AEW Forbidden Door took place in London for the first time ever on August 24, and left the UK fans with a closing angle that was very mixed in its execution.
After performing at Wembley Stadium for the past 2 years, the stars of All Elite Wrestling took over the O2 Arena in London, setting a new attendance record for pro wrestling in the process with just shy of 19,000 fans packed into the venue to see wrestlers from AEW, NJPW, CMLL and Stardom all show what they are capable of. While there was a heavy British presence throughout the night, the fans were most looking forward to seeing Will Ospreay, who lives just 30 minutes away from the venue.
The Aerial Assassin was part of an anarchic 10-man steel cage match in the main event that saw him team with Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Darby Allin and Hiroshi Tanahashi, who was competing in his final UK match at the event. Taking on The Deathriders [Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli], The Young Bucks and Gabe Kidd, fans were expecting another violent spectacle with weapons, high spots and non-stop action similar to that of Blood and Guts and Anarchy in the Arena. Once again, AEW more than delivered on the stipulation.
AEW Forbidden Door Review
AEW has continued to improve the multi-man no DQ matches over the years while still finding more ways to up the creativity and violence. However, with Ospreay admitting he is dealing with neck issues, Gabe Kidd only recently returned after withdrawing from the G1 due to injury, along with Ibushi, Tanahashi and Omega all having decades of wear and tear on their bodies, there was a major concern that not everyone would walk out of London unscathed. Despite the worries, all 10 competitors gave it their all with notable spots including Jon Moxley brutalising Darby Allin’s ear and Allin and Gabe Kidd going crashing through a tower of tables after falling from the top of the cage. There were finishers aplenty and a lot of blood lost, but the match didn’t outstay its welcome. In the end, Tanahashi got the winning pin to the delight of the UK fans, ending the show on a positive note, or so it seemed…
As Ospreay was left alone in the cage to say goodbye to the fans, the former International Champion was attacked by The Deathriders and hit with multiple DDTs from Moxley. Unfortunately, this was the biggest logic hole of the whole night as the babyfaces had the numbers advantage and could have easily climbed the cage to come to the assistance of Ospreay, but no one made it in time. While the finish was designed to put heat on The Deathriders again and write Ospreay off, there could have been a more creative way to have the British wrestler start his hiatus.
What Else Happened At AEW Forbidden Door?
The main show kicked off with a reunited Adam Copeland and Christian Cage teaming up for the first time in 14 years to take on Kip Sabian and a returning Luchasaurus, who was the last-minute replacement for an injured Nick Wayne. Truthfully, the absence of Wayne affected the match given that he has been a major point in the story arc of the downfall of Cage. The match itself was fine but felt like it needed something extra as the opener of a big show, and may have been better suited to the main event of Dynamite.
One major issue with Forbidden Door is the predictability when it comes to the interpromotional title matches. While IWGP World Champion Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Nigel McGuinness was a fun display of technical wrestling and TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher vs. Hiromu Takahashi was great from an in-ring perspective, at no point did anyone think that the titles would change hands. Although the same could be said for the TBS Championship 4-way between champion Mercedes Mone, Alex Windsor, Persephone and Bozilla, the international stars put on a great performance for many fans who were likely unaware of their work. It was one year ago that Stephanie Vaquer was given her stage to shine, and it feels like Persephone and Bozilla will be much bigger stars in 2026, regardless of where the sign to.
Only one title change took place on the show as Brodido defeated The Hurt Syndicate and FTR to win the titles for the first time in their careers. Despite the fact that the crowd did pop for the title change and the unlikely pairing of Brody King and Bandido have completed their journey to the gold, the ending was rather confusing. After The Hurt Sydicate were taken out of the match by Ricochet and Gates of Agony, a clunky finish where Cash Wheeler looked to have missed the save made the ending come out of nowhere and more like a mistake as opposed to the actual plan.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Swerve Strickland was once again a fun match with Strickland coming close a couple of times before ultimately falling to The Rainmaker. However, this was more about the post-match as a returning Wardlow attacked Strickland and joined The Don Callis Family, making the faction even more unstoppable.
Then it was time for the Women’s Title match as Toni Storm defended the gold against Athena. Although it is no mistake that Storm is still very over and one of the most popular stars in the company, there is a worry of where does she go from here. With Athena on a dominant run in ROH, there was a serious case to be made that she should have become a double champion here as opposed to letting the Storm reign continue.
Then it was time for the World Title match, which was what most fans have come to expect from a heel MJF match. MJF tried every tactic possible to take the easy way out, including weapon shots, distractions and even provoking Page into being disqualified, all of which had no effect. There was a confusing spot where the referee was down but then noticed Page’s foot on the rope when he came to, which felt more overthought than a logical point in the match. MJF still has his contract to cash-in, but will now have to give notice as to when the next match will be. This was the right result at this time, but this was a very by-the-numbers performance for MJF.
Final Thoughts On Forbidden Door
Like many AEW PPV’s, Forbidden Door was a night of great in-ring action with just about every match being deserving of its place on the card, especially the main event. If you are a fan of the bloody,multi-man brawls, the cage match definitely lived up to the hype. However, with the show now in its fourth year, more shock results are needed to keep it interesting. But with nearly 19,000 fans in attendance for a non-WWE show in the UK, this once again proves that pro wrestling is alive and well in the country, and we are already counting down the days until All In next year!
Featured image: AEW
