"There are still wrestlers and matches I would like to see" - NJPW president hopes for a Forbidden Door sequel with Tony Khan's AEW
New Japan Pro-Wrestling president Takami Ohbari recently spoke about the potential of a second Forbidden Door event taking place with Tony Khan's All Elite Wrestling. He made it clear that he would like it to have a bit of a different flavor than the first show.
The joint event between AEW and NJPW was a home run for both companies. Fans buzzed about the initial announcement, and the show quickly sold out before the venue opened up additional seating.
Plus, Forbidden Door also broke $1 million at the gate, marking the second time in AEW history that this milestone has been reached. The first occasion was the previous month's Double or Nothing pay-per-view in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Y’all can keep your “cursed” and “boring” and “weak build” and “$5 resale tix”… That was THE MOST FUN I’ve ever had at a wrestling show. Every #AEWxNJPW #ForbiddenDoor match — even on the pre-show — delivered in some major way. Supposed to be awful? More like show of the year. https://t.co/4HCl2vmLKB
Following the success of the show on June 26th, NJPW president Takami Ohbari told Tokyo Sports that he would like to see another Forbidden Door event take place in Japan.
"In my opinion, there are some wrestlers who were unable to come (to the U.S.) at the last minute," said Ohbari. "There are still wrestlers and matches I would like to see. I would like to see a continuation of this event, I think there is a need to see this event in Japan. The 50th anniversary year is a good opportunity to make it happen. I think there are some [AEW wrestlers] who would like to compete in front of Japanese fans." (H/T Fightful).
While some of the biggest names in NJPW made the trip to the United States, only a handful of AEW stars have travelled to Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, a number of AEW stars are currently hurt, so the pay-per-view's lineup was somewhat limoted. Next time around, more of the top talent would potentially be available.
Will Forbidden Door 2 take place in a venue like the Tokyo Dome? Only time will tell!
Tony Khan confirmed that he wants a second Forbidden Door event
In the mind of AEW president Tony Khan, it doesn't matter where it takes place, as he's confident that a second Forbidden Door event will take place in the future.
Khan reiterated this sentiment in the media call leading up to the event, and he pointed out that having the injured wrestlers back would be beneficial.
"A sequel is to be expected and it would be great to get some of those wrestlers back, but who knows, next year...you can always have people get injured." said Tony Khan. (H/T Fightful).
Forbidden Door exceeded expectations especially considering the injury list of both AEW and NJPW. Both sides had a lot of top stars out and they still delivered.
Definitely the PPV of the year so far in my books.
All hits, zero misses.
AEW stars like CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Kyle O'Reilly sustained injuries that drastically changed the original plans for the show. Meanwhile, NJPW's Tomohiro Ishii and Hiromu Takahashi were pulled from the event in the days leading up to it due to injuries and illness.
Fans were overwhelmed with the quality of the first show, and many are eager for a second show to take place, but when will it happen? Only time will tell.