On June 30, All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling presented AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door.
Among other matches, Swerve Strickland defended the AEW World Championship against Will Ospreay. Plus, TBS Champion Mercedes Moné faced NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer. Elsewhere on the show, Jon Moxley defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Tetsuya Naito.
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door: Zero Hour Results
Zero Hour Pre-Show
The pre-show panel previews the card and highlights each match as they get fans ready for the action.
Backstage, The Acclaimed hype up their match alongside Billy Gunn. Gunn says he’ll be cheering them on. Caster takes a shot at Kazuchika Okada and says his wife is more famous than he is. Anthony Bowens says he is amped up, and they’re going to kick Okada in the Rainmaker. He says enough is enough, and it’s time to step through the Forbidden Door to dish out an “elite” ass-kicking.
Amanda Huber and Negative One discuss the new shoe in honor of Brodie Lee.
Serpentico vs. Kyle Fletcher
Fletcher drills Serpentico with a big boot and takes control early on. He grounds Serpentico, who fires back with a hurricanrana. Fletcher drills himm with a clothesline. Fletcher tears at Serpentico’s mask. They go back and forth, and Fletcher nails him with a stiff shot to the back of the head. Fletcher hits a Tombstone. He hits a Brainbuster on the turnbuckle for the win.
Winner: Kyle Fletcher
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)
Black and O’Reilly start the bout and go back and forth. King and Ishii tag in and trade blows. The powerhouses duke it out. Kidd tags in and takes the fight to King. Kidd and Strong double-team King. Quen takes Strong out with a dive. Private Party double-teams Kidd. O’Reilly and Kidd exchange strikes.
Kidd levels O’Reilly with a lariat. Kidd lights up O’Reilly with some chops. Strong argues with him, and tensions rise. Ishii tags in drops them with a double clothesline. Ishii drops Matt Taven when he tries to interfere, and the powerhouse keeps rolling. King trades shots with Ishii. O’Reilly and Ishii double-team King. Quen breaks up the pin after a double-team brainbuster. Strong and O’Reilly are both down after a double clothesline. Bodies are flying as the match breaks down. King drops Ishii with a chop.
Private Party double-teams King and dives onto a group of competitors at ringside. Black drills Kassidy with a shot to the face. King levels Kassidy with a lariat. He hits the Gonzo Bomb for the win.
Winners: House of Black (Malakai Black and Brody King)
A video package highlights Mercedes Moné’s match with Stephanie Vaquer.
Willow Nightingale & Tam Nakano vs. Kris Statlander & Momo Watanabe (with Stokely Hathaway)
Nakano and Statlander square off and feel each other out. Nakano catches Statlander a dropkick. Nightingale and Watanabe tag in and go back and forth. Nakano and Watanabe trade blows. Hathaway distracts the referee, and Statlander attacks Nakano from behind. Statlander and Watanabe double-team Nakano. Nakano rallies and sends Statlander to the outside. Watanabe and Statlander regain the upper hand and continue to isolate Nakano. Nakano fires up and tags Willow, who clears house with a flurry of offense. She hits Statlander with a barrage of strikes.
Statlander tags out, and Willow keeps rolling as she drops Watanabe. She hits a spinebuster for a two-count. Statlander takes control, but Willow rallies with a dropkick. Nakano goes for a diving crossbody, but Statlander moves. Nakano dumps Statlander with a German suplex. Statlander and Watanabe double-team Willow. Nakano hits Statlander with a Tiger Suplex. Willow hits an avalanche Death Valley Driver on Watanabe. Watanabe rocks her with some kicks but gets dropped with a Pounce. Willow takes out Statlander, and Nakano dumps Momo with a suplex for the win.
Winners: Willow Nightingale & Tam Nakano
A video package highlights the title match between Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland.
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Continues
Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Quarterfinal: Mariah May (with Toni Storm)) vs. Saraya (with Harley Cameron)
May gets an early two-count on a pin attempt and catches Saraya with a knee strike. She hits Saraya with an uppercut and plants her with a sidewalk slam. May gets a two-count with a dropkick. Another dropkick earns May a two-count. Saraya evades a hip attack and snaps May’s neck on the ropes. They trade blows, and Saraya sends May face-first into the ring post. She slams May onto the apron and maintains the advantage. Saraya continues to ground May.
