AEW Forbidden Door 2024 6/30/2024

AEW Forbidden Door 2024 6/30/2024

MJF vs Hechicero

Hech boots him in the gut. MJF leapfrogs, Hech pulls him down and goes for an armbar. MJF offers a handshake ten boots him off of it. Hech drops down and MJF struts. MJF eye pokes him. Hech puts the ref in the way and pulls MJF out of the ring.

Hech is thrown into the rails. MJF running facekicks him over the rails. MJF poses on the apron and has his arm pulled down over the top rope. Hech works on the arm. Hech blocks a heatseeker piledriver then slingshot tornillos onto him. Hech swinging hammerlock backbreakers him.

Hech step up knees him then does MJF's strut. He then flips off the crowd. MJF back body drops him. MJF hits lariats then short piledrivers him. Hech 2nd rope dropkicks him then rolls him into a sleeper.

MJF armbars him. Hech gets out and does a double arm submission on him. They lariat each other down. MJF bangs Hech's head off the buckles then hits corner punches. MJF bites him then hits a panama sunrise. MJF brainbusters him and wins.

Thoughts: Hech went down too easy here and lost as expected which was disappointing. It wasn't anything too special with MJF being a jerk and Hech getting some arm work in.

Hiroshi Tanahashi & The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) vs. The Elite (Kazuchika Okada and The Young Bucks)

Okada hits Tana on the apron to start. They tease going at it and Okada tags out. Tana side headlocks a Buck then 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him. Bowens goes up and over a Buck then hits kicks. Bowens rolls him up for 2 then hits an armdrag and armlock.

A Buck takes corner attacks then both Bucks take a legdrop to the crotch off the 2nd rope. Max lariats a Buck and takes a triple kick in the corner. Okada over the back neckbreakers Max on the knee. One of The Bucks puts on Max's headphones. Max is put in a camel clutch while The Bucks goof off.

Max is worked on in the corner. Max bites a Buck then top rope crossbodies him. Max takes a jawbreaker and tags in Bowens. Bowens gets the hot tag then does an obver the back fameasser. Bowens drops Okada with a punch. The Bucks splash each other on accident then Bowens hits a twisting torture rack drop for 2.

We get a dosey-do and The Bucks are lariated. Tana and Okada go at it. Tana 2nd rope swantons him then dragon screws him. Taka puts Okada in a texas cloverleaf then Max slingblades A buck. Everyone starts hitting moves. Max top rope elbows Okada.

Okada gets his knees up on Tana's high fly flow. Tana takes superkicks then The Bucks do stereo plancha's out. Okada top rope elbows Tana then Tana cradles him for 2. Tana thwarts a double team then Okada dropkicks him. Okada rainmakers Tana and wins.

Thoughts: It was your standard trios match and it was fine with basic heel and face work. 

Okada goes to rainmaker Tana then Billy Gunn comes out to make the save. 

Owen Hart Foundation 2024 Men's Tournament Quarter Final Match - Bryan Danielson vs Shingo Takagi

They each grab the arm. Bryan takes him down and ties his legs up. They do a double knuckle lock and Bryan surfboards him. Bryan side headlocks him and Shingo shoulders him over. Shingo sentons him. They trade forearms and headbutts. Shingo hits chops then Bryan flying lariats him. Bryan dropkicks him. Shingo catches his tope and bridging, twisting neckbreakers him on the floor.

Bryan holds his neck/shoulder outside and the doc checks on him. Shingo suplexes him. Shingo back elbows him and lariats him. Bryan hits a buzzsaw kick. They trade chops for euros. Bryan low germans him then corner dropkicks him. Bryan backdrops him off the top.

Bryan hits chest kicks and slaps him. Bryan rolling armbars him and then triangles him. Shingo northern lights bombs him out. Shingo corner lariats him then hits a superplex. Shingo sliding lariats him for 2. Shingo flips him with a lariat then hits made in Japan for 2.  

Shingo sliding forearms him then hits downward elbows. Shingo slides at him and is put in an armbar. Shingo headbutts him then Bryan high kicks him. Bryan backdrops him and flying knees him for 2. Bryan hits curbstomps then armbars him again. The ref then stops the match.

Thoughts: It was okay but not great. I would have liked more work on the arm since that ended up being the finish. I'm not surprised Bryan won but NJPW could have maybe used a win here to look good. 

