AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights

All Elite Wrestling alongside New Japan Pro-Wrestling, CMLL and Stardom came together once again for Forbidden Door, delivering an action-packed 2025 event at the sold-out O2 Arena in London.

"Hangman" Adam Page put his AEW World Championship on the line against MJF without his championship advantage. What would The Salt of the Earth do to take back his BBB?

"Timeless" Toni Storm hoped to survive "The Forever Champion" Athena, who signed her Casino Gauntlet contract to try and capture all the gold. Could The Timeless One stop another top name from ending her reign?

Zack Sabre Jr. and Nigel McGuinness promised a technical dream match to a home-country fan base with the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on the line.

Swerve Strickland walked into his match with Kazuchika Okada hobbled, but he hoped the crowd's love could push him all the way to the AEW Unified Championship.

Will Ospreay led Darby Allin, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi to war against The Death Riders and The Young Bucks in a Lights Out Steel Cage match. Who would emerge with the victory?

Mercedes Moné took on a Forbidden Door trio of talent for her TBS Championship, fighting Alex Windsor, CMLL's Persephone and Stardom's Bozilla. Would someone new emerge with AEW gold?

Kyle Fletcher faced NJPW's most accomplished junior heavyweight Hiromu Takahashi with his TNT Championship hanging in the balance.

The Hurt Syndicate tried to keep their AEW World Tag Team Championship against the acclaimed FTR and the rising stars in Brodido.

Adam Copeland and Christian Cage finally teamed back together, hoping to take down two men that The Patriarch has personally insulted: Kip Sabian and Killswitch.

This was a wild night of action, promising matches that would not be soon forgotten. Who would emerge victorious? Who would fall short?

Zero Hour: Paragon, El Desperado and Yuya Uemura vs. CRU and The Don Callis Family

After a back-and-forth clash in the ring, Yuya Uemura was left alone with Lio Rush and caught him with the Deadbolt to win.

The Don Callis Family and CRU all attacked the winning team until Tomohiro Ishii arrived. He planted Lance Archer with a brainbuster and sent the heels running.

The two stories of this match were Uemura looking unstoppable on his own and Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly still disagreeing on who they can trust.

The first was an easier sell to a welcoming loud crowd that could have used an even more focused hot tag sequence for the rising NJPW star.

The second made for a more awkward match, but it hopefully has a big payoff coming down the line. At this stage, Strong's distrust of allies comes off as simply bad strategy especially in moments like this.

This amounted to a forgettable opener for the Zero Hour, but it could hopefully indicate the value in using Uemura more in AEW when he is available.

Especially since this will be the last Forbidden Door for Hiroshi Tanahashi, Uemura could be fit to take his reliable spot on the main card.

Result

Uemura, Strong, O'Reilly and El Desperado def. Rush, Action Andretti, Hechicero and Josh Alexander by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments and Observations

• Don Callis again delivered his bad Spanish introduction for Hechicero, trying to hype him up more than his other Family members.
• The Alchemist got multiple chants of support during this match.
• The heels looks like the much more cohesive team throughout. In particular, Strong had trouble trusting anyone but O'Reilly.
• O'Reilly was massively supportive of Uemura after the win.
• The Messiah of the Backbreaker pulled The Violent Artist away from celebrating with Ishii, Uemura and Desperado.

Zero Hour: JetSpeed and Michael Oku vs. Ricochet and GOA

Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

The home country hero Michael Oku took some tough bumps along the way in his fight for a Forbidden Door win, but Ricochet, Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun isolated him for the Open the Gates followed by the Spirit Gun to win.

While Oku has had limited appearances in AEW, he was the clear crowd favorite throughout this match and played well to the crowd throughout.

He was the heart of this match from his ill-advised bump early on the floor to his rallying fight down the stretch to nearly pull off a huge upset.

It was not a big surprise that Oku lost in the end as the only competitor in this match not signed to AEW, fighting a rising trio on the heel side.