May and Saraya trade strikes. May fires up and hits a hip attack in the corner. Cameron distracts the referee, but Toni Storm stops her. May fights off a submission attempt, but Saraya slams her face into the mat. May stacks Saraya up and pins her.
Winner: Mariah May
Mariah May celebrates with Toni Storm after the match. Mina Shirakawa joins the celebration but gets into a confrontation with Storm ahead of their match later in the show.
Lucha Bros Team Up With Mistico
The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fénix) and Místico (with Alex Abrahantes) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Yota Tsuji, Titan, and Hiromu Takahashi)
Titan and Rey Fenix trade fast-paced offense early on. Penta and Tsuji tag in and square off. Penta gains the upper hand, but Tsuji overpowers him. Tsuji drops Penta with a knee strike. Mistico and Hiromu Takahashi tag in. Mistico gains the upper hand, but Titan and Tsuji gang up on him. The Lucha Bros drill them with kicks and double-team them. LIJ takes control as Titan and Tsuji dive onto the Lucha Bros.
Takahashi grounds Mistico. LIJ isolates Mistico and gangs up on him. Tsuji and Titan both hit splashes on Mistico. Mistico rallies and gains some breathing room. He tags Penta, who fires up with a flurry of offense. The Lucha Bros gain the upper hand. Mistico hits Tsuji with a splash. Titan rocks Fenix with a semifinals. Mistico dives onto Tsuji at ringside. The Lucha Bros hit Fear Factor for the win. Mistico makes Titan tap out to La Mistica.
Winners: The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fénix) and Místico
The broadcast team runs through the card again.
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door: Main Card Results
MJF vs. Hechicero
MJF plays to his hometown crowd. Hechicero briefly takes control before MJF gets free. MJF offers a handshake and hits Hechicero with a cheap shot. He pokes Hechicero in the eyes and plays to the crowd again. Hechicero sends MJF to the outside. MJF slams Hechicero into the barricade and drills him with a boot to the face.
Hechicero takes control and targets MJF’s arm. He counters the Heatseeker and grounds MJF. Hechicero controls the action, but MJF rallies. MJF drops Hechicero with a piledriver. Hechicero catches up with a dropkick off the ropes. He traps MJF in an arm-breaker. MJF counters into the Salt of the Earth armbar. Hechicero transitions into another submission hold, but MJF reaches the ropes. MJF punches Hechicero in the corner and bites him. He hits a Brainbuster for the win.
Winner: MJF
A video package hypes up the Young Bucks and their role in Forbidden Door’s origins.
The Elite Face Scissor-Ace
Scissor Ace (Anthony Bowens, Max Caster & Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs. The Elite (Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson & Kazuchika Okada)
Caster and Okada start the bout. Okada takes a cheap shot at Tanahashi, who tags in. He stares Okada down, but Okada tags out. Tanahashi and Matthew Jackson feel each other out. Tanahashi gains the upper hand. Bowens tags in and rocks Jackson with some strikes. The Acclaimed maintain the advantage. Okada evades Tanahashi again. The Acclaimed and Tanahashi hit Scissor Me Timbers and play air guitar. Okada and the Bucks take control The Young Bucks double-team Caster. The Elite isolate Caster.
Caster rallies with a jaw-breaker and tags Bowens, who clears house with a flurry of offense. Bowens evades a Stinger Splash and drops Nicholas with a stiff strike. He slams Matthew to the mat. Tanahashi tags in and takes the fight to Okada. He hits a senton for a two-count. Tanahashi hits a Dragon Screw. The Acclaimed hit Okada with the Mic Drop. The Young Bucks stop Tanahashi from diving. Okada gets his knees up. The Bucks dish out superkicks. They dive onto The Acclaimed. Tanahashi counters the Rainmaker into a roll-up. Okada finally hits the Rainmaker for the win.
Winners: The Elite (Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson & Kazuchika Okada)
Okada goes to attack Tanahashi after the bell, but Billy Gunn makes the save. Tanahashi is down, and The Acclaimed check on him.
