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 25, 2023 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.
Production
Background
In 2021, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) began a partnership, with talent appearing in both promotions. The two companies would co-promote Forbidden Door on June 26, 2022. On March 15, 2023, a second Forbidden Door event was announced for June 25, taking place at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.
Storylines
At Wrestle Kingdom on January 4, Kenny Omega defeated Will Ospreay to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. On April 9, NJPW announced a tournament to determine a number one contender for the title. Ospreay would make his way to the final, beating Lance Archer at Dominion 6.4. As a result, it was later announced that Omega would defend the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Ospreay at Forbidden Door.
At Dominion 6.4, NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Shota Umino and Blackpool Combat Club members Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli. After, Moxley presented a video from his stablemate Bryan Danielson, who challenged Okada to a match at Forbidden Door. It was later confirmed that Okada and Danielson would face off at the event.
On the June 14 episode of Dynamite, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA appeared in a video, issuing an open challenge for Forbidden Door. Later that night, Jungle Boy Jack Perry accepted SANADA's challenge, making the match official.
On the June 14 episode of Dynamite, Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared in a video, challenging AEW World Champion MJF to a match at Forbidden Door. The bout would be made official, however, MJF showed no interest in defending his title against Tanahashi.
Results
- Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.
- (c) refers to the champion(s) heading into the match.
- Dark Match: Tom Lawlor (w/Royce Isaacs) defeated Serpentico (w/Luther)
- Pre-Show: The Mogul Embassy (Bishop Kaun, Brian Cage, Swerve Strickland & Toa Liona) (w/Prince Nana) defeated El Desperado & CHAOS (Chuck Taylor, Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta) in an Eight Man Tag Team Match (12:23)
- Pre-Show: Athena defeated Billie Starkz in a Women's Owen Hart Cup Tournament First Round Match (7:49)
- Pre-Show: El Phantasmo defeated Stu Grayson (7:14)
- Pre-Show: Los Ingobernables de Japón (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi) defeated United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher & TJP) in a Six Man Tag Team Match (7:30)
- MJF (c) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to retain the AEW World Championship (15:46)
- CM Punk defeated Satoshi Kojima in a Men's Owen Hart Cup Tournament First Round Match (13:40)
- Orange Cassidy (c) defeated Daniel Garcia, Zack Sabre Jr. and Katsuyori Shibata in a Four Way Match to retain the AEW International Championship (11:27)
- SANADA (c) (w/DOUKI) defeated Jungle Boy Jack Perry (w/Hook) to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (10:49)
- Eddie Kingston, Tomohiro Ishii & The Elite (Hangman Page, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Shota Umino & Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta) in a Ten Man Tag Team Match (21:29)
- Toni Storm (c) (w/Ruby Soho & Saraya) defeated Willow Nightingale to retain the AEW Women's World Championship (10:27)
- Will Ospreay (w/Don Callis) defeated Kenny Omega (c) to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship (39:50)
- Sting, Darby Allin & Tetsuya Naitō defeated Minoru Suzuki & The Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara) in a Six Man Tag Team Match (15:09)
- Bryan Danielson defeated Kazuchika Okada (27:47)
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 • Battle of the Belts III • All Out • Battle of the Belts IV • Full Gear |
| 2023 |
| Battle of the Belts V • Revolution • Battle of the Belts VI • Double or Nothing • AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door • Battle of the Belts VII • All In • All Out • WrestleDream • Battle of the Belts VIII • Full Gear • Worlds End |
| 2024 |
| Battle of the Belts IX • Revolution • Battle of the Belts X • Dynasty • Double or Nothing • AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door • Battle of the Belts XI • All In • All Out • WrestleDream • Battle of the Belts XII • Full Gear • Worlds End |
| 2025 |
| Grand Slam Australia • Revolution • Dynasty |