Hopefully this was another strong sign that AEW should consider signing Oku, who worked very well with two of AEW's best signings in 2025: "Speedball" Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight.

Result

Ricochet, Liona and Kaun def. Speedball, Knight and Oku by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Speedball, Knight and Oku all slapped Ricochet on his head together on the apron, much to the delight of the fans.
• Oku took a bad bump on the outside after a shoulder tackle from Liona.
• Luckily, he was able to keep going with so much confidence that he dived onto Ricochet later with a rotating somersault plancha.

Zero Hour: Harley, Statlander, Aminata and Willow vs. Triangle of Madness and Bayne

Due to some miscues throughout, the babyface team could not rally against the overwhelming force of Megan Bayne and The Triangle of Madness.

The Megasus made sure Willow Nightingale was knocked off the apron before planting Harley Cameron with a Liger Bomb to win.

Unsurprisingly, this was by far the best action so far of the night, pitting eight of the best in the AEW women's division right now against each other.

These women have been fighting consistently for the past couple months in various forms, and this may have been the best team match between them so far.

Bayne looked absolutely unstoppable in this match in a way she needed. Especially if this culminates in a babyface win in Blood & Guts, The Megasus needed to look unbeatable here.

Kris Statlander and Willow still cannot get along. Queen Aminata is too focused on Thekla. Julia Hart and Skye Blue are as strong a team as any in AEW right now.

Everything in this match worked, and this could have easily slotted onto the main card.

Result

Bayne, Hart, Blue and Thekla def. Harley, Statlander, Aminata and Willow by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments and Observations

• Willow was by far the most popular woman in this match, and the match played to that strength, giving her the strongest hot tag segment.
• Bayne lifted Willow on her back then caught Aminata running at her, planting both at the same time.
• Statlander refused to tag in Willow, only trusting Harley.
• Ford was not a legal competitor but found an opening to dive into the action behind the referee's back.
• Thekla dived onto Aminata outside and brawled with her all the way up the ramp.
• Harley took off her face mask and blasted Megan with it repeatedly.

Zero Hour World Trios Titles: The Opps (c) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs

Clark Connors, Drilla Maloney and Robbie X showed a steady aggressive streak that challenged The Opps more than most have so far.

However, Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs and Katsuyori Shibata were too resilient, running over Bullet Club War Dogs and sealing the win with a Muscle Buster.

This was a fun car-crash-style bout. Just six men delivering haymakers and steady impact offense.

The ending almost came out of nowhere, but The Opps have consistently shown the ability to ramp up quickly and take out all their opponents at once.

It could have used a bit more time to build drama. It would have been nice to see more focus put into highlighting the lesser-known stars to AEW talent, Maloney and X.

However, at the end of the day, this was good fun to close out Zero Hour and left plenty of room for the main card to step up to the next level in the ring.

The Opps were never going to lose here. Their title reign still feels fresh, but more established trios need to step up to the champions soon.

Result

Joe, Shibata and Hobbs def. Connors, Maloney and X by pinfall to retain the World Trios Championships.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Before this match, Tony Khan brought out Martha Hart and her son Oje. It was an awkward segment that did not work well despite the intention.
• After Excalibur explained that Connors was once a student of Shibata, The Wrestler punished Connors by tossing him repeatedly into the barricade.
• Despite great reactions for multiple stars on the Zero Hour, Joe was easily the most popular man before the main card.
• Gedo distracted Aubrey Edwards late to allow The War Dogs to team up on Joe on the outside until Shibata low blowed him with the middle rope.

Adam Copeland and Christian Cage vs. Killswitch and Kip Sabian

Christian Cage slowly won over the crowd despite struggling to find his confidence in contesting Killswitch.

Once he had the crowd behind him, Christian also found his old synergy with Adam Copeland again. The Rated-R Superstar speared Killswitch out of the ring, then The Patriarch elevated Sabian for a Cope Spear to take the win.

This was a story-driven showcase of what Christian and Cope still do best in the ring. It was dramatic and crowd-pleasing.

