‘AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door’ PPV Review
Welcome to this [late] review of All Elite Wrestling’s most eagerly-awaited pay per views and one that has been beset by injury issues. But we won’t let spoil our enjoyment will we?! I’m on a short holiday as we speak so it’s taken me a couple of days to get through everything Forbidden Door had to offer. But what an offer! We’ve got Taz, Excalibur and the English voice of NJPW, Kevin Kelly on commentary… Let’s get to it.
THE BUY-IN
Match #1: Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi) def. The Factory (Aaron Solo & QT Marshall)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Solo dropkicked Yoshi-Hashi but then Solo was taken off his feet with a shoulder block. QT tagged in, as did Goto, and they locked up. Goto avoided a clothesline from QT and then chopped QT in the chest. QT wanted no part of Goto and tagged out to Aaron Solo. The Factory hit cheap shots on the opposition. Goto and Yoshi-Hashi used tandem offense on Aaron Solo. QT wiped out the opponents with the QT Special over the top rope and then Solo hit the double stomp on Goto for a near fall. Goto used his size advantage to suplex Solo. Goto blasted QT Marshall with a big-time lariat! Yoshi-Hashi backdropped QT. Yoshi-Hashi followed up with the headhunter neck breaker but Solo broke up the pin. Yoshi-Hashi nailed Solo with a basement dropkick and then tagged out to Goto. Yoshi-Hashi and Goto used their finisher on Solo and pinned him!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Lance Archer def. Nick Comoroto
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Archer cannonballed into Nick Comoroto! Nick tried to press slam Archer but Archer escaped and then booted Nick in the face. Nick Comoroto rammed his body into Archer, sending Archer crashing into the steel guardrail. Comoroto pummeled Archer with overhead strikes until Archer choke slammed Comoroto. They traded stiff forearm shots! Archer walked the tight rope and then came down with a moonsault on Comoroto for a near fall! Nick powerslammed Archer from out of the corner for a two-count. Archer fired back with the Black Out on Comoroto and scored the win.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Swerve In Our Glory (Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland def. Suzuki-Gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Keith Lee and Kanemaru squared off. Lee wanted a test of strength. Kanemaru used his speed and went after Keith Lee’s knee. Lee facepalmed Kanemaru. Swerve tagged in, as did El Desperado. Swerve got caught in the Numero Dos from El Desperado. Keith Lee got the tag and held El Desperado. Swerve tried to dropkick Desperado but Desperado moved and inadvertently hit Keith Lee in the knee. Kanemaru worked over Keith Lee’s injured knee. Keith Lee got DDT’ed by Kanemaru after Desperado kicked out Lee’s leg. Swerve tagged in and walloped Desperado with a flying uppercut. Swerve spiked Desperado with a brainbuster! Desperado planted Swerve with a spinebuster. Keith Lee tagged in but Kanemaru went right after Lee’s knee. Kanemaru applied the figure four on Keith Lee, but Keith Lee managed to get out by throwing Desperado into Kanemaru. As the ref was distracted by Desperado, Kanemaru sprayed whiskey into Keith Lee’s eyes! Keith Lee cleared the cobwebs and smashed Kanemaru with the jackhammer and then pinned him!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #4: The Gunn Club (Billy, Austin, & Colten) and “Platinum” Max Caster def. NJPW LA Dojo (Alex Coughlin, Kevin Knight, The DKC, & Yuya Uemura)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Danhausen appeared on the big screen at the start of the match and said he had a gift. He gave the Gunn Club a custom entrance. The Gunn Club sprinted to the back to look for Danhausen. Coughlin gut-wrenched Caster. Kevin Knight splashed Caster and then body slammed him for a near fall. Uemura tagged in and he and Knight hit stereo elbow drops on Caster. Uemura used a bulldog out of the corner on Max Caster. The DKC tagged in and connected with karate chops to Max. Billy Gunn finally managed to tag in and he cleaned house on the NJPW LA Dojo! Caster hit the Mic Drop on the DKC and pinned him!
