On Sunday 24 August, AEW returns to the UK, where the promotion is holding its annual Forbidden Door pay-per-view.
The original concept for the PPV was a crossover show between AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, however, the show now encompasses further company partners: Mexico’s biggest lucha libre promotion CMLL and the top joshi promotion in Japan, Stardom.
As a result of the crossover nature of the show, stars from these promotions are likely to appear on Dynamite over the next month to set up matches.
Here are six things you’re likely to see on Dynamite before Forbidden Door.
6. Zack Sabre Jr. Appears
On 29 June, Zack Sabre Jr defeated Hirooki Goto to become IWGP World Heavyweight Champion at New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Tanahashi Jam.
There’s little doubt that New Japan’s top champion will appear at Forbidden Door in a high-profile bout, likely defending his title.
However, when it comes to appearing on Dynamite to set up the match, there’s a slight complication – NJPW is currently running its annual G1 Climax tournament, which Sabre is part of, and it doesn’t finish until 17 August.
That leaves only one episode of Dynamite before the pay-per-view – but despite the limited build time, there’s little doubt the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion will appear on the 20 August show.
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5. Hechicero Challenges Bandido for ROH World Title
ROH World Champion Bandido has been having an incredible run of late – delivering some of the most critically acclaimed matches in both ROH and Mexico’s CMLL, including a widely praised Match of the Year contender against Konosuke Takeshita at the recent ROH Supercard of Honor PPV.
On AEW programming, Bandido has been feuding with CMLL’s Hechicero – who recently aligned himself with the Don Callis Family.
It seems this feud will culminate at Forbidden Door, with Hechicero likely to challenge for Bandido’s title in a bout that could easily steal the show.
That challenge could very well be made on Dynamite.
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4. Chris Jericho Returns
Chris Jericho has been absent from AEW programming since April, taking a leave of absence to tour with his band Fozzy.
Despite the tour now being wrapped up, he has yet to return to the promotion.
Given Jericho’s star power in both AEW and New Japan – and retaining significant popularity in the UK – Forbidden Door could very well be the stage for his in-ring return.
We could see “The Nueve” appear on Dynamite in the coming weeks to establish his opponent for the show.
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3. STARDOM Wrestlers Announced for PPV Matches
Forbidden Door 2024 saw STARDOM wrestlers appear at the crossover event for the first time.
All signs point to this year’s event also featuring a presence from the top joshi promotion, with top star Saya Kamitani potentially defending the World of Stardom Championship.
Much like New Japan, the issue in the build-up is that STARDOM will be running its own round-robin tournament – the 5STAR Grand Prix – from 27 July to 23 August, ending the day before Forbidden Door.
While it’s possible for STARDOM stars to make the trip, the ultra-tight turnaround means they won’t appear live on Dynamite beforehand – so any input from the joshi talent would need to come via pre-recorded videos.
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2. Hangman’s First Challenger Emerges
Much to the joy of nearly 30,000 AEW fans at Globe Life Field, Hangman Page ended Jon Moxley’s AEW Title reign at All In: Texas.
While his long-term challenger appears to be MJF, it feels too early to pull the trigger – making it likely he’ll face someone else at Forbidden Door.
Given the crossover nature of the event, a NJPW star stepping up as his first challenger seems likely.
Gabe Kidd would have been a natural choice given his Death Riders connection, but he unfortunately suffered a knee injury on night one of the G1 Climax, leaving room for another NJPW challenger to emerge on Dynamite in the coming weeks.
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1. MJF & Mistico’s Feud Escalates
At AEW’s successful Grand Slam: Mexico edition of Dynamite, CMLL’s top star Mistico defeated MJF via disqualification – with MJF stealing his mask in the process.
Their feud has continued, with the two clashing again in the Casino Gauntlet at All In: Texas, and MJF even returning to indie promotion MLW to attack Mistico.
It now looks like the rivalry will escalate further, possibly culminating in a big-time Hair vs. Mask match – either at Forbidden Door or CMLL’s anniversary show in September.
Whether the singles match happens or not, the two are likely to face off at Forbidden Door in some form – possibly in a trios match with Mistico’s Sky Team taking on The Hurt Syndicate – and almost certain to interact in the build-up on Dynamite in the upcoming weeks.
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