Killswitch was well protected throughout while he and Sabian gave the newly reformed team enough of a fight to justify the PPV spot.

By the end, it was clear The Rated-R Superstar and The Patriarch still have it, but they will need to do more work to contest the best tag teams in AEW, especially the threat of FTR.

Result

Cope and Christian def. Sabian and Killswitch by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments and Observations

• The crowd understood the assignment, singing "Metalingus" louder than the theme sounded on the speakers.
• Bryan Danielson joined commentary with Excalibur and Tony Schiavone to start the main show.
• While Killswitch arrived to his Christian-given name, the crowd quickly chanted "Luchasaurus" at him.
• Cope let Christian start, but he tagged out quickly when Killswitch tagged in.
• The Rated-R Superstar caught Sabian and threw him at Killswitch, who used Sabian as a powerbomb weapon to take down Cope.
• This caused Killswitch and Sabian to get more aggressive with each other, leading to Sabian complaining repeatedly to Mother Wayne.
• Sabian got busted open big during this sequence, making him look like he was in constant peril down the stretch.
• The crowd sang a modified "Hey! Baby" to Christian during the match and afterward while Cope and Christian shook hands.

TNT Championship: Kyle Fletcher (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi

After testing Kyle Fletcher more than he ever expected, Hiromu Takahashi almost caught The Protostar with a small package counter to the brainbuster, but Fletcher kicked out and transitioned into a successful brainbuster for the win.

The first true standout of the night lived up to the Forbidden Door spotlight. The Timebomb finally got a solo focus, and he made the most of it.

This started slow particularly from a dramatic perspective, but The Timebomb took over the focus of this match as his resilience was challenged.

The way he rallied sold a possible upset in one of the most predictable contests of the night on paper.

Fletcher stepped up to The Timebomb as the pace rose to a fever pitch. By the close, these men were clear equals who should fight again down the line.

The Protostar could not lose here, but if Hiromu is not brought back regularly to compete in AEW when he is available, it would be a waste.

Result

Fletcher def. Hiromu by pinfall to retain the TNT Championship.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Walker Stewart replaced Tony Schiavone for the first match including NJPW talent.
• Fletcher showed his strength advantage against Hiromu in the corner, stopping a rally from The Timebomb and planted him with an avalanche back suplex.
• Hiromu laughed at the strikes of Fletcher and then kicked out of his rival's big boot before one.
• The Timebomb finally turned the pace with an apron DDT and Liger Bomb to the floor.
• Don Callis joined commentary to talk up Fletcher, but he slowly lost his words as Hiromu turned the tide.

TBS Championship: Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Alex Windsor vs. Persephone vs. Bozilla

Mercedes Moné escaped with a win against three women that overpowered her throughout. Persephone took out Bozilla and Alex Windsor, only for The CEO to reverse her crucifix bomb into a stack-up pin for three.

The chaos of this match highlighted the strength of three of the best powerhouses in their respective brands.

The CEO survived with the win, but she was focused on giving her challengers the spotlight they needed to walk out of this match bigger stars.

Bozilla walked into this match with the least hype behind her and immediately fit in as the main threat of the contest. She was sold as unmatchable by any one competitor.

Down the stretch, she struggled a bit to keep the pace due to some miscommunication, but that may just come down to expected too much of the 21-year-old star still learning in Stardom.

Persephone also looked great throughout, but she did not get quite as many big spots as the other competitors. She did get the last big moment before the finish though.

Windsor was the crowd favorite and could have taken a stronger role down the stretch with the fans behind her, but this could only be the beginning of the rivalry between her and The CEO.

Result

Moné def. Persephone, Windsor and Bozilla by pinfall to retain the TBS Championship.

