AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door: Fantasy booking the perfect PPV card

It’s opening as soon as extra. On June 25 AEW and NJPW are having their second Forbidden Door pay per view, a crossover between the 2 greatest wrestling firms on this planet not named WWE. It’s a uncommon event to each give us the dream matches we’ve been dying for, and likewise making good on the frustration of 2022.

Final yr’s Forbidden Door was good. Heck, it was one of many extra memorable reveals of the yr — however a spate of accidents main as much as the occasion meant we by no means actually bought the dream card we hoped for.

Now, with everybody wholesome, we are able to lastly make the occasion we at all times needed.

Already introduced

IWGP United States Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Will Ospreay

This was rumored to be occurring again at Forbidden Door final yr, however with Omega harm we needed to wait till Wrestlekingdom 17 to see these two lock up. In fact, it was an on the spot basic.

Ospreay is totally adamant on working his fashion, and it takes a particular expertise to maintain up. Omega has the flexibility to be the last word opponent in professional wrestling who can adapt to anybody’s fashion and be utterly malleable. The second assembly of those two needs to be wonderful.

This may set up Wrestlekingdom 18 because the rubber match that ends this feud and places these matches within the historical past books as among the greatest ever.

Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada

I imply, we don’t actually must promote this one too laborious. It’s solely two of the best wrestlers of a era squaring off for the primary time ever. Danielson has continued to wrestle at a excessive stage since becoming a member of AEW, and aligning himself with the Blackpool Fight Membership has allowed him to get extra right into a ground-based, grappling and submission fashion that the American Dragon has at all times finished nicely. Okada is a five-tool participant with regards to professional wrestling, however since switching to the black shorts and kickpads he’s turn out to be extra robust fashion than earlier than. An indignant Okada vs an indignant Danielson needs to be among the best matches of the yr.

Fantasy reserving

Jon Moxley vs. Kota Ibushi

I don’t suppose it takes a crystal ball to see the place AEW is headed. The intention shall be to promote as many tickets as potential to All In at Wembley Stadium and the reserving is hurtling in direction of a Blood & Guts Match that includes The Elite, Hangman Web page, Okada and Ibushi vs. BCC and Ospreay.

The ultimate piece of this puzzle, and the blokes who haven’t had beef but are Moxley and Ibushi. Heck, you can sub in Claudio Castagnoli for Mox is you need to have another person eat the pin from Ibushi.

Technically Kota isn’t signed to NJPW proper now, however he’s identified for his time there. At this level it seems like a foregone conclusion that he’ll be AEW certain within the speedy future, and this may be a great way to unveil Ibushi as Kenny Omega’s “Ace within the Gap” to lastly take down Don Callis.

Simply give me the Golden Lovers music and I’ll be glad.

Orange Cassidy vs. Shingo Takagi

I don’t suppose it’s an overreaction to say that Orange Cassidy has been the perfect and most dependable singles champion AEW has ever had. He persistently places on wonderful matches because the Worldwide champion, the gang LOVES him, and most significantly, he can work totally different types with anybody, together with Katsuyori Shibata.

In the event that they e-book him in opposition to Takagi, a person who’s wrestling fashion can recover from with anybody and everybody, there’s potential for this to be the match of the evening. Takagi combines explosive energy with the normal robust fashion of wrestling that we’re accustomed to, and will work nicely with Cassidy’s nonchalant fashion.

CM Punk vs. Kenta

Each card wants a pure crowd-pleaser. Look, I don’t actually need that many CM Punk matches in my life anymore, and at this level I feel he’s a lot better as a persona than in-ring performer. That mentioned, Punk vs. Kenta is a match folks have needed for YEARS, and it by no means materialized.

This is smart by way of the meat Punk has with Bullet Membership, and we are able to lastly settle the “Battle of the GTS,” as soon as and for all.

Hiromu Takahashi vs. Rey Fenix

Alright let’s kick this card into excessive gear. Two wrestlers who function at a breakneck tempo going in opposition to one another in a primary time dream match is precisely what Forbidden Door is meant to be. That is dream match central, and we’re fantasy reserving, so I would like this match to occur INSTANTLY.

Daniel Garcia vs. Zach Sabre Jr.

Clearly ZSJ is excessive profile sufficient that he has to win, however I don’t care. I want to see a pure mat wrestling showcase between two of probably the most modern wrestlers in the complete enterprise.

Each are practitioners of wrestling as artwork and science molded into one. They’re not doing energy strikes. No one is leaping off the highest rope. It doesn’t matter although, as these guys will discover probably the most unbelievable methods of turning one another into human pretzels. Give me quarter-hour of pure chain and submission wrestling and I’ll be glad ceaselessly.

Andrade, Rush and Naito (LIJ) vs. Trent Baretta, Chuck Taylor and Tomohirro Ishii (CHAOS)

I do know this gained’t occur. There’s approach an excessive amount of drama surrounding CMLL in Mexico with Rush and Andrade to permit them to work a present involving New Japan. Nonetheless, that is fantasy reserving and I would like it.

Los Ingobernables remains to be one of many coolest wrestling factions on the planet not named “Bullet Membership” or “Bloodline.” We’ve had tantalizing teases of a real reformation, however behind-the-scenes drama has stopped a full show. If all the pieces might be put apart for one evening I might like to see Naito group up with Andrade and Rush once more.

Home of Black vs. Ren Narita, Minoru Suzuki and El Desperado

That is one which I really feel like each promotions can pull off, particularly with what number of six-man groups each have. Home of Black are the present AEW six-man champions, they usually function in Home Guidelines matches, that are very totally different from regular matches, with a purpose to improve the ache they will inflict. Effectively, go forward and attempt to inflict that ache on Minoru Suzuki, wrestling’s favourite homicide uncle. He’ll merely snigger and hit you so laborious you’ll neglect the place you’re at.

This match could be bodily, technical, and one other good approach to showcase the Home of Black, who’ve been on hearth since successful the six-man tag titles.