My Score: 2 out of 5
THE MAIN SHOW
Match #1: Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara & Minoru Suzuki def. Eddie Kingston, Shota Umino & Wheeler Yuta
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jericho slapped Yuta and Yuta didn’t back down and landed shots of his own. Wheeler Yuta hit six German suplexes on Jericho! Yuta transitioned into a cross face but Sammy ran in to break it up. Bedlam broke out and the teams began to brawl around ringside. Umino poured it on in the corner on Jericho. Kingston tagged in and then Jericho tagged right out to Suzuki! Kingston and Suzuki got into a firefight with knife-edged chops. Suzuki slid over the top rope and placed Kingston in an armbar. Jericho seized the opportunity and applied an armbar to Kingston. Sammy jumped off the top turnbuckle but Kingston countered with an exploder suplex. Umino tagged in and turned on the after burners, nailing Sammy with a running uppercut. Umino got a two-count on Sammy with a fisherman’s suplex. Sammy came back with a shooting star press to the floor on Umino. Yuta flipped over the tope rope onto the opposition. Kingston followed up with an elbow suicida. Kingston got a blind tag and crushed Sammy with a backdrop driver! Suzuki ran into the ring but Eddie dropped him with a spinning backfist. Sammy came out of nowhere with a cutter on Umino but Wheeler Yuta wasn’t far behind, there to splash Sammy! Jericho rocked Umino with a Code Breaker! Umino rallied back with an avalanche powerslam to Jericho! “The Wizard” was looking for the lionsault but Kingston interrupted it with a shot from the outside, giving Umino an opportunity to capitalize. Umino DDT’ed Jericho off the ropes and then impaled Jericho with a brainbuster for a near fall! Umino put the Walls onto Chris Jericho until Suzuki interfered. Suzuki then rocked Kingston with the Gotch-style piledriver. Jericho smashed Umino with the Judas Effect and then pinned him!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Winner Takes All Match – ROH World Tag Team Champions FTR def. IWGP Tag Team Champions United Empire & Roppongi Vice
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
ROH broadcaster Caprice Coleman was on commentary for this match. Cobb backed Dax into the corner. Dax escaped but Rocky got the sneaky blind tag on Cobb. Dax tagged out to Cash and Cash hit European uppercuts on Rocky. Dax injured his shoulder and had the ringside doctor examine it. Dax was ushered to the back by the AEW medical team. Cobb stomped on Cash and then stood on his back like Cash was a surfboard. Cash knocked O-Khan loopy with a headbutt. Cash tagged to Trent and Trent sent O-Khan flying with an inside-out suplex. Trent followed up with the swinging DDT. Trent speared O-Khan outside the ring! Trent connected with the knee strike on O-Khan for a two-count. Cash tagged himself in but O-Khan and Cobb double teamed Cash Wheeler. Dax Harwood returned to the ring from the back. Dax tagged in and he began to throw powerful right hands to Cobb and O-Khan! Harwood German suplexed Jeff Cobb! Cash grabbed a blind tag and jumped off the top turnbuckle with a splash onto Jeff Cobb for a near fall. Roppongi Vice used stereo rising knee strikes on Cobb, but Cobb regained composure and smashed Rocky with a standing moonsault. Roppongi Vice used a Strong Zero-flying dropkick combo on Cobb for a near fall. FTR ran over Rocky with the Big Rig for the victory… And new IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, FTR!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #3: AEW All-Atlantic Championship Match – PAC def. Miro, Malakai Black & Clark Connors
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
PAC charged right at Malakai Black but Black retaliated with roundhouse kicks to PAC outside the ring. Miro slugged away at Clark Connors. Miro caught Connors midflight and slammed him on the arena floor! Miro caught a round kick from Black. Black nailed Connors with a knee strike! Miro caught PAC and sent him flying with a fallaway slam! Miro cracked Connors with a wind-up lariat. Black and Miro confronted one another and exchanged strikes! Miro grabbed PAC and fell backwards with all of his weight, squashing PAC beneath him. Miro was looking for the Game Over but PAC countered with a wicked kick! PAC hurled himself over the top rope onto Malakai Black. PAC hit Miro right on target with a shotgun dropkick! Black booted Miro but Miro kicked out at the one-count. Malakai Black pulled a table out from beneath the ring and set it up against the guardrail. Miro fought out of Black’s grasp. Connors speared Miro though the table! Clark Connors peppered Black with elbow strikes. Connors powerslammed Black. PAC charged at Connors but Connors countered with a spear and then the Trophy Kill for a near fall on PAC. Miro booted “The Bastard”, stomped PAC in the spine, and then put him in the Game Over! Malakai Black sprayed the black mist in Miro’s eyes! Connors and Black jockeyed for position but then PAC jumped onto them with a 450 splash! PAC locked Connors into the Brutalizer and made Connors tap out… PAC has become the first AEW All-Atlantic Champion!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Dudes with Attitudes – Darby Allin, Sting, & Shingo Takagi def. Bullet Club – The Young Bucks & El Phantasmo (with Hikuelo)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Tony Schiavone joined the broadcast booth for this match. Sting was introduced but didn’t come out for his entrance. The Bullet Club made their entrance and then the lights went out in the arena. When the lights returned, Sting jumped off the tunnel onto the Bullet Club below. Sting whipped Matt Jackson into the guardrail. Shingo planted El Phantasmo for a near fall. Sting tagged in and he and Shingo shoulder blocked El Phantaasmo. Darby Allin tagged in and took down El-P with a deep arm drag off the top rope. The Young Bucks double teamed Darby with their tandem offense. Darby managed to nail El-P with a Code Red. Shingo tagged in and body slammed Matt Jackson. Shingo utilized a beautiful twisting snap suplex on Nick Jackson! Nick avoided a sliding lariat but Shingo rallied back with a Death Valley Driver! Sting tagged in and cleaned house on the Young Bucks! Sting squashed the Bucks with the Stinger Splash! The Bucks superkicked Sting but Sting shrugged off the superkick party! The Bucks used tandem tope suicidas to the outside on Darby and Shingo! The Bucks and El-P rocked Sting with a triple superkick. The Bucks attempted the BTE Trigger but Sting countered with a double Scorpion death lock! Sting kicked El-P for a low blow. Shingo tagged in and walloped El Phantasmo with the lariat for a near fall! Shingo nailed El-P with the Last of the Dragon and pinned him!
