AEW Double Or Nothing 2022 is now in the books and all eyes turn to Chicago for the end of June.
History will be made as All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling will co-promote the Forbidden Door event in front of a sold out crowd at the United Center.
This will mark the quickest turnaround for an AEW pay-per-view in the company’s history.
The stars of both promotions will be looking to have some first time ever clashes and settle old scores.
With Double Or Nothing now in the rearview mirror, let’s predict the card for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door.
Honorable mentions:
- MJF vs. Kota Ibushi
- Chris Jericho vs. Toru Yano
- House of Black vs. House of Torture
- PAC vs. Taiji Ishimori
- The Hardys vs. Guerrillas of Destiny
10. Darby Allin vs. Hiromu Takahashi – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
The opener of this historic event should deliver a jolt of energy to the lively Chicago crowd.
AEW’s Darby Allin can always be count on to bring his high risk, devil-may-care style to any contest he is in, but he may find his match in NJPW’s Hiromu Takahashi.
The four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion has been known for putting his body on the line in intense battles against the likes of Will Ospreay, KUSHIDA and Taiji Ishimori.
This would be an excellent option to kick off the show.
These two dynamic competitors could provide the type of balls-to-the-wall opener that would open the Forbidden Door in an exciting way.
9. FTR vs. The United Empire (Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan) for the ROH & IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
FTR are having the best year of their career with a litany of Match of the Year candidates.
Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler hold the ROH and AAA World Tag Team Titles, but they may have met their next challengers in The United Empire’s Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan.
The NJPW stars arrived on the May 25 edition of AEW Dynamite to make statement, interrupting the match between FTR and Roppongi Vice.
They laid out both teams in dominating fashion and then raised the ROH World Tag Team Championships in the air.
This bout could made even more interesting with Cobb and O-Khan getting a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships just 13 days before Forbidden Door.
With Harwood and Wheeler already setting their sights on claiming those titles, this has the makings of a title vs. title clash that adds high stakes on the card.
8. Eddie Kingston vs. Minoru Suzuki – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
This is the kind of strong style battle that the fans would love to see at Forbidden Door.
Eddie Kingston has become one of the most popular babyfaces in All Elite Wrestling, while Minoru Suzuki is a sadist who is hell bent on punishing his opponents.
These two men have met in tag team action at last year’s AEW Rampage: Grand Slam event, but this singles showdown needs to happen on a big stage.
This clash will be physically intense and give everyone just what they are looking for.
It could also continue the amazing hot streak of pay-per-view bangers that Kingston is on and possibly another chance to win a big time matchup for the Mad King.
7. Andrade El Idolo & Rush vs. Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
At AEW Double Or Nothing, Andrade El Idolo introduced his new associate in the company who just happens to be an old friend, Rush.
The former ROH World Champion created the Los Ingobernables faction with Andrade to CMLL. The promotion saw many performers join their group, including one of NJPW’s biggest stars.
Tetsuya Naito’s excursion to Mexico changed his career and taught him the art of “Tranquilo” thanks to Los Ingobernables.
Naito brought the name to New Japan Pro Wrestling and created his own group there that has become the most popular faction for the company.
In 2019, Naito invited his old friend, Shingo Takagi, to NJPW and LIJ.
A dream tag team match between the pioneers of Los Ingobernables and two former IWGP World Heavyweight Champions is another major battle that has a lot of history to it.
6. Samoa Joe vs. Tomohiro Ishii for the ROH Television Championship – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
The introduction of Samoa Joe to All Elite Wrestling has opened the Forbidden Door for many dream matches.
On the April 13 episode of AEW Dynamite, Joe checked one off the list by defeating Minoru Suzuki to win the ROH Television Championship.
At the Forbidden Door event, he can add another to his resume by facing another former ROH TV Champion in NJPW’s Tomohiro Ishii.
This has all the makings of an absolute banger.
Joe has long been a pioneer of American Strong Style and going at it with one of the best at NJPW strong style would deliver a gem.
This dream match could be a showstealer on a night full of barnburners.
5. Undisputed Elite (Adam Cole, The Young Bucks & reDRagon) vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor & Roppongi Vice) – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
One of the staples of both AEW and NJPW have been spectacular multi-man matches and this fits the bill perfectly.
