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The second annual AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view will converge on Toronto this weekend, pitting the best of All Elite Wrestling against the best of New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Many of the top championships in both companies will be on the line, and the card will feature both long-anticipated dream matches and encounters fans likely never thought about until now.
The inaugural Forbidden Door was a well-received show despite top stars such as CM Punk, Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson being out due to injury, but all of them will be in action in some of the event’s biggest matches this time around.
Here is a complete look at the card for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023, along with in-depth analysis regarding the bouts fans won’t want to miss.
Where: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto
When: Sunday, June 25 at 8 p.m. ET (Buy-In pre-show starts at 7 p.m. ET)
Watch: BR Live
Forbidden Door 2023 Match Card
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Will OspreayBryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika OkadaAEW World Championship: MJF (c) vs. Hiroshi TanahashiIWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Sanada (c) vs. “Jungle Boy” Jack PerryMen’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament first round: CM Punk vs. Satoshi KojimaAEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Willow NightingaleAEW International Championship Four-Way: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Daniel Garcia10-Man Tag Team match: Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita and Shota Umino vs. “Hangman” Adam Page, The Young Bucks, Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro IshiiSix-Man Tag Team match: Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara and Minoru Suzuki vs. Sting, Darby Allin and TBAAdam Cole vs. Tom LawlorPre-Show Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament first round: Athena vs. Billie Starkz
Top Forbidden Door Matches to Watch
Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada
Arguably one of the biggest possible dream matches in pro wrestling today will become a reality at Forbidden Door on Sunday when Bryan Danielson faces Kazuchika Okada.
Danielson recently laid down the challenge, and Okada quickly accepted, setting the stage for what could be a strong match-of-the-year contender.
For well over a decade, The American Dragon has been regarded by wrestling fans as one of the best in-ring workers in the world, and thanks to his dominance and history of great matches in NJPW, Okada has entered the conversation as well.
Unlike many of the singles matches on the Forbidden Door card, there will be no titles on the line here, but bragging rights will undoubtedly be up for grabs.
This PPV is quickly becoming a great vehicle for matches that fans want without the need for major storylines, and Danielson vs. Okada is a perfect example of that.
Essentially, the show is an All-Star Game featuring interaction between many of the best wrestlers in the world. And when Danielson and Okada meet, it will, arguably, be a match between the MVPs of their respective promotions.
Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay
For the second time this year, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay are set to clash in what promises to be a classic encounter.
In January, Ospreay put the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship on the line against Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 17 in what was The Best Bout Machine’s first New Japan match in four years.
Omega was victorious, but the wrestling world won as a whole since it got to witness one of the best matches in the illustrious careers of both men, and a bout that may prove to be the best of 2023 even though it occurred only four days into the year.
Ever since that encounter, fans have eagerly anticipated the rematch, and they will finally get it nearly six months later at Forbidden Door.
It won’t be easy for Omega and Ospreay to match or exceed what they did at Wrestle Kingdom, but they are two of the most innovative in-ring performers in the world and should be up to the task.
Also, since Ospreay is a NJPW talent and Omega is with AEW, a title change is possible with the former taking the U.S. title back to Japan.
If that comes to fruition, it could set the stage for a rubber match, potentially at All In, which takes place in Ospreay’s home country of England on August 27.
MJF vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
While it may not be the first dream match that comes to mind for most fans, MJF vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi at Forbidden Door has show-stealing potential.
MJF’s promo work receives the bulk of praise from fans, but he has proved time and again that he can work a match with the best of them, and Tanahashi is unquestionably among the all-time greats.
The AEW world champion isn’t far removed from a successful title defense against Danielson in a 60-minute Iron Man match, and he followed that up by beating Darby Allin, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry and Sammy Guevara in a Four-Way match, showing his range as a performer.
Tanahashi will be another test, as the 46-year-old is one of the most decorated champions in the history of Japan and someone who has seen and done it all from an in-ring perspective.
One year ago at the first Forbidden Door, Tanahashi was in the main event against Jon Moxley, battling for the interim AEW World Championship, and the crowd was hugely on his side.
That is exactly what AEW wants this time around, as MJF can use heel tactics and play to his greatest strengths as a wrestler.
MJF vs. Tanahashi may be more deliberate and slower-paced than many of the other matches on the card, but it promises to be a psychological showcase that will have fans on the edge of their seats.
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