Grade

B

Notable Moments and Observations

• Moné came out after a royal guard arrived, eight men holding eight of her championships.
• Everyone got a chant in this match from the crowd, but Windsor was the clearest favorite, especially when she had control.
• Bozilla dominated early, taking down both Windsor and Persephone, then throwing The CEO onto both outside.
• Windsor and Persephone worked together early and often to find a path to taking down Bozilla.
• All four women met in the corner where Windsor was the base for a four woman superplex with The CEO taking the worst of it at the top.
• Moné caught Windsor and Persephone in a Statement Maker. They fought out, and Windsor turned it around into a double Sharpshooter that Bozilla broke up.
• Persephone finally got one up on Bozilla with a crucifix bomb, taking her out for the final stretch.

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Nigel McGuinness

Zack Sabre Jr. and Nigel McGuinness wrestled a clean technical showcase, grappling around the ring and barely giving each other space to breathe.

In the end, ZSJ countered a pin attempt with a sunset flip pin for the three-count and retention.

The champion showed respect to the challenger afterward. Garcia seemed frustrated but hugged his mentor to cool himself down.

Pure technical wrestling is surprisingly rare in professional wrestling, but ZSJ has always had a unique perspective in the ring that makes his matches like no one else's.

McGuinness played the champion's game but found himself outmatched. Down the stretch, his strikes, especially the lariats, were his best answer to the pure grappling finesse of ZSJ.

This strategy and technique delivered in the ring made this match feel like nothing else on this card and nothing else AEW has seen in 2025.

It did not deliver major drama or spectacle, but it was so finely executed that it was perfect for what it needed to be.

Result

ZSJ def. McGuinness by pinfall to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Grade

A

Notable Moments and Observations

• In a pre-taped video before his entrance, McGuinness met Johnny Saint for a game of chess, figuring out a strategy for Forbidden Door.
• Bryan Danielson had a blast on commentary, talking with Walker Stewart about the technical nuances that differentiate these men.
• McGuinness struggled to escape the hand grip of the champion but managed to at least get his middle finger up.
• ZSJ tried to catch McGuinness playing to the crowd, but it was a feint, leading into a McGuinness lariat.
• Garcia tried to push the ropes closer to help his mentor, trapped in multiple submission holds, but the referee caught him.
• After a series of uppercuts between both men, McGuinness bloodied the nose of the champion.
• The challenger almost took the win with a pair of ripcord lariats.
• ZSJ and Garcia jaw-jacked at ringside, and the distraction allowed the challenger to catch the champion with the Tower of London for the near-fall.
• Afterward, Tony Schiavone announced a new wrestling attendance record for the O2 of 18,992 with Forbidden Door.

World Tag Team Championships: Hurt Syndicate (c) vs. FTR vs. Brodido

The Hurt Syndicate had trouble keeping up with the insane wild pace of FTR and Brodido, but eventually Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin took full control.

That control was taken away from them by a shock attack from Ricochet and GOA. This left Bandido and Brody King to catch Dax Harwood with their finisher in the ring to win.

This high-paced team spectacle had some incredible spots, but it got sloppy down the stretch in spite of the talent involved.

Brody King was the star of the show. For anyone that did not already see him as a major rising star, this was his breakout moment.

He stood up to everyone and looked like he was even too much for The All Mighty until The Hurt Syndicate double-teamed him.

It was the right choice in the end to go with Brodido, a team that came from nowhere but delivered every single match of their tournament run.

The finish is somewhat questionable, especially with the questions lingering of whether The Hurt Syndicate was willing to put anyone over clean.

It did set up a great rivalry though for The Hurt Syndicate against GOA and Ricochet that should help solidify that stable's full face turn.

This will especially work if it is fully revealed that MJF orchestrated this as revenge for the group kicking him out.

Also, Lashley and Benjamin bumped big for their challengers throughout. It was only the actual finish that "protected" them. The follow-up will decide how much that "protection" actually matters.

The future is bright from here for the tag team division as anyone would be an interesting challenger for Brodido, and the stage is still set for FTR vs. Adam Copeland and Christian Cage.

