AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event co-produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). It took place on June 26, 2022 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Production
Background
Following the formation of a working relationship between All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) in February 2021, AEW founder Tony Khan and NJPW President Takami Ohbari were set to make an announcement on the April 20, 2022 episode of Dynamite, however, Adam Cole would intervene and deliver the news himself that the two promotions would be holding a joint pay-per-view dubbed "Forbidden Door" on June 26th. Cole elaborated by also announcing the event would take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. After pre-sale tickets were made available on May 5th, they sold out in under 40 minutes, with over 11,000 being sold.
Storylines
During the June 22, 2022 episode of Dynamite, it was announced that on Forbidden Door's Buy In Pre Show, Max Caster would be partnering with the Gunn Club (Austin Gunn, Billy Gunn and Colten Gunn) against Alex Coughlin, Kevin Knight, The DKC and Yuya Uemura, all members of New Japan Pro Wrestling's Los Angeles Dojo. On the last Rampage before Forbidden Door, it was also announced for the pre-show that Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland would take on Suzuki-gun members El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru along with QT Marshall and Aaron Solo of The Factory facing Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI of CHAOS.
On the June 1, 2022 episode of Dynamite, The Jericho Appreciation Society, coming off their win in an Anarchy in the Arena Match at Double or Nothing, were interrupted by William Regal and Eddie Kingston, who challenged the JAS to a match at Blood and Guts. However, Jericho denied the proposal, ordering his stable to jump Kingston. During the brawling, Ortiz hit the ring and nailed Jericho before cutting off a lock of his hair. As a result, Jericho agreed to a match at Blood and Guts, but also demanded a hair vs. hair match with Ortiz. The hair vs. hair match between Jericho and Ortiz took place at Road Rager, with Jericho coming out victorious after Sammy Guevara, who was disguised as Fuego Del Sol, hit Ortiz with Jericho's baseball bat. Following the match it was revealed that Guevara and Tay Conti had joined the JAS. Later in the night, during a face to face between Jon Moxley and Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jericho, flanked by Guevara & Conti, would intervene, ordering Lance Archer and El Desperado to ambush Moxley and Tanahashi. Jericho explained that Archer and Desperado were on loan from Suzuki-gun leader Minoru Suzuki before announcing that himself, Guevara, and Suzuki would take on Kingston, Wheeler Yuta, and Shota Umino at Forbidden Door.
Following Darby Allin's victory over Bobby Fish on the June 17, 2022 episode of Rampage, Sting, who was put out of action by Kyle O'Reilly in May, returned, attacking O'Reilly while Allin targeted Fish. On the last Dynamite before Forbidden Door, The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), close associates with Fish and O'Reilly, announced that they would be in action at Forbidden Door, joining forces with BULLET CLUB members El Phantasmo and Hikuleo to take on Darby, Sting, and "their cronies". Allin revealed later in the night that him and Sting would be employing the help of Los Ingobernables de Japón members Hiromu Takahashi and Shingo Takagi. On June 25, it was announced that Hiromu Takahashi would be unable to compete at the event due to a fever. The match was altered to a trios match, in which Darby Allin, Sting, and Shingo Takagi would take on the Young Bucks and El Phantasmo with Hikuleo in their corner.
After the AEW All-Atlantic Championship was unveiled on the June 8, 2022 episode of Dynamite, qualifying matches for the Four Way Match at Forbidden Door began that night with PAC defeating Buddy Matthews. Miro qualified on next week's Dynamite after defeating Ethan Page, while a participant from New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) was decided by two first round qualifying matches before a final qualifying match. On Night 4 of New Japan Road, Clark Connors defeated Tomoaki Honma to advance to the final qualifying match, while Tomohiro Ishii defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru to also advance. On Night 5, Ishii defeated Connors to advance to the Four Way Match. The final entrant into the match, Malakai Black, qualified after defeating Penta Oscuro on the June 22, 2022 episode of Dynamite. On June 23, it was announced that Tomohiro Ishii had suffered a knee injury and would not be able to compete. As a result of the injury, Ishii was replaced by Clark Connors.
On the June 8, 2022 episode of Dynamite, two weeks after United Empire members Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb had attacked FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) and Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta), United Empire leader Will Ospreay interrupted Beretta and FTR, while fellow United Empire members Aaron Henare, Kyle Fletcher, and Mark Davis ambushed FTR and Beretta. On that week's Rampage, Ospreay teamed with Fletcher and Davis to take on FTR and Beretta in a losing effort. The following week at Road Rager, Ospreay defeated Dax Harwood before United Empire once again prepared to attack Harwood. However, Harwood's partner Cash Wheeler and Roppongi Vice evened the odds, before Orange Cassidy returned. Cassidy made his way to the ring before staring down Ospreay. Following the confrontation, it was announced that Ospreay would defend his IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Cassidy at Forbidden Door.
During a match between ROH World Tag Team Champions FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) and Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta) on the May 25, 2022 episode of Dynamite, IWGP Tag Team Champions Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb of the United Empire hit the ring, attacking both teams and sending both Beretta and Harwood through tables. At Road Rager following United Empire leader Will Ospreay's victory over Dax Harwood, Cobb and O-Khan, along with other United Empire members, attempted to attack Harwood but were stopped by Wheeler, Roppongi Vice, and Orange Cassidy. Days after the confrontation, it was announced that FTR, Cobb and O-Khan, and Roppongi Vice would compete in a Three Way Tag Team Winner Take All Match for the ROH World Tag Team and IWGP Tag Team Championships.
