**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Tonight, AEW presented FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023 live from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON!
It’s Sunday and you know what that means!
The Zero Hour portion of the show kicked off!
Your announce team for Buy In was Excalibur, Kevin Kelly, & Chris Charlton!
Mogul Embassy—Swerve Strickland, “The Machine” Brian Cage, & The Gates of Agony—Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun
vs.
El Desperado & CHAOS—Rocky Romero, Trent Beretta, & Chuck Taylor!
The Gates of Agony double teamed Chuckie T. Trent grabbed a tag and took Toa off his feet with a big body press off the top turnbuckle. Rocky connected with a tope to Brian Cage. Chuck Taylor went over the top and wiped out the Gates of Agony. Trent dropped Toa with his own aerial assault.
Toa Liona squashed Trent with a Samoan Drop. Kaun tagged in and worked over Trent, trying to prevent Trent from making the tag. Brian Cage delivered a Death Valley Driver to Trent on the apron!
Swerve came in with a diving uppercut to Trent. Desperado tagged in and planted Swerve with a spinebuster for a two-count. Brian Cage powerbombed Desperado and then Swerve nailed Desperado with a kick. Rocky tagged in and took down Cage with a diving hurracanrana. Swerve scored the win after a diving foot stomp on Rocky Romero!
Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Quarter-Final Match!
ROH Women’s World Champion “The Fallen Goddess” Athena vs. Billie Starkz!
Starkz wasted no time, clobbering Athena with kicks. Athena picked up Starkz and face planted her on the mat. Athena jumped off the top turnbuckle, but Starkz was playing possum, countering with a thrust kick and then a Death Valley Bomb. Athena powerbombed Billie for a near fall. Athena and Starkz exchanged dropkicks. Billie went for a senton on Athena, but she crashed and burned. After driving Starkz down, Athena pinned Billie Starkz.
Stu Grayson (with The Righteous) vs. El Phantasmo!
Grayson grounded and pounded El Phantasmo. El-P and Stu exchanged chops in the center of the ring. It broke down into a hockey fight, but Stu rocked Phantasmo with a jumping knee strike and then a senton on the apron.
Phantasmo drove Stu spine first into the guardrail with a tope. He followed up with a lionsault on Stu for a near fall. Stu climbed to the top turnbuckle, but El Phantasmo stunned him with a super hurracanrana. ElP got a near fall after hitting Thunder Kiss ’86. El Phantasmo pinned Grayson after spiking him with a Jody Fleisch-like DDT.
United Empire—Kyle Fletcher, Jeff Cobb, & TJP!
vs.
Los Ingobernables De Japon—BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, & Hiromu Takahashi!
Jeff Cobb tripped up Bushi and then sent him crashing into the Japanese announce desk. TJP went over the top with a senton on Bushi. Fletcher tagged in and scoop slammed Bushi. Jeff Cobb used a standing moonsault press for a near fall on Bushi. Cobb threw Takahashi over head with a suplex.
Fletcher and Shingo tagged in for their respective teams. Fletcher blasted Shingo with a thrust kick. TJP flew in with a forearm off the top turnbuckle. Shingo walloped TJP with a Death Valley Driver. Shingo scored the pin on TJP after the Made in Japan!
The main portion of FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023 kicked off with…
AEW World Championship Match!
MJF (c.) vs. “The Ace of the Universe” Hiroshi Tanahashi!
Taz joined the broadcast booth.
Tanahashi knocked MJF out of the ring with a shoulder tackle. MJF said he was done and walked up the ramp. Tanahashi encouraged the fans to chant “Coward!” The chants worked because MJF headed back to the ring.
MJF hoisted up Tanahashi and then dropped him across the top rope, knocking the wind out of the Ace. MJF locked in a bear hug. He followed up with palm strikes to Tanahashi’s abdomen. MJF applied an abdominal stretch. Tanahashi escaped and got a near fall on MJF after a senton to the champ.
Tanahashi took down MJF with a flying crossbody press. Tanahashi threw MJF off the top turnbuckle with a rocket launcher. Tanahashi stunned MJF with a sling blade. MJF rallied back with a superplex on Tanahashi, sending shockwaves through the Ace’s body.
MJF used a shoulder breaker on Tanahashi, but MJF immediately came up clutching his knee. Tanahashi built some momentum and hit the Sling Blade. Tanahashi jumped off the top with the High Fly Flow. Max raised his knees, and Tanahashi’s body came down. The move had just as much impact on Tanahashi as it did on MJF.
MJF shoved Tanahashi into the referee. As the ref was recovering, MJF KO’ ed Tanahashi with the Dynamite Diamond Ring and then scored the pin.