Bryan Danielson Battles Shingo Takagi
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Quarterfinal: Bryan Danielson vs. Shingo Takagi
Danielson and Takagi feel each other out. Danielson gains an advantage early on as the match is highly technical in the opening stages. Takagi overpowers Danielson and takes control. He hits a senton. Danielson rallies, but Takagi slams him onto the floor. Danielson seemingly hurts his neck and evades getting counted out. Takagi grounds him and controls the action. Danielson rallies and catches Takagi with a flurry of offense. Takagi takes control again. Danielson takes Takagi with an avalanche back suplex.
Danielson goes for an arm-bar and transitions to a triangle sleeper. Takagi powers out of it and slams Danielson. Takagi hits a superplex, and both men are down. He gets a two-count with a lariat. Danielson tries to rally but eats another lariat. Takagi hits Made in Japan for a two-count. Danielson keeps fighting, but Takagi blasts him with an elbow to the head. Danielson fires up and locks in an arm-bar. Takagi evades the LeBell Lock, and they trade blows. Danielson blasts him with a kick. He hits the running knee for a two-count. Danielson stomps Takagi and hits some elbows and locks in an arm-bar, forcing the referee to call for the bell.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
Takagi stares Danielson down and nods at him after the bell.
Toni Storm Defends The Gold At AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
AEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Mina Shirakawa
Storm enters dressed like the “Statue of Liberty”. Before the bell, Mariah May is stuck between Storm and Shirakawa, but she leaves the ring, unable to choose between them. Storm gains the upper hand, but Shirakawa dropkicks her leg. Shirakawa targets her leg and traps her in a leg-lock around the ring post. The challenger maintains the advantage and keeps attacking the leg.
Storm rallies with a Fisherman suplex. She sends Shirakawa to the floor with a hip attack. Shirakawa takes Storm down with a dive to the outside. Storm controls the action back in the ring. Shirakawa goes back to the leg and traps Storm in a Figure-Four Leg Lock. They slap each other while Shirakawa keeps the hold locked in. The competitors make it back to their feet and trade shots. Shirakawa drops her with a rolling elbow. She hits a diving DDT and spikes Storm for a two-count. Storm dumps Mina with a German suplex. She hits a hip attack for a two-count.
Shirakawa catches Storm with a pin attempt for a two-count. She rocks Storm with a rolling back fist. Mina slams Storm for a two-count. She drills Storm with a kick to the head. Storm hits Shirakawa with a headbutt and suplexes her. She hits the Storm Zero for the win.
Winner and still AEW Women’s World Champion: Toni Storm
Mariah May checks on Toni Storm after the bell. Storm picks Shirakawa up. Mina extends a handshake, and Storm takes it. May encourages them to make up, and they hug. At May’s urging, they kiss. May and Storm stand tall, and they all leave together.
Orange Cassidy Takes On Zack Sabre Jr.
Orange Cassidy vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Cassidy and Sabre Jr. feel each other out early on, and Sabre Jr. shows off his technical expertise. Cassidy heads to the outside and rolls back into the ring. Sabre Jr. and Cassidy battle for positioning. Sabre Jr. wrenches Cassidy’s leg. Cassidy fights out of it, but Sabre Jr. takes control again, forcing Cassidy to head to the outside. Sabre Jr. drops Cassidy with an uppercut and locks in a full crab. He maintains the advantage and grounds Cassidy.
Sabre Jr. mocks Cassidy’s signature “kicks” before nailing him with a stiff shot to the midsection. Cassidy takes Sabre Jr. down with a dropkick to the knee and a dropkick, sending Sabre Jr. to the outside. Cassidy keeps rolling and targets Sabre Jr.’s leg. Back in the ring, he hits Sabre Jr. with a Dragon Screw. Cassidy hits a diving DDT for a two-count. Sabre Jr. counters the Orange Punch and stomps Cassidy’s arm. He snaps Cassidy’s fingers. Sabre Jr. traps Cassidy in an arm-bar, but he reaches the ropes. Cassidy fires up with a flurry of stomps.