AEW Women's World Champion Thunder Rosa successfully defended her championship against Marina Shafir following a roll-up on the June 8, 2022 episode of Dynamite. However, following the match, Shafir would attack the champion, locking her in a submission hold. Toni Storm would hit the ring, making the save, before grabbing the AEW Women's World Championship and staring at the champion, making her title intentions clear. At Road Rager, Storm defeated former champion Britt Baker, leading to Thunder Rosa appearing on the ramp, pointing to Storm. A championship match between Rosa and Storm was made official for Forbidden Door that night.
As a result of participating in an Anarchy In The Arena Match at Double Or Nothing, Bryan Danielson announced on the June 22, 2022 episode of Dynamite that he was not medically cleared to face Zack Sabre Jr., who had continually called Danielson out for a match at Forbidden Door to determine the best technical wrestler, nor compete at Blood And Guts. However, Danielson also revealed he had found a suitable replacement to take his place at both Forbidden Door and Blood And Guts but refrained from revealing who it was until the event.
At Dominion 6.12, BULLET CLUB leader Jay White defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. On the June 22, 2022 episode of Dynamite, following a match between Adam Page and Silas Young, Adam Cole, who had provided commentary, cut off Page's music, asking who was ready for storytime with Cole. However, Cole was interrupted by Jay White, who explained that he would not be defending his championship against either Page or Cole at Forbidden Door. A brawl between Page and White broke out in the ring, leading to Cole assisting White in beating down the former AEW World Champion. White and Cole would stop their attack after Kazuchika Okada appeared on the entrance ramp, making his debut for All Elite Wrestling but not before White suspected Cole could have potentially blindsided him. Later that same night, a Four Way Match between White, Cole, Page, and Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship was made official for Forbidden Door.
After defeating Adam Page in the main event of Double or Nothing to win the AEW World Championship, CM Punk requested to see what Forbidden Door had in store for him as champion on the June 1, 2022 episode of Dynamite. Answering the call was Hiroshi Tanahashi, who stood at the ramp, seemingly becoming Punk's challenger. However, on the June 3, 2022 episode of Rampage, Punk announced he would need surgery and as a result, AEW President Tony Khan arranged for an interim champion to be crowned. On the June 8, 2022 episode of Dynamite, Kyle O'Reilly won a Casino Battle Royal to face number one ranked Jon Moxley in the main event, a match which Moxley won. As a result, Moxley would go on to face a wrestler from New Japan Pro Wrestling to crown an Interim AEW World Champion at Forbidden Door. Moxley's opponent, Hiroshi Tanahashi, earned his place in the match after he defeated Hirooki Goto at Dominion 6.12.
Results
- Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.
- (c) refers to the champion(s) heading into the match.
- Pre-Show: CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) defeated The Factory (QT Marshall & Aaron Solo) (8:55)
- Pre-Show: Lance Archer defeated Nick Comoroto (6:08)
- Pre-Show: Swerve Strickland & Keith Lee defeated Suzuki-gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) (12:08)
- Pre-Show: Max Caster & The Gunn Club (Austin Gunn, Billy Gunn & Colten Gunn) (w/Anthony Bowens) defeated Alex Coughlin, Kevin Knight, The DKC & Yuya Uemura in an Eight Man Tag Team Match (5:35)
- The Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara) & Minoru Suzuki (w/Tay Conti) defeated Shota Umino, Wheeler Yuta & Eddie Kingston in a Six Man Tag Match (18:58)
- FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) (c) [ROH] defeated United Empire (Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb) (c) [IWGP] and Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta) in a Three Way Tag Team Winner Takes All Match for the ROH Tag Team Championship & IWGP Tag Team Championship (16:19)
- PAC defeated Miro, Clark Connors and Malakai Black in a Four Way Match to become the inaugural AEW All-Atlantic Champion (15:10)
- Darby Allin, Shingo Takagi & Sting defeated The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) & El Phantasmo (w/Hikuleo) in a Six Man Tag Team Match (13:01)
- Thunder Rosa (c) defeated Toni Storm to retain the AEW Women's World Championship (10:42)
- Will Ospreay (c) defeated Orange Cassidy to retain the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship (16:43)
- Claudio Castagnoli defeated Zack Sabre Jr. (18:26)
- Jay White (c) (w/Gedo) defeated Kazuchika Okada, Adam Cole and Adam Page in a Four Way Match to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (21:05)
- Jon Moxley defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to win the Interim AEW World Championship (18:20)
Other on-screen talent
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External links
| All Elite Wrestling Events |
|---|
| 2019 |
| Double or Nothing • Fyter Fest • Fight For The Fallen • All Out • Full Gear |
| 2020 |
| Revolution • Double or Nothing • Fyter Fest • All Out • Full Gear |
| 2021 |
| Revolution • Double or Nothing • All Out • Full Gear |
| 2022 |
| Battle of the Belts I • Revolution • Battle of the Belts II • Double or Nothing • AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door • All Out |