AEW Women's World Title Match - Toni Storm (c) vs Mina Shirakawa

Toni comes dressed up as Lady Liberty. Mariah May gives both flowers but won't pick a side. Toni hits a hip attack while Mina's posing. Mina bridges out of a pin and shimmies. Toni double chops her  then Mina dropkicks her in the knee. Mina drops Toni on her knees then bangs Toni's leg off the post. Mina figure fours the leg on the post.

Toni's knee is banged off the floor and Mina dropkicks her in the knee. Toni codebreakers Mina then fisherman suplexes her for 2. Toni hip attacks Mina off the apron. Toni hip attacks the stairs when Mina moves. Mina top rope planchas Toni and Luther outside.

Toni double chokeslam bombs her for 2.  Mina dropkicks her in the knee then figure fours her. They trade forearms and Mina spinning forearms her. Mina top rope ddt's her then lifting ddt's her for 2. Toni germans her then corner hip attacks her for 2. Mina urakens her and spinning forearms her.

Mina lifting reverse ddt's her for 2. Mina high kicks her then Toni rolls her up for 2. Toni hhits headbutts then germans her. Toni short piledrivers her and wins.

Thoughts: Mina worked the leg for the first half of this then forgot about it. I didn't really like Toni winning here. Mina winning would have added a new twist to the story and put her over some. It also would give the foreign guests a much needed win.

Mina and Toni shake hands after and hug. They then do a three-way kiss. Nigel cries and claps for this. 

Thoughts: Look, the Mina/May kissy stuff is basically the female version of a cheap pop. Anyone who would suggest the girls should be doing stuff like this would get destroyed for it. But when people are actually doing it on their own volition for pops, nobody cares and all the outrage goes away. That's what annoys me about it.

Orange Cassidy vs Zack Sabre Jr.

Zack throws him down and boots him in the head. Zack takes him down by the arm, OC does the same and OC does kip ups off the armlock. Zack headscissors him and OC rolls out.

Zack pulls OC's arms back and straightjackets him. OC reverses it and Zack throws him over. OC ties his legs up and Zack tries to get him to put his hands in his pockets. OC does a grounded octopus.

OC armdrags him then side headlocks him. They roll each other out of the casadora and Zack twists his neck with his feet. OC is dropped with a euro and Zack headscissors him while tying up the legs.

Zack euros OC and mocks OC's weak kicks. Zack slaps him and hits kicks. OC dragon screws him. OC topes Zack outside then dragon screws him. Zack rolls through a top rope splash and OC dragon screws him.

OC hits a diving ddt off the top for 2. Zack stomps OC's arm into the mat and Zack splits the fingers. Zack ties up OC's arms. OC stomps on Zack's legs and texas cloverleafs him. OC beachbreaks him for 2. OR htis an orange punch then Zack PK's him.

Zack bridge pins OC for 2 then OC bridge pins him while putting his hands in his pockets for 2. OC tries another pin. Zack jumps at him and takes a backslide.  Zack ties up OC's arms and legs and taps him out.

Thoughts: I was glad Zack didn't lose here. This match is what I hate about OC. He's literally pushed as Superman. He can go toe to toe with Mox just as easy as he can match Zack in technical wrestling. And he's so good that he can even put his hands in his pockets and goof around while doing it. It's ridiculuous. OC should have gotten torn up on the mat here and used stuff like armdrags and such to get offense in. Instead, he's acting like he's Skayde out there.

Hook, Katsuyori Shibata & Samoa Joe vs. The Learning Tree (Big Bill & Chris Jericho) & Jeff Cobb

Jericho gets a "please retire" chant. Jericho gets on the mic and says he knows people don't really want him to retire because he's from Long Island and is a hometown hero. Bill and KS go at it. Bill facekicks him then suplexes him.

CJ hits chops on KS and KS no sells them. KS chops back. CJ is thrown into corner, he tries to crossbody but Hook and KS move away. Hook hits shots on CJ then Cobb and Joe get in. They shoulder battle and Joe shoulders him over. Joe hits jabs then corner enzugiri's him. Cobb uranages him and Bill hits mounted punches on Joe. Cobb and Joe trade.

Joe steamroller legsweeps him. Hook gets in and thwarts the heels. He sends Bill out then Cobb nails him. Cobb suplexes Hook down then CJ kneechokes him on the ropes. CJ backdrops Hook. Bill elbow drops Hook then Cobb slams Hook. Cobb standing moonsaults Hook. Hook flying lariats him.

KS hits forearms on Cobb then does a chop and punch combo. KS dropkicks Cobb then Cobb takes corner attacks. KS corner dropkicks Cobb. He suplexes him and Joe sentons Cobb for 2. CJ breaks up a KS armbar then Cobb fallway slams KS. CJ slams KS then KS blocks his asai moonsault with his knees.