Result

Bandido and King def. Harwood and Wheeler and Lashley and Benjamin by pinfall to become new AEW world tag team champions.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments and Observations

• From the Zero Hour, Queen Aminata and Thekla continued to brawl returning back to the ramp. Julia Hart and Skye Blue helped her capture Aminata, but Jamie Hayter made a shock return for the save.
• The Hurt Syndicate isolated Bandido while FTR refused to tag in. The crowd wanted King, and he finally got the hot tag to run over everyone.
• The crowd went wild when King and Lashley faced off for the first time, beginning the "meat" chants.
• The All Mighty planted him with a spinebuster, but he fired back up and clotheslined Lashley out of the ring.

Unified Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Swerve Strickland

Swerve Strickland walked into this match with a vulnerable knee, and Kazuchika Okada also went after his neck, leaving him a hobbled competitor.

Still, The Mogul fought hard throughout, testing The Rainmaker almost to his limit. Swerve caught him with a House Call, but Okada dodged the second and hit a Rainmaker for the victory.

Afterward, Okada trapped Swerve's knee in the steps and blasted it with a steel chair. Prince Nana made the save with a pipe.

Wardlow made his shock return, beating up Nana. Security tried to intervene but got laid out while Swerve watched in frustration and pain. Wardlow then hugged Don Callis and almost every member of The Family.

Konosuke Takeshita came out last to stare down Wardlow and stand with The Family with some apprehension.

Swerve and Okada clicked to delivered the most complete match of the night to this point. The psychology focus of Okada wearing down Swerve all the way to breaking was consistently effective.

The Mogul did not always sell his injuries, but down the stretch, it was clear in nearly every move that Swerve was running out of time to win.

Bryan Danielson on commentary sold that this was Okada taking Swerve's mantle as the "most dangerous man," and that felt very appropriate after what was delivered.

The Rainmaker stands as the top man in The Don Callis Family, a group that got even more dangerous with the return of Wardlow.

The way he destroyed everyone in his path and laughed in Swerve's face was a perfect reintroduction for the big man.

While The Death Riders lose control of AEW, The Family has truly become the new big bad with so many top names too distracted to stop them.

This is AEW's clearest story for the future, especially with the return of Takeshita, who might be the answer to stopping Callis if he turns against him.

Result

Okada def. Swerve by pinfall to retain the Unified Championship.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Jim Ross joined commentary for this match.
• Swerve's first dive to the outside caused some pain in his knee. When Okada tossed him to the floor, The Mogul was in serious pain.
• Swerve fed off the crowd's energy, but The Rainmaker continued to wear him down, hitting an especially vicious brainbuster on the steel steps.
• The Mogul planted Okada with super Olympic Slam. Due to neck pain, he could not pin him, and The Rainmaker responded with a Tombstone on the floor.
• In a rare moment for Okada, it was Swerve that managed to switch the wrist control and batter The Rainmaker with short-arm lariats.
• The Mogul avoided the Rainmaker twice then hit the Swerve Stomp, but he was slow to pin due to the impact on his knee, setting up only a near-fall.

AEW Women's World Championship: 'Timeless' Toni Storm (c) vs. Athena

Athena took her time, mocking "Timeless" Toni Storm early in this match, but The Timeless One refused to go down easily, even with an obvious neck injury hobbling her.

Billie Starkz protected Athena when Storm started to come back until Mina Shirakawa got involved. The Timeless One then countered The O Face into a Crossface Chickenwing to win by submission.

Physicality and technical consistency made this an unforgettable battle for the AEW Women's World Championship.

The Forever Champion went after the neck with brutal efficiency while Storm moved sluggishly and without power behind her strikes due to the focus.

The two women flowed when they needed to, including an incredible finish, showing chemistry that should be further explored.

This was a disappointing result despite how great Storm remains. The longest reigning women's world champion over her four reigns has solidified herself forever as the top woman in AEW.

It is hard to imagine any better opportunity to move the title while solidifying Athena's greatness.

The women's division is loaded, and more top names will step up to challenge The Timeless One. Athena though may never get a better opportunity, especially while still holding her ROH Women's World Championship.

