Quick Thoughts AEW Forbidden Door 2024

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Back again with the crossover wrestling event of the year. At a time when co-operation between companies seems at an all time high it shouldn't be forgotten in large part where we were a few years ago. Forbidden Door the term coined by now NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi was because the partnership simply didn't exist and now we have not just AEW & NJPW on this show but representatives from CMLL and STARDOM as well a true big corrover event (and if I'm RevPro I'd be begging to get invovled with this considering they have partnerships with NJPW & CMLL already). 

Regardles on that I always feel this is an odd show to buidl towards. You have four companies working together and three not in the same country as the main company hosting the show. It hurts who you can book and when they can show up. Either way on the show on the day should be good fun.

Zero Hour

Kyle Fletcher vs. Serpentico
A surprise addition to the card following on from Kyle Fletcher losing the ROH TV title to Atalantis Jr and honestly I missed it first go around. I do wonder if Fletcher gets the belt back at Deaht before Dishonor but a good showcase for Fletcher who I wish got more big signles wins in AEW as he's super talented. Fletcher tageting the mask for a bit mad me wonder if there's a story considering who he lost the belt to. I guess we will see when it comes to future AEW/ROH shows. 

House of Black (Malakai Black and Brody King) vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Kyle O'Reilly vs. Roderick Strong and Gabriel Kidd vs. Private Party (Zay and Quen)
Weird match to get people on the card no real reason for it but I don't care I like the majority of people in it. Not much to say but a fun match good to see Ishii as ever. Hope Gabe Kidd gets a good run in the G1 this year love that guy. 

Kris Statlander and Momo Watanabe (with Stokely Hathaway) vs. Willow Nightingale and Tam Nakano
A double fun match with a showcase for some of STARDOM's top talents and building for Statlander and Willow's upcoming singles match it is a good way of crossing two birds with one stone. I think the Statlander heel turns was needed and a good use of her now and her and Stokely are a good duo, I just hope the singles match with Willow does deliver. I enjoyed this tag match I wish there was more STARDOM showcases I guess more would be on ROH but still good fun looking forward to Willow vs. Statlander.

Women's Owen Hart Cup Tournament First Round Match: Mariah May (with "Timeless" Toni Storm, Luther and Mina Shirakawa) vs. Saraya (with Harley Cameron)
Not wasting time talking about Saraya she sucks. Mariah May has been great and gets better week on week in her role and I think the current story with her in the middle of Toni and Mina has been a great showcase for her and my pick to win the Owen Hart Cup this year and maybe even beat Toni for the belt. Didn't pay attention fuck Saraya and I'm glad Mariah won. 

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Yota Tsuji, Titan, and Hiromu Takahashi) vs. The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fénix) and Místico (with Alex Abrahantes)
If we want to talk about Forbidden Door then Lucha Brothers and Místico teaming up to what it is all about. An idea outright banned by CMLL just a few months ago now happening, add in having one of my favourites Yota Tsuji this has all the makings of a great match. Superb match as expected by all and I'd love The Lucha Brothers in World Tag League now

Main Show

MJF vs. Hechicero
Hey if RevPro can book Hechicero for the Copper Box show for me that'd be great (side note wrote this before they announced Hechicero vs. Zack Sabre Jr so let's go I am ready for that). This will be fun it's gonna be another match where people forget MJF is a great wrestler and then has a great match again. MJF needs a big programe going forward and the stuff with Daniel Garcia sounds good I just wonder how it's gonna evolve with Ospreay. Fun match I don't think they will be each others best opponents but I enjoyed it. Still unsure how I feel on MJF's brainbuster finisher I think it needs time to work with me. 

The Elite (Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson, and Kazuchika Okada) vs. Scissor Ace (Anthony Bowens, Max Caster, and Hiroshi Tanahashi) (with "Daddy Ass" Billy Gunn)
Even when Okada changes companies he cannot escape Tanahashi and my God I hope that Tanahashi does the rap instead of Max Caster. I've said before I'm over The Acclaimed but they are over so I guess it's working. Hopefully we can get some more Okada singles matches soon he's current gimmick is fun but I want him to wrestle more. Okads pretending to be a DJ is got a good laugh out of me this guy is something else. I'd like to see some more Bowens singles matches this year he has potential to be a big singles star IMO. Okada got one last win over Tanahashi now maybe Tanahashi can retire or go get the Rey Mysterio stem cell surgery and continue for the next 400 years, I do wonder if he is even in the G1 this year. 