Joe is sent into the rails then Hook top rope double axe handles  outside. CJ kicks KS low while the ref is distracted with Bryan Keith on the apron. CJ takes conrer attacks then Bill chokeslams Joe. KS STO's Bill then Cobb hits a tour of the islands on him. Hook suplexes Cobb then CJ codebreakers Hook for 2. Hook's team all puts on chokes and Hook suplexes CJ. Hook hits a judas effect on CJ and wins.

Thoughts: Not great but it was okay. Atleast Jericho's team didn't win this one, though maybe booking wise, they should have. It didn't reach it's full potential here as they didn't have enough time. The heels mostly controlled the faces here until the faces made their comeback and won.

AEW TNT Title Ladder Match - Mark Briscoe vs. El Phantasmo vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Lio Rush vs. Jack Perry vs. Dante Martin

Jack is chased by everyone and runs into a KT forearm. KT is ganged up on. KT takes corner attacks and everyone grabs ladders. We get a 4 person stand off then they all throw ladders at each other together. Mark chops Lio off the apron. Lio jumps off a chair outside at Mark and is lariated.

Lio and Jack fight. Jack is sent int othe ladder and buckle and Lio spin kicks him in the head. Lio handspring kicks a ladder into Mark. ELP hits a ufo neckbreaker on Lio onto a ladder in the corner. Dante misses a jumping knee on ELP but it is sold anyway. KT pushes the ladder over while Dante is on it and Dante crossbodies ELP. KT pushes a ladder into Dante then KT brainbusters Dante onto a ladder. Mark swings a ladder at people while it's around his head. Mark throws the ladder at Lio.

Mark throws KT out then dropkicks him through the ropes. KT is sandwiched between a table and ladder outside and Mark tope con hilos him. Jack sends Lio's head into a ladder. ELP walks a bridged ladder to climb onto the ladder Jack is on. Jack eye rakes him and ELP twists Jack's nipples. Dante jumps over Jack to get onto the ladder then Dante and ELP are thrown into the ropes.

Jack and Lio fight on the apron. Dante jumps through the buckles and dropkicks Jack. KT and Mark battle over a ladder on the apron. Mark pushes it into KT's gut. Lio topes in the middle of a ladder onto KT. Mark climbs a ladder on the apron then top rope splashes Jack on a table. The table doesn't break as Mark doesn't land on it enough.

Lio and Dante go for the title while on the ladder. KT powerbombs Dante then powerbombs Lio onto a ladder. ELP is pulled off a ladder into KT's knee. ELP superkicks KT. KT pumping knees him on the apron then blue thunders him off the apron through tables. 

Mark jay drillers KT onto a ladder. Mark is knocked off a ladder by Jack and hit with a ladder. Jack chairs Mark then wins the match.

Thoughts: It was a ladder match. We got some big spots here as expected. I liked that they sold the danger of Dante getting re-injured in this one. Jack winning wasn't that surprising as AEW has been pushing him non-stop for years. That means more Jack on TV though and that's not something I'm interested in.

AEW TBS Title / NJPW STRONG Women's Title Match - Mercedes Mone vs. Stephanie Vaquer

SV headbutts her while the ref gives instructions. SV tries to pin her arms down and Mone monkey flips her. Mone hits mounted punches then 2nd rope diving armdrags her.

SV walks up the ropes, does rope tricks and armdrags her. Mone then armdrags her off the ropes into a crossface. Mone baseball slide headscissors her while she's on the floor. Mone then 2nd rope meteora's her. Mone tiger feint kicks her from the outside under the bottom rope. SV hits a soul foot and 2nd rope guillotine kneedrops her. SV springboard planchas her outside.

SV bridge pins her for 2. SV hits facewash kicks then kneedrops her off the bottom rope. Mone hits two of three amigos. SV bodyscissors her into a submisssion. SV bangs Mone's head off the mat from the headscissors. SV's dive off the top is met with a dropkick from Mone.

Mone double knees her and meteora's her in the corner. Mone tornado ddt's her for 2. SV legdrops her for 2. Mone and SV lariat each other at the same time. They both kip up and trade forearms. Mone headscissors her into a crossface. SV picks her up and drops her on double knees.

Mone backcrackers her twice. She comes off the top and catches boots. SV dragon screws her then meteora's her in the corner. Mone crossfaces her then hits a mone maker. Mone then turns into a crossface and wins.

