Tonight is the night, it’s time for the big AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view, and a lot of the top stars from both companies are set to miss out on the show.
Aside from the absences of Kenny Omega, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Hiromu Takahashi and others, there are other stars that we wish could be on tonight’s show.
So, I know it’s not going to happen, but what’s the harm in a fun bit of fantasy land? Also, AJ Styles sent a video into IMPACT’s Slammiversary so never say never.
That being said, if in any way WWE would let their stars appear on the show, even if just in video form, these are the five stars it should be.
5. Ricochet
A former mainstay in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Jr Heavyweight division, Ricochet owes a lot of his success to NJPW.
He also had THAT match with Will Ospreay in the Best of the Super Jrs tournament, which would always be a fun thing to reference.
The number of wrestlers on WWE’s roster that have connections to either AEW or NJPW is fairly small nowadays, so he’s actually one of the ones with the most history there.
In terms of this list though he’s a distant fifth place. Consider him the Arsenal of this list.
4. AJ Styles
Bullet Club is reuniting for one night on this show, so who better to appear on video than AJ Styles? Well, one other person, so consider this foreshadowing.
AJ was a former IWGP Champion and arguably the leader of Bullet Club as it really took off, so a quick cameo similar to that of what he did at Slammiversary would be lovely.
They could also reflect back on his memorable matches in NJPW, including one with…
3. Shinsuke Nakamura
A huge NJPW crossover show is taking place, and Shinsuke Nakamura is not on it due to being signed with WWE. Doesn’t sound odd now we’re used to Nakamura being there, but imagine saying that a decade ago.
If Forbidden Door is going to reflect on the history of NJPW, then it’d be hard to do so without an appearance from this man.
It’s a shame WWE will likely not allow Nakamura to as much as send a video in to the show, because that’d be cool.
2. Finn Balor
Again with the Bullet Club. Finn Balor walking through the Forbidden Door in any way would be the ultimate way to end any Bullet Club squabble.
He recently took over his own evil faction in the United States, so he could easily slide back into the Bullet Club role for just one night.
For now though, Balor leading the one-off Bullet Club reunion will have to remain a pipedream.
1. Cody Rhodes
Everyone else on this list is there for their contributions to NJPW’s history. However, it will be surreal to see a huge AEW crossover show without Cody Rhodes.
Arguably the mastermind behind All In, which led to the formation of AEW as a whole, even six months ago it would have been inconceivable to imagine a show like this without Cody front and center.
While stars from NJPW’s past making a cameo would be cool, if there was one name on the WWE roster who would be the best choice to make an appearance on Forbidden Door, it would have to be the American Nightmare.
It’s a shame that WWE will likely not allow any of this to happen, but that won’t stop me from wishing they would.
To make sure you stay updated with all the latest wrestling news, add WrestleTalk.com to your Google Discover feed and follow us on Twitter!
Comments.
Loading comments…