days of Perry being “Mr. Nice Guy.”

I can see it now. Perry walks out on Dynamite in dark shades and a black leather jacket despite being indoors at the end of June. He then berates the fans and says he doesn’t need their support anymore. Signs with “Why, Jungle Boy? Why?” written on them are scattered throughout the arena, but Perry doesn’t even give any answers because he is playing by his own rules now.

In short, Perry will be acting brand new, and while that sounds extremely cliché, I am kind of here for it.

This is a necessary step in Perry’s progression. Being “Jungle Boy” was only going to get him so far. The character had very little depth outside of being the late Luke Perry’s son.

Now, he has an opportunity to show a little bit more of his personality, which MJF routinely criticized him for not having a whole lot of during the lead up to Double or Nothing.

Also, what a great first opponent in Hook. The fans LOVE Hook, which should make it easy for Perry to immediately garner heat.

Forbidden Door featured zero skips

I don’t recall a match on this card that I would flat out skip upon a second viewing of this show. Every match is worth a re-watch.

Everyone will talk about Okada-Danielson, Omega-Ospreay, MJF-Hiroshi Tanahashi, and even the 10-man tag. But a match that I believe is a hidden gem will be the AEW Women’s World Championship bout between Toni Storm and Willow Nightingale.

I wrote in my predictions for the show that Nightingale was set to have a star-making performance, and I believe she lived up to that expectation. I also like that the door (not of the forbidden variety) was left open for Storm and Nightingale to have another match in the future. I personally would like to see more from these two.

Does every match need dueling chops/slaps/forearms?

I mean, come on. Do they have to happen in every single match? All of them?

I know that’s part of Strong Style wrestling, but when every match has the same standoff in the middle of the ring, where the combatants trade either chops, slaps or forearms, it gets pretty repetitive.

The best one of the night by far was when Eddie Kingston squared off against Jon Moxley during the aforementioned 10-man tag. At least that particular encounter had some backstory behind it, making it more meaningful.

The others, however, just felt routine. At some point of a match, it inevitably becomes time to just stand in the middle of the ring and willingly wait for your opponent to hit you real, real hard. Besides the fact that it defies common sense, it also bogs down matches for me sometimes.

To clarify, I am not against the spot itself. When it has meaning, it can make for a pretty cool moment. What I am against is its over-reliance, especially at one singular event.

Forbidden Door 2023 results: Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega bleed to put on the ultimate sequel

Living up to all the hype, Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega stole the show again at Forbidden Door 2023.

Coming to the ring with Don Callis and two security guards/bargain rack ninjas, Will Ospreay does hear some cheers even though he’s been belittling Canada nonstop for weeks. The announcers wonder if the return of the Aerial Assassin moniker is something worth keeping in mind.

Kenny Omega comes in to two of his classic nicknames, the Best Bout Machine and The Cleaner, and he looks all business. When the bell rings, Ospreay stays crouched in his corner and the fans explode. Omega takes a second to breathe it in.

They start out by exchanging holds on the feet, then take it to the mat as some Ospreay chants ring out. There’s some slick mat wrestling as well as the fans give it to Callis.

Omega makes Ospreay pay for getting too fancy with a handstand, then chops away in the corner. Will turns things around and lays in some chops. Some signature moves are evaded or reversed, with the wrestlers staring each other down since they know each other’s moves so well.

Ospreay uses a thumb to the eye and pushes forward, chopping Omega down in the corner. Kenny responds with a hurricanrana and a splash for a near fall. Ospreay tries to buy a moment on the floor, but the Terminator hand claps signal Omega trying to take flight.

Alas, Callis grabs Omega’s foot, then hides behind his security. The ref did see it, however, and ejects Callis from ringside. Ospreay takes advantage anyway, smashing Omega into the steps and post.

A spinning backbreaker gives Ospreay a chance to cover for two again. He hammers away at Omega’s lower back before delivering more chops and taking some in return. A vertical suplex by the challenger forces Omega to kick out at two again.

Omega gets some momentum going and earns a two count as Ospreay appears to be getting worn down. He slumps down hard to keep from getting hoisted in the air, but Omega simply chops away until he can hit an enzuigiri.