The Undisputed Elite of Adam Cole, The Young Bucks and reDRagon always bring entertainment with their action packed styles.
CHAOS has seen many changes over the past few years and one of the latest additions come from All Elite Wrestling in the form of Best Friends.
Combining Kazuchika Okada with Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor and Roppongi Vice could make for a very fun babyface unit.
There is plenty of history between these two sides as well.
Roppongi Vice have battled The Young Bucks and reDRagon over the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles in the past, while Cole and Cassidy feuded during the early part of 2022.
Okada also has strong ties to The Young Bucks from their time in TNA and NJPW.
The different combinations and special moments will be aplenty here, making this a unique bout to include at Forbidden Door.
4. Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. pretty much writes itself.
The two greatest technical wrestlers of their generation have been connected due to their in-ring mastery for years.
Danielson earned his moniker as the best in the world through his mat work in Ring of Honor, while ZSJ became the technical wizard on the UK independent scene before taking NJPW by storm.
They have faced twice in their careers back in 2008 and 2009, but this was before Sabre Jr. earned his reputation.
The American Dragon and The Submission Master could give us the greatest technical wrestling clinic we have ever seen.
This has to happen and no better place than the Forbidden Door event.
3. Jon Moxley vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
Another bout with plenty of hype and history behind it is Jon Moxley vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Moxley has called out The Ace for a showdown for well over a year now. It looked like the two men would meet at the NJPW Capital Collision event, but that match became a four-way.
Hiroshi Tanahashi is one of the biggest stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling and the man responsible for saving the company in the early 2010s.
Jon Moxley has been a top star for All Elite Wrestling since his arrival and has held the IWGP United States Championship in NJPW longer than anyone.
This is a major encounter that should be filled with fantastic storytelling and action.
It could easily headline this entire Forbidden Door pay-per-view.
2. Hangman Adam Page vs. “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
Hangman Adam Page lost his AEW World Championship to CM Punk at Double Or Nothing, ending his six month reign with the gold.
After a remarkable run, many fans are asking what’s next for the 30-year old star.
It could be a man that knows all about losing his gold from an established top guy on a huge stage in “Switchblade” Jay White.
The Bullet Club leader lost his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Kazuchika Okada in a sold-out Madison Square Garden at G1 Supercard.
However, following his revival of his faction at Wrestling Dontaku, White might just be on his way to redeem this by beating Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title at Dominion on June 12.
After being the representative of NJPW in announcing the Forbidden Door event, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Switchblade walk into the United Center as the top champion and defend against the best from AEW.
Hangman Adam Page has talked often about starting as a lowly Bullet Club member and working his way to the top, so could his way back to the mountaintop be through the leader of his former group?
There is a lot of storyline points to this one and these two are no strangers to one another, facing in NJPW for the IWGP United States Championship in 2018.
Both men have grown tremendously since then and are in the conversation for the best wrestlers in the world today.
This could be a barnburner that showcases two men that AEW and NJPW will build around for years to come.
1. CM Punk vs. Will Ospreay for the AEW World Championship – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door
In the main event of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, one of the company’s top titles has to be up for grabs and not many contests are as big as CM Punk vs. Will Ospreay.
This is a dream match that both men have teased heavily for a few years now.
Punk actually recently named Ospreay as one of his potential dream opponents from New Japan Pro Wrestling, while Ospreay has mentioned Punk as one of his wrestling heroes.
It is the battle of AEW’s biggest star vs. NJPW’s best wrestler.
With Punk winning the AEW World Championship at Double Or Nothing, this adds the richest prize in the company to the equation and will only elevate what should be a thrilling encounter.
The Commonweath Kingpin can pretty much do it all inside the squared circle. He can go hold-for-hold, fly around with the best of them and use his incredible speed to keep his opponent on the backfoot.
Ospreay has already put on some exceptional bouts in 2022 against the likes of Kazuchika Okada, Michael Oku and Jon Moxley.
Facing CM Punk in his hometown of Chicago in front of a sold out United Center may be the most important match of the 29-year old’s career.
There is a particular magic with this compelling bout that not many AEW vs. NJPW matchups can attain, thus making it the perfect main event for Forbidden Door.
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