“By hook or by crook, MJF remains the AEW World champion,” said Excalibur.
Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Quarter-Final Match!
CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima!
Kojima smashed Punk with forearms and then a hip toss. Kojima chopped Punk, sending Punk flipping over the guardrail. Punk rallied back with a leg drop. Kojima lit up Punk with rapid fire chops in the corner. Kojima crushed CM Punk with a diving elbow from the top turnbuckle.
Kojima clocked Punk with a rolling elbow and then a DDT. Punk closed the distance with a running elbow strike. Punk climbed to the top turnbuckle and dropped an elbow across the throat of Kojima for a near fall. Punk transitioned right into the Anaconda Vice. Kojima fought out of it with ridge chops.
Satoshia Kojima nailed Punk with the Koji cutter! Kojima went for the lariat, but Punk countered it with a swinging neck breaker. Kojima blocked the GTS and then countered with a brain buster for a near fall on Punk. Punk hit his mark with a roundhouse kick. Punk followed up with the GTS and pinned Kojima.
AEW International Championship Match!
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy (c.) vs. NJPW World TV Champion Zack Sabre, Jr. vs. ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata vs. The Jericho Appreciation Society’s Daniel Garcia!
Orange Cassidy tried a DDT on Garcia, but Garcia countered with the Dragon Tamer. Shibata jumped in and applied a submission on Orange until Zack broke it up to apply a leg lock of his own on Orange.
Shibata and Zach traded forearms and European Uppercuts. Garcia charged in and took down both men. Orange rolled up Garcia for a near fall. Shibata suplexed Sabre. Orange smashed Garcia with a Stun Dog Millionaire and then a DDT for a two-count.
The fans chanted “Freshly squeezed! Freshly squeezed!”
Sabre went after Orange’s damaged right hand. Garcia grabbed a championship belt and rammed it into Shibata’s head for a two-count. Shibata had an onslaught on Garcia. Orange was there to pick up the scraps. Orange rolled up Garcia and pinned him.
“All four of these men had a hell of a match up, I’ll tell you that right now,” said Taz.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match!
SANADA (c.) (with DOUKI) vs. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry (with FTW Champion HOOK)!
Jack connected with a dropkick, sending Sanada to the floor. Jack followed up with a tope. Jack Perry and Sanada traded chops and European Uppercuts. Jack caught Sanada with a back slide for a near fall.
Jack Perry locked in the Skull End, Sanada’s own move! Sanada escaped and jammed Jungle Boy with a TKO for a new fall. Jack spiked Sanada with a reverse hurracanrana. Sanada countered a second attempt with a poison rana and then a shining wizard for a two-count on Jungle Boy. Sanada hit the moonsault press and pinned Jack Perry.
After the match, Hook helped Jack Perry to his feet. They walked up the ramp and Jack Perry stunned Hook (and the fans) with a lariat to Hook.
“A cheap shot by Jack Perry!” said Excalibur.
“That scumbag!” replied Taz.
Jack Perry threw the FTW Championship down at Hook.
Taz stormed off. Tony Schiavone joined the broadcast booth.
5-On-5 Grudge Match!
The Blackpool Combat Club (ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, & Wheeler Yuta), Konosuke Takeshita, & Shota Umino
vs.
The Elite (“Hangman” Adam Page, Matt & Nick Jackson), Eddie Kingston, & Tomohiro Ishii!
Shota used a deep arm drag on Page, but Page retaliated with a big boot. Ishii tagged in and he and Hangman Page used tandem offense on Shota. Takeshita tagged in and he and Ishii blasted each other with forearms.
The Young Bucks used tandem offense on Takeshita. Moxley and Kingston tagged in and had a stare down.
“Look at the eyes of both men. Neither man backing down. What a standoff,” said Schiavone.
Mox and Kingston lit up each other’s chests with blistering chops. Claudio came in with a cheap shot to Kingston. Claudio stomped on Eddie Kingston.
“The hatred between these two men is so palpable,” said Excalibur.
Wheeler Yuta tagged in and grounded and pounded Kingston. Moxley came in and stopped Kingston from making the tag out to his own corner. Moxley and Kingston clobbered each other with simultaneous lariats. Ishii tagged in and ran through Wheeler Yuta. Ishii planted Claudio with a brain buster.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Takeshita and Umino used a powerbomb-reverse DDT combo on Ishii. Moxley jumped in, looking for the King Kong lariat, but Ishii suplexed him to the mat. Hangman Page tagged in, and he and Takeshita collided in the center of the ring.