After Omega is hung over the top rope, Ospreay hits a Shooting Star Press to his back. He follows with an Oscutter on the apron, and the ref is checking quickly on both men.

Over to the English announce table they go, where Ospreay smashes Omega’s head down repeatedly. Kenny is busted open by having his head forced through the top board from the announce table, though the fans are chanting “still a wanker” at Ospreay.

Omega sells the blood in his eyes, stumbling around the ring. Ospreay proudly shows off Kenny’s blood on his biceps, licking it and stirring up the fans. Omega digs down deep to trade strikes, but a rolling elbow sends him to the mat.

Ospreay makes a gun motion and hits Omega with his own V-Trigger, slumping Kenny over the apron. Two kids in the front row give it to Ospreay, who responds by taking a Canadian flag and dragging it across his crotch.

He takes too long with his taunts, however, giving Omega a chance to hit a running lariat. Kenny wraps the flag around Will’s neck and tosses him from corner to corner, then hangs him by the neck over the ropes. Omega gives the flag back to the young fans, much to their delight.

Omega hits a V-Trigger on the floor but also smacks his leg into the barricade. He angrily bounces Ospreay’s head off the top of the steps as the ref tries to get the action back into the ring. Will has now joined Kenny in bleeding from the face. Omega sets the steps on their side and DDTs his foe on the steel, and the announcers are now thinking the ref should check on Will.

Omega takes mount and peppers Ospreay with open hand strikes. He applies a body scissors and rains down elbows as Ospreay is just streaming blood. Somehow, Will powers to his feet and powerbombs his foe to break the hold.

A German suplex sends Omega over, but the two men simply trade them two more times. Omega hits a V-Trigger but takes a standing Spanish fly and has to kick out at two.

To the dismay of the crowd, Ospreay applies a Sharpshooter, and when his grip slips, he transitions to an STF. Omega finally gets his foot to the bottom rope to break the hold.

Rapid fire kicks to Omega’s face soften him up, and a headbutt puts Kenny on his knees. An Oscutter looks like trouble, but Omega answers with an Anti-Air.

A snapdragon leads to a second one, and a poison rana leads to a piledriver. Omega looks legitimately surprised that combination didn’t end it.

Omega’s neckbreaker is on target, and he uses a V-Trigger in the corner as well. Kenny wants a Super One-Winged Angel, but Ospreay frees himself for a thrust kick to send his foe to the floor. A sky twister press finds its target, bringing “holy s–t” chants in response.

After a shot to the back of Omega’s head, Ospreay tries a sliding elbow, but Omega rallies, and a Liger Bomb is what it takes to slow him and force a kickout.

The challenger connects on a top rope Oscutter, with Omega barely kicking out in time. Ospreay’s Stormbreaker attempt is countered by Kenny’s take on the Deadeye, bringing Callis back to the ring … even though he was already sent to the back.

Omega blasts Ospreay with a knee, then another as the challenger is on his knees. The V-Trigger is next, and Omega fires himself up for more. Callis hops on the apron to prevent a V-Trigger, but Don moves when Kenny launches into the move anyway.

As the ref struggles to pull Callis away, Don slips a screwdriver to Will. As Omega tries for a One-Winged Angel, the screwdriver shot sets up a Hidden Blade and a Stormbreaker. Incredibly, Omega gets his foot to the ropes. The fans erupt as Callis whispers to Ospreay.

Ospreay hovers over his foe before delivering a knee to the face. A One-Winged Angel is on the mark, but Kenny emphatically kicks out at one.

The two men are both psyched up and trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Omega breaks the cycle with a brainbuster, slides to a German suplex and gets his own two count.

A V-Trigger leads to a series of counters, and Ospreay hits Stormbreaker. He sits on Omega’s chest but can’t get three. Undeterred, Ospreay hits Hidden Blade, then Stormbreaker again, and he finally hears the three count that gives him the title and vindication.

Click here for full Forbidden Door 2023 results from Toronto.

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 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

AEW Dynamite results 06/21/23: Leave the (Forbidden) Door open

Chicago hosts the final AEW Dynamite before Forbidden Door, and we’re tracking the action live.

We’re just four days away from Forbidden Door 2023, where the worlds of AEW and NJPW will once again collide, this time in Toronto. But unlike last year, tonight’s final AEW Dynamite before the supershow isn’t even the go home show.

