"They missed the boat with the end of that match"- WWE Legend slams AEW for the Forbidden Door ending involving Claudio Castagnoli
WWE Legend Bully Ray has blasted AEW for the brawl-finish of the Forbidden Door pay-per-view, with Claudio Castagnoli wiping out the members of the Jericho Appreciation Society.
Jon Moxley captured the interim AEW World Title after defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi in a gruelling affair in the main event of the show. Following the bout, the JAS attacked both Moxley and Tanahashi. An insane brawl broke out and in came AEW debutant Claudio Castagnoli (fka Cesaro), who wiped the JAS members out with thunderous uppercuts.
During the most recent episode of Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray expressed his displeasure over the brawl and Claudio's entrance:
"The aftermatch of the match, which I didn't think it fit. I didn't like the way pay-per-view went off the air. Especially giving Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro) an entrance on a run-in. That completely didn't make sense to me. That entire brawl didn't make sense to me." (11.53-12.18)
The WWE Hall of Famer expressed that he felt AEW missed out on having a special ending to the show by booking it the way it did:
"All they (fans) remember is the finish. Last night was more about ending the representation of the entire pay-per-view. Moxley, a bloody mess. Tanahashi a defeated warrior. There were a couple of moments where they (AEW) could've really let the crowd react in a way that truly would've brought a different feel to the pay-per-view. I think they missed the boat with the end of that match." (17.15-18.21)
Anybody else feel that ending was kinda like AEW saying “cool, match is over, no more ‘Forbidden Door’ shite, bye bye New Japan”?
Kinda felt unnecessary, could have at least had the final shot be a Mox-Tana handshake while the teams stared each other down #ForbiddenDoor
Bully Ray believes Forbidden Door should've ended with Moxley and Tanahashi, not Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli was brought in as Bryan Danielson's handpicked replacement to face NJPW's Zack Sabre Jr., whom he defeated in an extremely physical contest. The crowd was delighted to witness Claudio's long-awaited arrival in All Elite Wrestling.
The loud reception for the former WWE Superstar at the sold-out United Center in Chicago was acknowledged by Bully Ray on Twitter. While Ray was all for Cesaro's arrival in AEW, he believes the show should've ended with Moxley and Tanahashi having a standing ovation:
"I thought we should've seen the show go off the air with Moxley and Tanahashi and a standing ovation. That felt like such a feel-good moment. That represented exactly what the show was all about. Talk about two representatives of both companies...Moxley representing AEW and Tanahashi representing New Japan." (12.19-12.44)
The tag team wrestling legend further emphasized what his vision for the show would've been:
"We've got this great Forbidden Door pay-per-view. The two warriors standing there face-to-face, shaking hands, standing ovation, feel that energy in the room, capture that moment." (12.45-12.57)
Nice little pop for Claudio. Totally deserves it.
#AEWxNJPW
#ForbiddenDoor
@BustedOpenRadio
Claudio Castagnoli finally making in the AEW ring was a site that the majority of fans couldn't wait to see. The star is being touted as the key factor for Blackpool Combat Club in the upcoming Blood and Guts match against JAS.
Please credit Busted Open Radio podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda when using quotes for this article.