Page intercepted the Takeshita-line, with Page dishing out a wicked forearm. Page hit a running shooting star press off the apron onto Takeshita. Nick Jackson superkicked Takeshita. The Bucks tried for the BTE Trigger, but Takeshita dodged it. Takeshita double suplexed the Bucks. The Bucks answered with superkicks. A conflicted Kingston pushed Moxley out of the way of superkicks from the Bucks. Takeshita smashed Matt Jackson with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two-count.
“Kingston took the bullet for Moxley but at the cost of his own team,” said Excalibur.
Moxley ran into Matt Jackson with a running lariat. Claudio put Matt in the Giant Swing and then Yuta dropkicked him. Ishii hoisted Yuta onto the top turnbuckle. Ishii superplexed Yuta. Hangman Page powerbombed Takeshita. Moxley saved a cutter for Kingston.
The Bucks superkicked Moxley. Page went for a Buckshot Lariat, but Yuta was ready for it. Yuta countered with a suplex. Ishii ran in and clotheslined Yuta. Ishii followed up with a brain buster on Wheeler Yuta and scored the pin.
“Ishii was the MVP for the side of the Elite and Eddie Kingston,” said Excalibur.
Kingston, frustrated with the fact that he had to inflict violence on Moxley, began to argue with the Elite at ringside.
“If Eddie was conflicted, he should not have gotten into the match,” said Tony Schiavone.
AEW Women’s World Championship Match!
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm (with the Outcasts’ Saraya and Ruby Soho)
vs.
NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion Willow Nightingale!
Ruby held Willow’s legs and Toni Storm hit the hip attack on Willow. The NJPW Strong Women’s Champ splashed Toni in the turnbuckles. Toni absorbed a boot from Willow. Willow planted Toni with a Death Valley Driver on the apron, and then another inside the ring for a near fall.
The referee ejected the Outcasts from ringside when he saw their can of spray paint. Toni rolled out of the way of a moonsault press. Toni charged at Willow with a hip attack and followed up with a DDT for a two-count on Willow.
Willow walloped Toni with a spinebuster. Willow applied an Indian Death Lock on Toni. Willow let go of the hold after Toni chomped down on Willow’s leg. Willow pounced Toni Storm. Toni rolled out of the ring to create some distance.
Willow charged in with a lariat to Toni in the corner. Toni gouged the eyes of Willow and then spiked her with Storm Zero for the pin! Skye Blue was seen watching on a monitor backstage, while Dr. Britt Baker was watching on another monitor.
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Match!
Kenny Omega (c.) vs. Will Ospreay (flanked by Don Callis and military-grade security guards)!
The fans were on their feet when the bell rang.
“If this doesn’t have a big time feel, you are wrong,” said Tony Schiavone.
Omega went for a snap dragon suplex, but Ospreay landed on his feet! Ospreay thumbed Omega in the eye. Omega used a hurracanrana and then a moonsault for a near fall on Will.
“Kenny Omega is absolutely amazing,” said Tony Schiavone.
Don Callis grabbed Omega’s leg. Omega went outside the ring, but the security stood in his way. Ref Paul Turner ejected Callis from the ringside area. Ospreay threw Omega shoulder-first into the ring post. Ospreay nailed Omega with a backbreaker for a two-count.
Omega dropkicked Will’s kneecap. Omega dunked Ospreay’s head onto the mat. Ospreay kicked Omega and then balanced Omega on the top rope. Will connected with a shooting star press to Omega’s spine. Will walloped Omega with an Os-Cutter on the apron!
Ospreay slammed Kenny’s head against the broadcast table! Kenny’s forehead was busted wide open. Ospreay licked Omega’s blood off his arm. Ospreay knocked down Omega with a rolling elbow.
Will slammed into Omega’s head with a running knee strike. Ospreay grabbed a fan’s Canadian flag at ringside and disrespected it. Omega used a running clothesline on Will. Omega crushed Ospreay with a V-Trigger against the barricade.
Omega rammed Ospreay’s head against the steel ring steps. Will’s forehead was busted open! Omega DDT’ed Will on the ring steps!
“Ospreay is a bloody mess, and they may need to waive this one off,” said Kevin Kelly.
Omega mounted Ospreay and began to punish him with open palm strikes. Omega put on an arm lock and then looked for a triangle on Will. Ospreay grabbed Kenny’s arm, lifted him up and then powerbombed him!
Ospreay sent Omega flying with a German Suplex. Omega fired back with one of his own. Will shocked Kenny with a Spanish Fly out of nowhere for a near fall.