The arrival of Collision has seen to that, giving Tony Khan and the brain trust behind the collaboration time to add matches almost literally right up to the last minute. That said, there should definitely be more pieces of the Forbidden Door puzzle that fall into place tonight in Chicago, and there will definitely be New Japan talent in the house.

Two of the promoted matches for tonight are proof of that. One will see Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata team up to tangle with Zack Sabre Jr. and Daniel Garcia. There’s a pretty decent chance this tag team bout is going to set up Cassidy vs. ZSJ in Toronto, a matchup yours truly would love to see.

In trios action, Minoru Suzuki will once again align himself with Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. But things have changed since last year, as Suzuki no longer has his army behind him, and Jericho and Guevara aren’t exactly best buds these days either.

We will, of course, hear from a number of people, including Bryan Danielson, who has a high profile Forbidden Door match already lined up against Kazuchika Okada, and Adam Cole, who does not. There have also been reports that a certain favorite son of Chicago is in the building and may appear, and if you need me to tell you who that is, congrats on taking your first dive into pro wrestling. Hope you enjoy it enough to stick around.

Let’s dive into it, shall we Chicago?

AEW Dynamite results from Chicago:

  • The Gunns def. The Hardys by pinfall after a distraction from Bullet Club Gold, who proceed to help beat down Jeff and Matt after the bell; Ricky Starks and FTR join the fray on the side of the fan favorites, as does … CM Punk, who helps clear the ring and says the two groups can settle things in the ring on Collision

  • A video package promotes the Concession Stand Brawl between Jeff Jarrett and Mark Briscoe, which is well timed because it leads right into …
  • Jeff Jarrett def. Mark Briscoe by pinfall in a Concession Stand Brawl that sees Sonjay Dutt, Karen Jarrett, Papa Briscoe, Christopher Daniels, Best Friends and Lucha Bros. all get involved

  • Blackpool Combat Club and Konosuke Takeshita challenge The Elite to a 10-man tag (they’ll also have Shota Umino on their team) at Forbidden Door, while Bryan Danielson says he’s going to the ring to call out Kazuchika Okada and that the Rainmaker is a coward if he doesn’t show up

  • Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara and Minoru Suzuki def. Action Andretti, AR Fox and Darius Martin by submission when Jericho gets Martin to tap out to the Lion Tamer
  • Renee Paquette talks to the winners after the bell, giving Jericho a chance to call out Sting and challenge him, Darby Allin and a partner of their choice to a match at Forbidden Door; Sting and Allin come to the ring to accept and say they’ll reveal their partner at Collision

  • Tony Schiavone and RJ City kick off the draw for the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament, the brackets for which will be unveiled next week on Dynamite
  • The Elite (in a pre-taped bit, we assume) acknowledge the challenge from the BCC, but they say they have friends all over and a lot of people hate the BCC too … like Eddie Kingston, who also says he’ll pick the fifth member of their team and make the announcement

  • Adam Cole hits the ring to give the Devil his due, admitting that MJF gave him one of the toughest matches of his career last week and calling out the champ to talk rematch; but not only does MJF refuse, Tony Schiavone informs them they’re a tag team for the tournament, but that’s not all …
  • … because Hiroshi Tanahashi appears on the big screen to remind MJF of the challenge the Ace made for Forbidden Door, and Cole manages to goad the AEW World Champion into accepting

  • Daniel Garcia and Zack Sabre Jr. def. Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall as Garcia pins Shibata following a miscommunication by Cassidy and Shibata
  • Alex Marvez catches up with Will Ospreay, who doubles down on his criticism of Canada, to which Don Callis blames Kenny Omega for Will’s troubles and pledges his private security to aid Ospreay
  • Toni Storm disses the people that like Willow Nightingale, who takes the high road and says she respects the champ’s fight; the two women will meet for Storm’s title at Forbidden Door
  • Kris Statlander def. Taya Valkyrie by pinfall to retain the TBS Championship
  • Eddie Kingston says he thinks there’s one member of BCC who might have a problem with him teaming with The Elite, and sure enough, Jon Moxley comes out to confront his old friend before Kingston confirms the fifth member of their team is Tomohiro Ishii; the Stone Pitbull comes to the ring but is waylaid by the BCC, and Danielson’s threats bring Kazuchika Okada to the ring as well, and he gives the Rainmaker to Wheeler Yuta

Forbidden Door 2023 betting odds: MJF to stem NJPW tide?