Cassidy gets a two-count with Beach Break. Cassidy hits the Orange Punch and gets a two-count with a pin attempt. They go back and forth, and Sabre Jr. locks in an arm-bar again, forcing Cassidy to tap out.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
A video package hypes up the upcoming trios match
Samoa Joe, HOOK, And Shibata Take On The Learning Tree
Samoa Joe, HOOK & Katsuyori Shibata vs. The Learning Tree (Chris Jericho & Big Bill) & Jeff Cobb
Jericho grabs a microphone and addresses the crowd, saying they want him there because he’s from Long Island. Bill and Shibata square off, and the big man drops Shibata. He overpowers him and dumps him with a suplex. Shibata and Jericho trade blows. Shibata gains the upper hand. HOOK and Shibata double-team Jericho. HOOK unloads on the FTW Champion with some strikes. Cobb and Joe tag in and duke it out. Joe hits Cobb with a series of strikes.
Big Bill takes control, and Jericho’s team isolates Joe. HOOK’s team rallies, but The Learning Tree takes control again. Bryan Keith interferes, helping Jericho maintain the advantage. Cobb slams HOOK and keeps the upper hand. Shibata, Joe, and HOOK gang up on Cobb. Bill slams Joe into the barricade. HOOK dives onto the big man at ringside. The referee distracts the referee, and Jericho hits Shibata below the belt. Bill dumps Joe with a chokeslam. HOOK dumps Cobb with a T-bone. Jericho hits HOOK with a Codebreaker. HOOK goes for the Redrum. Jericho turns it into an inside cradle for a two-count. HOOK hits the Judas Effect for the win.
Winners: Samoa Joe, HOOK & Katsuyori Shibata
A New TNT Champion Rises
Ladder Match For TNT Championship: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mark Briscoe vs. Jack Perry vs. Dante Martin vs. Lio Rush vs. El Phantasmo
The match quickly breaks down as the competitors battle it out. The participants grab ladders and throw them at each other. Briscoe throws a chair at Rush’s head. Perry is left by himself, and he goes to climb, but he gets stopped. He grounds Rush. Briscoe gets hit by a falling ladder and lands on the floor. Phantasmo hits Rush with a spinning slam onto a ladder. Takeshita slams a ladder into Martin’s head.
Briscoe puts a ladder around his head and hits his opponents. He throws the ladder at Rush. Briscoe dives over the ropes and onto Takeshita, putting him through a table while he was under a ladder.
Perry hits Rush with a ladder. Phantasmo meets him at the top of a ladder. Martin and Phantasmo battle on top of a ladder, but Perry knocks them down. Martin seemingly lands badly on his leg. Briscoe battles with Takeshita. Briscoe dives off a ladder and onto Perry while he’s laid out on a table. Martin goes for the title and meets Rush at the top of the ladder. Takeshita dumps Martin with a powerbomb. Takeshita slams Rush onto a ladder. ELP drills him with a kick. Takeshita fires back with a stiff strike and slams Perry through a table with a Blue Thunder Bomb.
Takeshita goes to get the title, but Briscoe stops him. Briscoe hits a Jay Driller onto a ladder. Perry hits Briscoe with a ladder. He hits Briscoe with a chair and unhooks the title.
Winner and new TNT Champion: Jack Perry
A video package highlights Mercedes Moné’s match against Stephanie Vaquer.
Title For Title at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
Title For Title: TBS Champion Mercedes Moné vs. NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer
Vaquer takes the fight to Moné right away. They trade pin attempts, and they’re evenly matched early on. Vaquer takes Moné down with an arm drag. Moné responds with a headscissors takedown at ringside. Vaquer counters a DDT and hits a diving knee drop. She dives onto Moné at ringside. Back in the ring, Vaquer grounds Moné. Mercedes rallies with two suplexes. She ties Mercedes up in a modified arm bar, but Mercedes escapes. Vaquer slams Moné’s head into the mat.
