AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door III - Best and Worst - Undefeated streak ends, Jon Moxley dethroned, massive return
The third installment of the AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view turned out to be an explosive event, with several show-stealing performances leaving fans in awe. The crossover show further extended All Elite Wrestling's hot streak of high-quality pay-per-views, giving them a significant momentum boost heading into All In 2024.
While most outcomes drew positive reactions from the fans, some matches featured in the Forbidden Door card failed to stick the landing. Overall, the inter-promotional event was an enjoyable affair, although it had its fair share of flaws and mistakes.
In this article, let's look at some of the memorable moments from the Forbidden Door 2024 pay-per-view, and a few missed opportunities that could have been capitalized on.
#5. Best: Britt Baker teases a match against Mercedes Mone
At Forbidden Door 2024, TBS Champion Mercedes Mone took down Stephanie Vaquer to become the new NJPW Strong Women's Champion. Following her monumental victory, Mone was involved in a staredown with a returning Britt Baker, who last competed on AEW television in September 2023.
The tense confrontation has seemingly confirmed AEW's plans for Mercedes Mone's first All In appearance. Fans may likely witness The CEO battle it out with Baker in a dream match at Wembley Stadium in August.
A certified AEW original in Britt Baker going up against a celebrated outsider in Mercedes Mone would make up for a memorable clash at All In. The rivalry will certainly bring more eyeballs to the AEW Women's division while also elevating the TBS Championship in the process.
#4. Worst: Saraya's upset loss to Mariah May
In a shocking turn of events, Mariah May handed an unexpected loss to Saraya at Forbidden Door 2024. With this massive win, The Fighting Princess has advanced into the semi-finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
Unfortunately, Saraya's elimination from the prestigious tournament has diminished her chances of competing for the AEW Women's Championship at All In London. Following her historic title win last year, it would be a poor booking decision not to feature The Outcasts' Leader in a prominent position in front of her home crowd.
Unless Tony Khan has some bigger plans for the Anti-Diva, it makes little sense why such a huge name has been left out of the Women's Title match at All In.
#3. Best: Jack Perry wins the AEW TNT Championship
One of the highlights of Forbidden Door this year was the breathtaking Six-Pack Ladder match for the TNT Championship. The fans had very high expectations regarding this particular title bout, and it is safe to say that the competitors absolutely delivered in this contest.
While Konosuke Takeshita and Mark Briscoe had show-stealing performances, the likes of Lio Rush and Dante Martin also had their shining moments. Ultimately, Jack Perry outsmarted the other five competitors to emerge the victor in this contest.
With Perry's impressive title victory, The Elite have added yet another championship to their collection. Every member of the tyrant group now holds a title in AEW, which has further cemented their dominance in the Jacksonville-based promotion.
The New Elite now stands as the most dangerous force in All Elite Wrestling, which could be a huge psychological advantage heading into their upcoming Blood & Guts match against Team AEW.
#2. Worst: The underwhelming finish to Swerve Strickland vs. Will Ospreay
Swerve Strickland vs. Will Ospreay was the pre-scheduled main event of AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door 2024. The title bout had a lot of buzz surrounding it, as it was difficult to predict the correct outcome for this contest. Although the match delivered from a quality standpoint, the final moments of the contest left a lot to be desired.
As Will Ospreay looked to finish off The Killshot with the Hidden Blade, he ended up hitting his finisher on the referee instead. With the official knocked out, Don Callis appeared out of nowhere to hand Ospreay a screwdriver. Prince Nana then shoved Callis onto the mat, leading to him being threatened by the Commonwealth Kingpin.
Ospreay soon regained his senses and threw away the screwdriver. The Aerial Assassin quickly went back into the ring, where Swerve Strickland immediately took him out. The Killshot then performed multiple back-to-back finishers on Ospreay, earning a convincing victory over his opponent.
It was an underwhelming finish for the most-anticipated match of Forbidden Door 2024. Don Callis' involvement seemed like an unnecessary distraction, which certainly took away from the quality of the World Championship bout. The contest also marked Ospreay's first singles defeat in AEW, which should have ideally transpired in a more noteworthy manner.
#1. Best: Jon Moxley loses the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Tetsuya Naito
Following an entertaining two-month-long reign, Jon Moxley finally lost his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Tetsuya Naito at tonight's pay-per-view. The contest marked the end of a memorable rivalry between the two individuals, who last battled each other at NJPW's Windy City Riot event.
Now that he is no longer NJPW's primary titleholder, The Purveyor of Violence can finally shift his focus back to AEW. Many exciting talents have risen through the ranks in the Jacksonville-based promotion, and they would love to lock horns with The Deathrider.
Moxley would also like to address a few signs of a rift within the Blackpool Combat Club. Most importantly, fans will finally get to see Moxley's increased creative involvement in AEW storylines, which is the biggest plus point of his loss at Forbidden Door.