“Listen to the fans. They are just digging this, man,” said Schiavone.
Ospreay put Omega in the Sharpshooter. Ospreay transitioned to a cross face submission on Omega. Kenny managed to crawl to the ropes to force the break. Will cracked Kenny with Kawada-style kicks. Kenny countered an Os-Cutter with a knee strike. Kenny served up Snap Dragon suplexes on Ospreay. Omega spiked Ospreay with a piledriver for a two-count.
Omega planted Will with a neck breaker. Omega continued to dish out the punishment with a V-trigger. Ospreay trapped Kenny’s head under the turnbuckle and then scored with a thrust kick. Ospreay nailed Omega with a Sky Twister Press. The fans gasped at the sight of it.
Omega dodged the Hidden Blade from Ospreay. Ospreay dropped Kenny with a Liger Bomb. Ospreay connected with a top rope Os-Cutter for a two-count.
“Was that a kick out or a convulsion?” wondered Excalibur.
Don Callis snuck back down the ramp and to the ring. Callis hid behind security.
Omega wrecked Ospreay with two V-Triggers. Don Callis jumped on the apron to shield Ospreay. Callis distracted the ref and handed off a screwdriver to Will. Ospreay spiked Kenny in the skull with it. Ospreay rocked Omega with the Storm Breaker. Ospreay covered Omega but Kenny got his foot on the rope just before the ref could count to three!
“Kenny Omega stunning the world!” said Excalibur.
“Amazing! As the crowd erupts with a chant of ‘Kenny,’” replied Schiavone.
Ospreay hit the One-Winged Angel on Omega, but Omega kicked out at the one-count! Omega smashed Will with a brain buster.
The fans chanted “Fight forever! Fight forever!”
Ospreay impaled Omega with a Tiger Driver ’91! Kenny somehow managed to kick out of the pin attempt. Ospreay clobbered Kenny with the Hidden Blade and then the Stormbreaker. Ospreay pinned Omega and became the new IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion!
Trios Match!
Darby Allin, Sting, & Tetsuya Naito
vs.
Le Suzuki Gods—“The Ocho” Chris Jericho, Minoru Suzuki, & Sammy Guevara!
Sammy backflipped over Naito and connected with a corkscrew dropkick. Darby and Suzuki tagged in. Darby dished out forearms and challenged Suzuki. Minoru was happy to oblige, rocking Darby with a stiff forearm.
Sting tagged in and he and Suzuki stared at one another. Jericho begged to be tagged in and Suzuki granted Jericho his wish. Jericho attempted a Stinger Splash, but the Icon dodged it. Sammy jumped off the top rope with a cutter on Sting.
Darby grabbed a tag and went over the top with a Code Red on Sammy. The “Spanish God” answered with a Spanish Fly on Darby.
Naito baited Jericho in, spitting on him, and then rocking him with a neck breaker. Darby used a cannonball tope on Suzuki. Darby went for another, but this time Jericho countered with the Judas Effect.
Jericho pulled a table out from beneath the ring. Jericho insisted that Sammy put Sting through the table. Sammy obeyed, diving off the top turnbuckles and landing onto Sting with a 630 Splash! Naito ran into Suzuki with a sliding lariat and pinned him, after some help from Sting!
Main Event Time!
“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada!
Okada used his speed to take down Danielson with a back elbow. Okada caught Danielson on the ear with a dropkick. Danielson rammed Okada into the ring post, aiming to neutralize Okada’s arms.
Danielson connected with a diving knee strike to Okada. Danielson and Okada traded forearms. Okada planted Danielson with a flapjack. Okada got a near fall on Danielson after a neck breaker. Danielson nailed Okada with a missile dropkick.
Danielson baited Okada in and rocked him with a running knee strike. Danielson nearly decapitated Okada with a kick. Okada dropkicked Danielson, followed up with the landslide and then the rainmaker. Danielson kicked out of Okada’s pin attempt.
Danielson forced Okada down. Danielson trapped Okada in the Lebell Lock. Danielson rained down on Okada with elbow strikes. Danielson locked in the Lebell Lock even tighter, modified it, and Okada tapped out!
“The arena is stunned! I’m stunned! Danielson forced Okada to tap out. Tonight was a love letter to professional wrestling,” said Excalibur.
Missed what the entire wrestling world is buzzing about? Order the replay of AEW: FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023! It’s available on all major providers, Bleacher Report, and Fite TV (Int.)! See AEW: FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023 for yourself!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, ON!
Next Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10pm ET on TNT!
Then Saturday, July 1st, it’s AEW COLLISION on TNT at 8/7c from the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, ON!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!