Men's Owen Hart Cup Tournament First Round Match: Bryan Danielson vs. Shingo Takagi
Dragon vs. Dragon and two of the best in the world. Always happy to get more Shingo and while I think neither man will win the tournament I think it is a good quality bracket for both tournaments. Really enjoyed this match, Danielson might be the best at being the babyface fighting an uphill battle but does help when your opponent is of the level of Shingo. Danielson vs. PAC is also gonna be fun. Good match but that was expected.

AEW Women's World Championship Match: "Timeless" Toni Storm (c) (with Luther) vs. Mina Shirakawa
Toni is great. One of the most consistent perfomers for AEW and always a joy to watch I felt this current story brings the best out of Toni and Mariah. Mina has been a fun addition to TV and I think this could be one of the best matches on the show. This match was really good, Mina brought it big time for the PPV and I would honestly want a rematch give it main event TV time. Super good stuff. 

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Orange Cassidy
Always good to see Zack Sabre Jr and as one of New Japan's top wrestler at the moment it is good to see him here. A break for Orange away from wasting him near Trent and in a good match. It's always good to have both on the card they are key parts of their respective companies. Good fun technical match as ever Sabre has great chemistry with another guy and I was shcoked Sabre won. Next stop ZSJ for G1!

The Learning Tree (Chris Jericho and Big Bill) and Jeff Cobb (with Bryan Keith) vs. Samoa Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata
I would like to see Samoa Joe, Hook and Shibata win the Trios Title at All In please, they have been such a fun trio and the type to bring some hype to those betls (plus Joe vs. Jay White sounds good). This Learning Tree gimmick is odd it isn't clicking with me. I think we need some time with Jericho off of TV but at the same time his stuff pulls number so maybe it is working. I dunno it reminds of the divide between fans of football teams on twitter and those in the stadium it's two different opinions with one thinking the other is full of shit. Jeff Cobb is great good to see him on the show. Didn't really pay attention as the Learning Tree isn't for me but right team won and I hope that team Joe stays togehter great trio.

Ladder Match for the Vacant AEW TNT Championship: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mark Briscoe vs. Jack Perry vs. Dante Martin vs. Lio Rush vs. El Phantasmo
Sucks that Copeland got injured, I was really looking forward to seeing him at All In but can't have it all. Again I think Jack Perry is doing great since he came back and honestly I wouldn't mind anyone winning this the TNT title should be the television title defended in good to great matches all the time. Bring back the open challenge. Expected winner was hoping for Takeshita but with him doing the G1 didn't think he would win. Honestly with how the match ended I would have Mark Briscoe and Jack Perry feud for a bit. 

AEW TBS Championship and NJPW Strong Women's Championship Match: Mercedes Moné vs. Stephanie Vaquer
Now that Mercedes is wrestling in AEW she's going from strength to strength. Not the best promo but I think she's a solid addition to have great matches weekly on TV. Stephanie Vaquer has looked good whenever I've seen her wrestle all be it that is only a few times but should be a good match regardless. Crowd seemed to hate Mercedes Moné because of some form of sports reference I didn't get but I felt Stephanie looked great again. The Moné maker move was probably hit the best it ever has. With Britt back I think her and Mercedes is a big match for All In and hopefully delivers for the stage. 

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
Mox and Naito had a great match at Windy City Riot and I was looking foward to the rematch. It's weird that the majority of the build has been in New Japan with Naito only appearing on the last Dynamite so it's an odd build. Regardless if Naito is PPV Naito and not T-shirt Naito I was hoping for a good one. This was a slow paced match which didn't feel like it sped up at any point, I don't know if Naito just doesn't care for the US, saving himself for the G1 or just is done physically but felt like Mox gave up trying to do anything. Thoughts with the camera man who got stuck under Mox while Naito hit him with the barricade cover. 

AEW World Championship Match: Swerve Strickland (c) (with Prince Nana) vs. Will Ospreay
Two of the best in the world and two of my favourites today. I wanted this match at All In selfishly but I'll settle for it happening regardless. I have really enjoyed the build to this show neither man going heel but it becomming a game of one upsmanship in what I expect to be a superb match and it was. This was superb a statement match for what the main event scene of AEW should be. Swerve vs. Hangman and Ospreay vs. MJF vs. Garcia would be my picks for the top two matches of All In cement your top guys on the biggest show but a great match to close the PPV off. 

All in all this was a great show and flew by for me. Aside from the Mox vs. Maito match was a fun show. I will be rewatching the main event time and time again in the next few weeks though for sure. 

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