The AEW World Championship should remain with MJF, but oddsmakers like NJPW talent to win several big matches at Forbidden Door 2023.

MJF made it clear he’d rather not compete at Forbidden Door 2023, and especially not against someone from NJPW. The bad news for the AEW World Champion is that he got matched up against one of the company’s icons, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and despite his bluster, is likely going to have to wrestle the Ace in Toronto.

The good news is that he’s widely, widely expected to win. Betfair has MJF as a huge favorite at the moment, sitting at -2500 in American odds.

It makes sense as it would be surprising indeed to see Tanahashi sporting the AEW world title at this stage of his career. But his New Japan counterparts are expected to do better, with oddsmakers favoring Will Ospreay to win his highly anticipated rematch against Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada to prevail in a dream match against Bryan Danielson.

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Sanada is also close to MJF levels as a favorite against “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry.

As always, we don’t endorse wagering on pro wrestling matches given that someone already knows the outcomes, but we enjoy examining the betting lines as a way of determining critical consensus on what will happen on upcoming cards.

We’ll update this post as more matches are confirmed for Forbidden Door, which is a near certainty as the week progresses. For now, here’s a look at what’s already been announced, converted into American-style lines.

(Latest update: June 20, 2023, 12:45 p.m. ET)

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 betting odds:

AEW World Championship match
  • MJF (c): -2500
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi: +700
Singles match
  • Kazuchika Okada: -175
  • Bryan Danielson: +125
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship match
  • Will Ospreay: -275
  • Kenny Omega (c): +175
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match
  • Sanada (c): -1425
  • “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry: +500

AEW Rampage results 06/16/23: Ospreay, Takeshita grab wins

See what went down on AEW Rampage the night before the Collision premiere.

Will Ospreay is pretty damn cool. All he did was show up at the tail end of a wild final segment at the end of AEW Dynamite this week to attack Kenny Omega, and even if you were unfamiliar with his work, you could feel it. And what do you know, he’s in action on AEW Rampage tonight.

So is Rocky Romero, and guess what? We just talked to him not long ago.

These men are here because Forbidden Door is getting ever so much closer, and it’s fun that New Japan’s finest are spicing up AEW programming. Oh, and the other matches on this week’s card don’t look too shabby either, including rising star (and now heel) Konosuke Takeshita.

Let’s see what this hour of pro wrestling has in store.

AEW Rampage results:

  • United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher and Will Ospreay) def. Chaos (Best Friends and Rocky Romero) by pinfall when Ospreay pins Romero
  • Taya Valkyrie def. Trish Adora by pinfall
  • The Hardys officially accept the challenge from The Gunns for the next episode of Dynamite, with Matt Hardy calling it “adorable” that the Gunns forgot who the Hardys are and Jeff saying they’d make their foes famous
  • Mark Briscoe, Papa Briscoe and Aubrey Edwards def. Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett by pinfall
  • Valkyrie is feeling good about her latest victory, but less thrilled with TBS Champion Kris Statlander, who seems glad to put her title up against Taya next week
  • Don Callis crashes the Mark Henry pre-main event segment and trash talks Kenny Omega and a handful of Mexican wrestling legends; Callis also joins the announcers for the main event and says he’s going to keep Takeshita climbing until it forces Omega to face him
  • Konosuke Takeshita def. Bandido by pinfall

AEW Dynamite results: The Forbidden Door gets kicked wide open in D.C.

Get live AEW Dynamite results from D.C., featuring MJF vs. Adam Cole and more pieces of Forbidden Door falling into place.

Sometimes you can just feel when wrestling companies want to put their best foot forward, and tonight is one of those nights as AEW Dynamite airs from the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.

Not that Tony Khan isn’t trying to hit every show out of the park, mind you. But with the debut of AEW: Collision this Saturday, followed quickly by Forbidden Door next week, it behooves this particular episode to have that “can’t miss” feeling about it.

Whether it does or not is in the eye of the beholder, but the card looks compelling from here. MJF and Adam Cole will battle in a world title eliminator, and while “beat the champ to get a shot at the champ” matches are sometimes silly, this one appears very legit.