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #5: AEW Women’s World Championship Match – Thunder Rosa def. Toni Storm!
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Storm and Thunder Rosa locked up with one another. Rosa took down Storm with head scissors. Toni Storm clocked Thunder Rosa with a boot to the face. Thunder Rosa reversed a suplex attempt from Storm with an inside cradle for a near fall. Thunder Rosa caught Toni Storm by surprise with a leaping stunner. Thunder Rosa dropkicked Toni Storm in the spine and followed up with a Northern Lights suplex! Thunder Rosa stomped on Storm’s chest for a near fall. Thunder Rosa countered a DDT and sent Toni Storm crashing hard with a Northern Lights suplex on the arena floor! Toni Storm German suplexed Thunder Rosa on the edge of the ring and then DDT’ed Thunder Rosa onto the floor. Toni Storm used the hip attack and then a DDT for a two-count on Thunder Rosa. The champ rallied back with a running knee strike and then the Death Valley Driver in the center of the ring. Thunder Rosa planted Toni with the Thunder Fire Driver but Storm kicked out at two! Toni captured Thunder Rosa’s leg and then suplexed her. Thunder Rosa rallied back with the Final Reckoning and pinned Toni Storm!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: IWGP United States Heavyweight Title Match – Will Ospreay def. Orange Cassidy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jim Ross joined the commentary team for this match. Orange had his hands in his pockets and knocked Will off his feet. Ospreay grabbed Orange and dropped him across the top rope. Will ran around the ring and with an assist from Aussie Open, he threw his entire body at Orange Cassidy, squashing him against the steel ring barricade. Ospreay picked up Orange and spun into a backbreaker. Ospreay flung Orange into the turnbuckles with a hard Irish whip. Ospreay attempted a second Irish whip but Orange had it scouted and countered it. But Ospreay came back with a diving elbow to the back of Orange for a near fall. Orange clocked Will with a dropkick. Orange blasted Will with Kawada kicks. Orange evaded the Os-cutter, hit the Stundog Millionaire, and followed up with the Michinoku Driver for a near fall! Ospreay countered a charge from Orange with a Spanish Fly! Orange played possum and tried for a shooting star press but Orange got his knees up! Orange spiked Will with the Beach Break for a very near fall! Orange removed his elbow pad and went for the Orange Punch but Will countered with a stunner and then the Os-cutter for a near fall. Orange ducked the Hidden Blade. Orange countered the Storm Breaker but then Will found the Hidden Blade and smashed into Orange for a near fall! Ospreay finally hit the Storm Breaker and pinned Orange Cassidy!
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #7: Claudio Castagnoli def. Zack Sabre Jr.
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Claudio charged at Zack and rocked him with the European uppercut! Claudio Irish whipped Zack into the steel guardrail twice! Zack ate a high boot from Claudio. Claudio brought Zack back into the ring with a suplex. Zack grabbed a knee bar on Claudio while using the ropes! Sabre manipulated Claudio’s fingers. Sabre cranked Claudio’s neck. Sabre served up some uppercuts but Claudio countered with two back breakers! Sabre captured Claudio’s arm with a triangle. Claudio dumped Sabre over the top rope but Sabre held onto the triangle! Claudio hoisted up Sabre, carried him up the steps, and then chucked Sabre into the ring. Claudio was about to put the giant swing on Sabre but Sabre put Claudio in a guillotine. Claudio outpowered Sabre, smashing him onto the top turnbuckle. Sabre cracked Claudio with European uppercuts but then Claudio answered with one of his own. Claudio used a gut wrench slam off the middle rope, sending Sabre crashing to the mat. Claudio blasted Sabre with a European uppercut. Claudio grabbed Sabre and got the giant swing on him! Sabre countered a Sharpshooter with a heel hook. Claudio retaliated with a double stomp onto Zack for a near fall! Claudio smashed Sabre with the discus lariat and then the Ricola Bomb for the pin!