Moné catches Vaquer with a dropkick in mid-air. Mercedes gains more momentum, but Vaquer counters the Moné Maker. Both women are down after they collide. They get back to their feet and trade blows. Vaquer gets a two-count with a pin attempt. Moné locks in a crossface, but Vaquer powers out. Vaquer slams Moné onto her knees. Mercedes hits two backstabbers. Vaquer hits a Dragon Screw and double knees in the corner. Moné goes for a crossface again. Vaqyer escapes, but Mercedes hits the Moné Maker. She makes Vaquer tap out to the crossface.
Winner and new NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion and still TBS Champion: Mercedes Moné
Britt Baker made her return and interrupted Mercedes’ celebration. Moné raised her titles while Baker stared her down at the stage.
Jon Moxley Defends The Gold
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
Moxley gains the upper hand early on. He gets a chair, and Naito sits in it. Moclry grounds Naito and targets his leg. He slams Naito onto the broadcast table. Back in the ring, he grounds Naito. Moxley dumps Naito with a backdrop driver. The champion rakes Naito’s back. The match spills to the outside, and Naito tackles Moxley into part of the broadcast table. They head back to the ring, and Naito controls the action. Naito maintains the advantage and drops Moxley with a neckbreaker.
Moxley drills Naito with a knee to the head. Naito gets a two-count with a pin attempt. Moxley gets a two-count with a powerbomb. Moxley and Naito keep battling. Naito hits the Destino. Moxley spikes him with a Paradigm Shift, and both men are down. They get back to their feet and trade blows. Moxley nails him with a lariat and hits the Deathrider for a two-count. Moxley gets a chair but doesn’t get to use it. Naito spikes Moxley with a brainbuster. He hits Destino for the win.
Winner and new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion: Tetsuya Naito
Naito celebrates his win after the bout.
Swerve Strickland Battles Will Ospreay
AEW World Championship: Swerve Strickland (c) (with Prince Nana) vs. Will Ospreay
Jim Jones introduces Strickland before his entrance. Ospreay and Strickland feel each other out. They trade blows. The two competitors trade counters, and they’re evenly matched. Ospreay takes control with some strikes, but Strickland fires back with his own. Ospreay drills Swerve with a boot, sending him to the outside. He dives onto Strickland at ringside. Ospreay hits Strickland with a dropkick.
Strickland and Ospreay trade blows. Strickland gains the upper hand. He hits a neckbreaker in the ropes. Ospreay rallies and goes to dive onto the champion, but Swerve evades it. Strickland sends Ospreay into the barricade. Ospreay takes him down with a hurricanrana off the barricade. Strickland catches Ospreay with a back-breaker. He grounds Ospreay and mocks him with some kicks. Ospreay gets in Strickland’s face, and they trade blows. Ospreay plants Swerve with a powerbomb and Styles Clash for a two-count. Both men are down after a flurry of offense. Ospreay kicks Strickland. Strickland hits an avalanche Olympic Slam.
Ospreay nails Swerve with a kick. Swerve evades an Os-cutter, so Ospreay lands hard on the apron. He goes for a Swerve Stomp, but Ospreay rolls out of the way. Swerve calls an audible and hits a Swerve Stomp onto the broadcast table. He spikes Ospreay with a piledriver onto the barricade. Back in the ring, he slams Ospreay for a two-count. Ospreay rallies with an Os-cutter and gets a two-count with another. Strickland counters an Os-cutter. Ospreay hits another Os-cutter and hits the Storm-breaker or a two-count. Ospreay headbutts Swerve, and Swerve counters the Tiger Driver. Swerve hits the Hidden Blade. Ospreay accidentally hits the referee with a Hidden Blade.
Both men are down after another Hidden Blade. Don Callis runs in and offers Ospreay a screwdriver. Ospreay takes it, and Nana shoves Callis down. Ospreay goes to attack Nana and hesitates. He opts not to, and Strickland blasts him with a kick. Strickland hits Swerve Stomp for a near fall. Strickland hits a House Call for another near fall. Ospreay is out on his feet, and Swerve hits another House Call. He scores the win by slamming Ospreay with the JML Driver.
Winner and still AEW World Champion: Swerve Strickland
Strickland celebrates his victory, and officials check on Ospreay. Kyle Fletcher comes out to check on Ospreay as well.
[Updating]