The Blackpool Combat Club and The Elite may literally fight forever at this point, which will be the case again tonight as they meet in trios action. AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends her title against Skye Blue, and Wardlow does the same with his TNT Championship against Jake Hager, and a big eight-man tag team match sees the Mogul Embassy go up against a fan favorite group made up of Darby Allin, Sting, Keith Lee and Orange Cassidy.

Plus Sammy Guevara will be on Dynamite for the first time since his unsuccessful world title bid at Double or Nothing. Add it all up and it has the makings of a very fun two hours, and that’s not even counting the fact that perhaps a NJPW talent or two will drop by.

AEW Dynamite results from Washington D.C.:

  • Adam Cole vs. MJF goes to a 30-minute time limit draw after MJF’s two attempts to cheat both backfire, and Cole has him beaten with the Panama Sunrise only to have the bell ring with the count at two; Cole asks MJF for five more minutes, but the champ takes his title belt and leaves

  • A video package promotes the return of CM Punk at AEW: Collision

  • Sammy Guevara talks to Renee Paquette about the highs and lows of his last few weeks and says he has to make some personal changes; Darby Allin arrives and suggests Guevara needs to leave the Jericho Appreciation Society to reach the next level … which in turn brings Chris Jericho to the ring, demanding an apology; that in turn brings out Sting, who has a brief, tense staredown with Jericho amid suggestions they might all be in a tag team match next week

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Sanada issues an open challenge for his title at Forbidden Door and says he’s anxious to see who from AEW will step up and accept it

  • Darby Allin, Sting, Keith Lee and Orange Cassidy def. Mogul Embassy by pinfall when Sting pins Brian Cage
  • Paquette asks The Gunns about their relationship with Bullet Club Gold, but they play dumb and would rather talk about their challenge to The Hardys for next week … and then they diss Renee’s hair for some reason

  • Wardlow def. Jake Hager by pinfall to retain the AEW TNT Championship, with Brock Anderson helping fend off outside assistance for Hager by the JAS; afterward, Christian Cage and Luchasaurus appear on the screen to accept Wardlow’s challenge on Collision and show that they’ve beaten up Arn Anderson
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi makes a challenge to MJF for Forbidden Door, and Paquette gives the bad news to the AEW world champ backstage and he says he’s not doing it

  • Paquette is talking to Orange Cassidy about what the future holds when Zack Sabre Jr. says it should be the two of them facing off for the AEW International Championship at Forbidden Door; Daniel Garcia arrives as well, so Cassidy says he and Katsuyori Shibata will face ZSJ and Garcia next week on Dynamite

  • Toni Storm def. Skye Blue by submission to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship, with help from the other Outcasts, of course; Willow Nightingale sprints down to prevent a post-match beating
  • “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry tells the very busy Paquette he’s accepting Sanada’s title challenge for Forbidden Door and asks Hook to have his back; Hook looks like he accepts with a fist bump

  • A video package promotes the main event for the debut episode of AEW: Collision on Saturday night
  • The Elite (Hangman Adam Page and Young Bucks) def. Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta) by pinfall as Page pins Yuta, leaving Bryan Danielson on commentary going “you’ve got to be kidding me”
  • After the bell, the BCC attacks The Elite, but Eddie Kingston comes rushing down and goes right after Castagnoli, eventually clearing him from the ring; Kingston and Moxley have a brief showdown and Eddie tries to play peacemaker, but Konosuke Takeshita runs down and attacks Kingston from behind before Kenny Omega joins them and battles Takeshita … but gets assaulted in turn by Will Ospreay, who hits the Stormbreaker on Omega to end the show

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 card: All the matches set for Toronto

Take a look at the full AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 card ahead of this year’s event in Toronto.

Wrestling fans enjoy fantasy booking just about any big card in their heads as a matter of habit, but Forbidden Door lends itself to that pastime more than any other show. The first AEW and NJPW co-branded event in 2022 was a big hit, which only kicked the anticipation up even higher for the follow-up this year.

Of course, both companies had their own big events to get through first. But as soon as Double or Nothing was in the rear view mirror come the beginning of June (and with the very real added twist of AEW: Collision launching just a week before Forbidden Door and including the return of CM Punk), thoughts started turning toward the card in Toronto.