Time will tell if AEW has a greater goal in mind for who Storm will put over at the end of her fourth reign as world champion.

Result

Storm def. Athena by submission to retain the AEW Women's World Championship.

Grade

A

Notable Moments and Observations

• Bryan Danielson highlighted how Storm struggled to wrestle her usual style with her neck injury in his best call of his great commentary night.
• The Timeless One took out Starkz early with a Storm Zero on the floor.
• The Forever Champion responded with a shotgun dropkick into the LED barricade, causing it to short-circuit.
• Athena made it a point to bully referee Aubrey Edwards, who would not back down to her attack.
• The Forever Champion teased a piledriver on the steps, but The Timeless One bit her way free and sent Athena into the LED barricade, fixing it.
• Storm caught Athena with a Storm Zero for a near-fall then went for a piledriver on the apron, but Billie Starkz saved The Forever Champion by pulling the apron, setting up an O Face on the apron.

AEW World Championship: 'Hangman' Adam Page (c) vs. MJF

MJF tried to steal this match time and again, even nearly taking it after a referee bump, low blow and Heatseeker. However, "Hangman" Adam Page got his foot on the rope, which Mark Briscoe helped the referee see in time.

MJF couldn't get the win with a low blow or contract shot, and The Cowboy blasted him back with the contract followed by a Deadeye and Buckshot Lariat to win.

As the "official" main event of the evening (since Lights Out is not considered an official match), this was a classically styled world title bout, playing to the crowd and focusing the match on a central narrative.

Hangman was fighting angry, and MJF hoped to take advantage of that to steal the AEW World Championship.

The Salt of the Earth found The Cowboy matched him cheap trick for cheap trick and would not hesitate to finish the job in any way he needed to.

It was an overbooked battle down the stretch with plenty of shenanigans, which will not be to everyone's liking.

Their first PPV match was much cleaner and a stronger overall contest, but the end goal is fan investment. This had the whole audience on their edge of their seats, and the pacing never lost them for a second.

This does leave a clear challenge to MJF. If he wants to be a true world champion again, he cannot steal it away from Hangman. He is going to need to earn it, and a clean rematch would pay off this contest's wild focus in a big way.

Result

Hangman def. MJF by pinfall to retain the AEW World Championship.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Page got arguably the biggest pure pop of the night while the fans also sang along to MJF's theme.
• The Cowboy brought the fight to the ringside area early and had to be talked down from using a steel chair by referee Bryce Remsburg.
• After targeting the left arm often, MJF countered the Buckshot Lariat into the Salt of the Earth.
• The Salt of the Earth grabbed the timekeeper's table and carried it to the ramp. After a brawl, The Cowboy used it himself for a Deadeye.
• MJF lured Hangman outside and caught The Cowboy running, sending him face-first into a steel chair to bust him open.
• The Salt of the Earth followed up with a Tombstone on the broken table then demanded a count-out. Hangman made it back at nine.
• MJF exposed the turnbuckle, but Hangman was the one to send him face-first into it, breaking him open. The crowd chanted "you deserve it!".
• After the two rolled back-and-forth through roll-up attempts, Hangman caught him with a Deadeye for a near-fall. "Fight forever" chants rang out afterward.
• MJF tried to get Hangman to use the Dynamite Diamond Ring, including spitting in his face, but The Cowboy just spit in his face back.

Lights Out Steel Cage: Team Ospreay vs. The Death Riders and The Young Bucks

After a brutal, spot-heavy battle, Matt Jackson was left alone in the ring for a Will Ospreay/Kenny Omega combination of a Hidden Blade and One Winged Angel followed by High Fly Flow from Hiroshi Tanahashi to win.

After helping Darby Allin to his feet for a full babyface celebration, the ring was left for Will Ospreay, only for The Death Riders to trap him, hitting repeat Death Riders.

The Opps arrived to help everyone try to break open the cage door, but they could not stop a final Stomp from Mox with the steel chair wrapped around Ospreay's neck.

Even the long list of notable moments below does not fully encapsulate the wildness of this match. This was an incredible hardcore battle, delivering so many great feel-good moments throughout.

Darby Allin was the healthiest face in this match and took so many wild bumps throughout. Will Ospreay might have suffered the second most, though, which is ridiculous given his current health.

Luckily, everything went off safely, allowing a brutal Death Riders' follow-up destruction of the British babyface to end the night.

This was a wild end to the show that sets up Ospreay even more for an incredible return to action once he is healthy. If The Death Riders can stay this reviled in that time, Ospreay vs. Mox is the main event for any future AEW PPV.

On a night that mostly went according to plan with little in terms of talking points, AEW delivered another electric multi-man hardcore brawl and a show-ending moment that will be talked about for months to come.

Result

Ospreay, Tanahashi, Omega, Ibushi and Allin def. The Death Riders and The Young Bucks

Grade

A+

Notable Moments and Observations

• Bryan Danielson recused himself from commentary for the main event, leaving a final booth of Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross.
• Excalibur confirmed that Omega was also not cleared to compete for this Lights Out match.
• AEW aired a dramatic video package narrated by Alex Windsor for Ospreay before his entrance.
• After an initial tease of their current theme, The Young Bucks came out to their very first theme: MMMBop.
• During the Zero Hour, The Young Bucks demanded a bag full of weapons filled backstage. In the match, they found it was filled with gummy bears.
• Ospreay threatened Mox with a steel chair wrapped around his neck, but Kidd fought it off and planted The Aerial Assassin with a piledriver.
• Castagnoli tossed Allin clear out of the ring into the cage.
• Tanahashi found himself alone in the ring with all the heels. He fought off multiple men on his own, but Mox knocked him down with a Paradigm Shift.
• In the goriest moment of the night, The Death Riders taped Allin to a chair then stabbed through his ear with a fork.
• Ospreay returned to the match finally to save Tanahashi from a pin after a Neutralizer and BTE Trigger then draped himself over The Ace to protect him.
• Mox tried to Paradigm Shift Ospreay, but The Aerial Assassin charged him through a barbed wire table.
• The Ace teased a High Fly Flow off the cage, but everyone stopped him, allowing Ospreay to dive onto everyone.
• Ospreay and Omega met Kidd in the center of the ring, hitting a Styles Clash into a V-Trigger/Hidden Blade combo. The heels broke up the pin.
• The Cleaner planted Mox with a V-Trigger and One Winged Angel, but again teammates broke up the pin.
• Allin sent Wheeler Yuta through the announce table off the cage then chase Mox. The chase ended with Kidd catching Allin and sending them both through a set of four tables on the stage.

Overall Show

AEW has set an unreasonably high bar with its PPV output over the past two years. Forbidden Door won't be seen as the best of 2025, but it stood up to the expectations.

The Lights Out Steel Cage match was the absolute highlight and much deserving of the final spot on the show from the in-ring action to the post-match insanity.

Assuming Will Ospreay's surgery is successful and he has a smooth recovery, AEW could very well have teased the main event of All In in Wembley Stadium in 2026 at the close of this night.

The Death Riders have heated up all over again. The Don Callis Family looks scarier than ever. Swerve Strickland and The Aerial Assassin will likely be out for a while.

This show delivered a dark twist in the current narrative of AEW and gives a clear direction for the show for at least the rest of the year.

The rest of the card was largely a smashing success. The women delivered in a big way, especially "Timeless" Toni Storm vs. Athena.

Hangman Adam Page vs. MJF delivered the latest chapter in an angle that could have larger reaching implications for where the AEW Men's World Championship scene could go next.

The elements of this show that were Forbidden Door focused were great, but it is a shame that there was not more. At least Hiroshi Tanahashi got a wonderful send-off for his final UK match.

Everything is on track, and AEW can deliver even better action come All Out in less than one month's time.

Overall Grade: B