Thoughts: It was just okay. It was nothing too great but nobody embarrassed themselves here. Mone worked the crossface a little here towards the end which set up the submission win. Mone winning wasn't too surprising but that does make CMLL 0-2 for the show here.

Britt Baker returns after and poses on the ramp and stage.

They announce Wrestle Dynasty for 1/5/2025 at the Tokyo Dome. I don't really think it's too big of a deal but it confirms that NJPW is running The Dome twice again in 2025 after taking a break for it. The thing is that the women and AEW wrestlers are on the bigger shows anyway so it's not that special.

IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match - Jon Moxley (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito

JR is on commentary here. They trade forearms. Mox boots him in the corner then Naito spits at him and poses. Naito hits forearms on Mox then Mox hits corner lariats. Naito's leg is banged off the post.

Naito is backdropped on the commentary table and mox hits mounted punches. They trade shots. Naito spits at him and gets dropped. Mox single leg crabs him and stf's him. Mox piledrivers him for 2. Naito spits at him and Mox hits corner elbows. Mox backdrops him.

Mox hits punches and Naito slaps back. Mox rakes Naito's back. Naito pushes Mox off the top to the floor. Naito drives him into the rails and hits him with the pad on the rails.

Naito hits shots then baseball slides him. Naito neckbreakers him. Mox release suplexes him then 2nd rope powerbombs him. Naito tornado ddt's him. Naito diamond dusts him off the buckles then Mox for sleepers. Naito hits destino. Mox ddt's him off his 2nd destino attempt.

They trade forearms and Naito step up enzugiri's him. Mox lariats him and hits a death rider for 2. Mox grab a chair and the ref takes it away. Naito hits another destino and wins.

Thoughts: These two are the most natural of combinations and it wasn't that great. If you were looking for some great storyline or even some big spots, we just didn't get it here. Nobody went all out on this one and it was really just a match. 

AEW World Title - Swerve Strickland (c) vs Will Ospreay

They lock up and trade forearms. They both go for flying headscissors. SS headflips through and Will flips through. Will hook kicks him and they stand off.

SS hits shots on Will then Will chops him. SS facekicks him. Will plancha's him outside and hits shots on him out there. Will drive by dropkicks him on the apron. Will is pulled down off the 2nd rope and SS 2nd rope euros him in the back of the head.

SS neckbreakers Will then neckbreakers him over the 2nd rope. SS pulls on his chin. Will handspring back corkscrew kicks him. Will is thrown into the rails but jumps over them. Will is dropped face first on the rails. Will hurricanrana's SS off the rail then springboard lariats him.

SS backbreakers him. SS sitout hiptosses him into a keylock. SS hits bullying kicks. They trade shots and duck each others moves. SS jumps up and is caught in a powerbomb then a styles clash for 2. SS and Will go in the air and Will catches him with an os cutter. Daniel Garcia watching in the stands.

SS hits kicks and flips over the top, handspringing off the apron. SS hits a top rope angle slam for 2. Will hook kicks him on the apron then misses an os cutter, going back first on the apron. SS goes up top and double stomps Will into the commentary table in a cool spot. SS piledrivers him on the rail top and lifting sitout reverse ddt's him.

SS is crotched on the top rope then Will top rope cutters him. Will hits an os cutter for 2. Will hits a hidden blade and SS no sells it mostly. Will hook kicks him and SS turns an os cutter into an arm hold. Will rolls him up off of it. Will os cutters him then hits a stormbreaker for 2.

We see MJF watching in the back. Will headbutts him. SS rolls him up and hits his own hidden blade. Swerve misses a top rope double stomp and Will hidden blades the ref when SS moves. SS poisonrana's him, Will no sells it and hits a hidden blade. Don Callis gives Will a screwdriver. Nana tries to stop Don and pushes him over.

Will threatens Nana but throws the screwdriver down. SS hits a house call kick as Will gets in. Will top rope double stomps Will for 2. SS cranks the arm and house call kicks him for 2. SS pats Will on the head when he tries to go for hidden blade but can't stand. SS hits a house call kick then hits a half-nelson sitout driver to win.

Thoughts: Selling wasn't much of a priority here on top of there not being any real clear face and heels lines on this one. I thought Will made the os cutter seem weak in particular. I thought it was just an average main overall.

Overall thoughts: It was not the best Forbidden Door card possible. It was okay overall but just not that great. The main was so-so as expected. Naito/Mox was a poor effort. Mone/Vaquer was just a match as expected. The ladder match was what it was. Zack/OC was everything that was wrong with OC and MJF/Hechicer was nothing also. There was nothing must-see on this one and it was really tame by AEW standards.