NJPW Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall started laying some of the foundation for Forbidden Door in earnest, turning two dream matches into reality: one a rematch of a highly praised bout at Wrestle Kingdom in January, and the other featuring two of the best wrestlers in Japan and the U.S. over the past two decades.

If last year’s event is any guide, there will likely be championship and multi-person matches added before June 25 arrives. There’s also an interesting question about whether the card will feature more women’s wrestling than the single match in 2022 given NJPW’s increasing (though still small) steps toward incorporating women into their promotion.

We’ll update this post as more matches are made official. For now, here’s what been revealed for Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

(Last update: June 14, 2023, 9:40 p.m.)

AEW Forbidden Door 2023 card:

Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results: Sanada holds off intriguing challenger, Bullet Club grows

Check out all of the action for NJPW’s start of the summer card with full Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results.

Is there change in the air? It’s always possible when eight championships are on the line on one pro wrestling card, which is the case for NJPW Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall.

Except for one eight-man tag and one match to determine a No. 1 contender for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship — and even that bout is intriguing considering the man holding that particular title is Kenny Omega — every bout on this year’s card is a championship match.

With that much gold on the line, it’s tricky to pick the showdowns that stand out from the rest, but three figure to be measuring sticks for whether things will be shaken up across New Japan this summer. The first sees David Finlay, leader of the Bullet Club, take on former teammate El Phantasmo for Finlay’s NEVER Openweight Championship. Will this be a measure of revenge for ELP after he was unceremoniously booted from the group, or further validation of Finlay’s new direction for one of pro wrestling’s most famous stables?

Hiromu Takahashi defends his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Master Wato, who made quite the impression by winning the 2023 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. A victory over Hiromu would give him the right to claim he’s the best junior heavyweight in the company.

And in the main event, Sanada will attempt to fend off a challenge to his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Yota Tsuji. While Sanada had to break free from Los Ingobernables de Japon  to take his game to the next level, Tsuji is attempting to do just the opposite, saying he wants to join LIJ while trying to bring home the top prize in NJPW.

It should be an exciting night with a title change or two and perhaps a couple of surprises before it’s all said and done, not to mention the reveal of the G1 Climax 33 lineups.

Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results:

(click on any match with a link for full details)

  • Will Ospreay def. Lance Archer by pinfall to become No. 1 contender for Kenny Omega’s IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
  • Ospreay gets on the microphone and says he’s out for revenge on Omega, and will walk into Canada to bring the title back … likely meaning at Forbidden Door in Toronto
  • Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Bushi and Titán) def. Just 5 Guys (Taichi, Douki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Taka Michinoku) by submission
  • Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira and TJP) def. Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kushida and Kevin Knight) by pinfall to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions …
  • … but the new champs are attacked right after the match by Dan Moloney, who cornered them during the bout, and Clark Connors
  • Zack Sabre Jr. def. Jeff Cobb by pinfall to retain the NJPW World Television Championship
  • Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) def. House of Torture (Evil and Yujiro Takahashi) and United Empire (Great-O-Khan and Aaron Henare) by pinfall to become the new IWGP Tag Team Champions and Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions …
  • … but after their victory, they are laid out by the new Bullet Club War Dogs, Alex Coughlin and Gabriel Kidd
  • The G1 Climax 33 field will include Kazuchika Okada, Naito, Sanada, Ospreay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, David Finlay, Shota Umino, Takagi, Tomohiro Ishii, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Hikuleo, Goto, Yoshi-Hashi, Toru Yano, Kenta, ZSJ, Taichi, Eddie Kingston, El Phantasmo, Ren Narita, Evil, Chase Owens, Cobb, Great-O-Khan, Henare, Kidd, Coughlin, Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls, Yota Tsuji, and Kaito Kiyomiya
  • David Finlay def. El Phantasmo by pinfall to retain the NEVER Openweight Championship
  • Hiromu Takahashi def. Master Wato by pinfall to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
  • Chaos (Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii) and Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli) and Shota Umino by pinfall, with Okada accepting a recorded challenge from Bryan Danielson after the match and suggesting “the Forbidden Door will be opened”
  • Sanada def. Yota Tsuji by pinfall to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship