Forbidden Door (2023)

AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door (2023) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view show co-promoted by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place on June 25, 2023 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was the second Forbidden Door event held by AEW and NJPW. The event was the first AEW PPV held outside of the United States and NJPW's first PPV in Canada. This was also the first non-WWE professional wrestling event held at the arena since November 21, 1999, when World Championship Wrestling (WCW) held Mayhem at the then-Air Canada Centre.

The main event of the show saw Bryan Danielson defeat Kazuchika Okada. Danielson trapped Okada in an omoplata and then transfer into his LeBell lock to make Okada to tap out, getting the submission victory. During the match, Danielson suffered a legitimate fracture in his elbow after a top rope diving elbow drop from Okada landed on his arm.

The event got very positive receptions from fans and critics. The IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship match between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay, the AEW International Championship match, the 10-man tag team match, and the main event match all recieved praise. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter rated the IWGP U.S. Championship match 6 stars out of 5, making it the highest rated match in AEW history at that time. Meltzer said that the match was one of the greatest matches in the history of AEW.

Matches
No.ResultsStipulationsTimes1Tom Lawlor (with Royce Isaacs) defeated Serpentico (with Luther)Singles match4:102Mogul Embassy (Swerve Strickland, Toa Liona, Brian Cage, and Bishop Kaun) (with Prince Nana) defeated Chaos (Rocky Romero, Chuck Taylor, and Trent Beretta) and El DesperadoEight-man tag team match12:303Athena defeated Billie StarkzWomen's Owen Hart Cup Tournament first round match7:504El Phantasmo defeated Stu GraysonSingles match7:155Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Bushi, and Hiromu Takahashi) defeated United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher, and TJP)Six-man tag team match7:306MJF (c) defeated Hiroshi TanahashiSingles match for the AEW World Championship15:307CM Punk defeated Satoshi KojimaMen's Owen Hart Cup Tournament first round match13:408Orange Cassidy (c) defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Katsuyori Shibata, and Daniel GarciaFour-way match for the AEW International Championship11:159Sanada (c) (with Douki) defeated "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry (with Hook)Singles match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship10:4510The Elite ("Hangman" Adam Page, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson), Eddie Kingston, and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castagnoli), Konosuke Takeshita, and Shota Umino10-man tag team match21:2511Toni Storm (c) (with Ruby Soho and Saraya) defeated Willow NightingaleSingles match for the AEW Women's World Championship10:3012Will Ospreay (with Don Callis) defeated Kenny Omega (c)Singles match for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship39:4513Sting, Darby Allin, and Tetsuya Naito defeated Le Suzuki Gods (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Minoru Suzuki)Six-man tag team match15:1014Bryan Danielson defeated Kazuchika Okada by submissionSingles match27:40 

References

Category:2023 in sports
Category:2023 in Canada
Category:All Elite Wrestling shows
Category:New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Category:Sport in Toronto