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #8: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match – Jay White def. Adam Cole, Adam Page & Kazuchika Okada
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cole and White rolled out of the ring, leaving it to Okada and Page. Cole pulled out Page by the legs while Jay White ambushed Okada. Okada and Hangman took down Jay White with back elbows. Page drove Cole into the barricade with a tope suicida! Jay White hoisted up Okada and then planted him on the ring apron! Adam Cole and Jay White nailed Page with a delayed vertical suplex on the ramp. Back in the ring, White and Cole double teamed Okada. Hangman got back to his feet and connected with a lariat off the top rope down onto Adam Cole for a near fall. Page attempted a moonsault but Adam Cole countered with a thrust kick. Okada hit a dropkick, knocking Adam Cole off the turnbuckles to the arena floor. Okada popped White with a running boot. Okada jumped over the guardrail and smacked into Page and Cole. Back in the ring, White avoided the knee strike from Cole and then planted Cole with a uranage. White nailed Page with a sleeper suplex! All four wrestlers struggled to get to their feet. Okada and Cole traded strikes while White and Page slugged it out! Cole and White gouged Okada and Page in the eyes. Hangman powerbombed Jay White for a near fall! Page moonsaulted off the steel post onto Cole and Okada. Page was looking for the Buckshot Lariat but Gedo grabbed his legs. Cole connected with the Dead Eye on White and then the Buckshot Lariat for a near fall, as Okada broke up the pin attempt. Hangman and Okada traded strikes. Okada hoisted up Hangman for the tombstone but Hangman escaped. Hangman sent Okada to the mat with a German suplex! Cole grabbed Page out of the ring and then sent Page headfirst into the steel post! Cole jumped off the top for the Panama Sunrise but Okada countered with the Air Raid Crash! Okada got amazing hangtime off the top rope with an elbow drop on Adam Cole! Cole avoided the Rainmaker and followed up with a superkick for a near fall. Okada clocked Cole with a picture-perfect dropkick! Hangman was about to jump into the ring with a Buckshot Lariat but Cole superkicked him! Okada got a landslide on Cole. Jay White jumped into the ring and took down Okada with the Blade Runner! And then “Switchblade” Jay White grabbed Adam Cole, rolled him over and stole the pin!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #9: AEW Interim World Championship Match – Jon Moxley def. Hiroshi Tanahashi!
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mox and Tanahashi chain wrestled to start the match. Tanahashi hit a crossbody off the second turnbuckle onto Moxley. Moxley popped the bird at Tanahashi. They exchanged forearms. Tanahashi changed levels and dropkicked Moxley’s knee. Tana followed up with a dragon screw leg whip. Moxley jumped out of nowhere with a sudden cutter on Tanahashi. They traded chops until Moxley suplexed Tanahashi off the turnbuckles. Mox spiked Tanahashi with a piledriver for a near fall. Tanahashi gathered himself and dropped a somersault senton on Moxley. Outside the ring, Moxley slammed Tanahashi through the timekeeper’s table. Tanahashi made it back inside in time, but Mox was waiting there to kick Tanahashi. Tanahashi escaped a submission from Moxley and returned fire with the Sling Blade clothesline. Mox tumbled outside the ring and was split open. Tanahashi jumped off the top rope and landed with a crossbody press on Moxley on the floor. Enraged and invigorated, Moxley spiked Tanahashi with the Paradigm Shift. Tanahashi answered with a knee strike to Mox! Tanahashi nailed Mox with the Aces High! He went back up top and hit the High Fly Flow on Moxley for a near fall. Moxley rolled out of the pin attempt and transitioned into the bulldog choke on Tanahashi! Tanahashi hit an open palm strike on Moxley but Moxley hit back with the King Kong Lariat! Moxley locked on the bulldog choke but Tanahashi fought out of it. Moxley planted Tanahashi with the Death Rider and pinned Tanahashi. The new AEW Interim World Champion… Jon Moxley!
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4.5/5
Despite things working against this show – what with injuries etc., Forbidden Door delivered a great night of inter-company, trans-global wrestling that, apart from a couple of the Buy-In matches (do they even count towards the PPV itself?), was a solid, truly solid line-up. Just look at those scores… on the main show there’s only TWO matches I’ve scored under four out of five. THAT’S how good this pay-per-view was. If this show goes ahead again, with a healthy roster? God help us all… We’ll be comparing PPV’s to that for the rest of time!
