3 WWE references you probably missed at AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door III
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door III saw a few WWE references thrown out and they were all so sudden that the fans were caught by surprise. The dynamic between the two companies is such that there are a lot of stars who have worked for both.
From name-dropping some top talents to pulling off moves made famous by prominent superstars, Forbidden Door III had it all. In this article, we will take a look at three such WWE references you probably missed from the event.
#3. Former WWE star Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch is currently out of the wrestling scene, as her contract with WWE expired a few months ago. There were a lot of reports and rumor mills that were clamoring for her to move to AEW. That has not yet happened.
However, she was mentioned in the post-show media scrum by NJPW's Zack Sabre Jr. The British star had defeated Orange Cassidy in an acclaimed match at the pay-per-view. After the show, he said that he had trained in the same wrestling school as Becky Lynch.
#2. Finn Balor
Finn Balor was also name-dropped at the Forbidden Door III post-show media scrum by Zack Sabre Jr. Balor and Zack are from the same part of the world, and he had this to say when he was asked about his training days:
"I was very fortunate, though, I was trained by one of the last schools. That's where Becky Lynch and Finn Balor and a plethora of other people come from, but we were very fortunate," he said.
While they never crossed paths in NJPW, Balor and Sabre Jr. met in the ring several times in the early 2010s when they were both on the UK independent scene.
#1. Will Ospreay using the Styles Clash
Will Ospreay is one of the most beloved stars in All Elite Wrestling, and it is not hard to see why. In spite of his obvious talent, he lost his challenge for the AEW World Championship against Swerve Strickland at Forbidden Door.
However, despite losing the match, he had a moment that caught the attention of WWE fans. That took place when he hit Strickland with the Styles Clash, a move made famous by AJ Styles. What was also interesting is that the commentators also acknowledged it and called it by its name.
It wasn't the first time Ospreay has used the Styles Clash, and fans have pointed out how quickly he's able to transition into the maneuver.