For the second year in a row, the forbidden door was broken down as All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling collaborated for a show for the ages.
The Sunday night card at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena featured two matches that will stand the test of time, while the whole event was close to perfect.
The main event featured generational talents Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada. Both are legends in America and Japan. Danielson shocked fans when he came out to "The Final Countdown," a song familiar to him from his days in Ring of Honor but which hadn't been used for years.
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That epic moment was a sign of things to come.
The two went back and forth, trading moves that brought a crowd tired from Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay to its feet. At one point, Danielson, who has a history of neck issues, "seized" in the ring to distract Okada. In a short match compared to most Okada matches, Danielson forced Okada to tap out following an innovative LeBell Lock with his legs. It was later revealed that Danielson fractured his right forearm with ten minutes left to go in the Okada match. He is expected to be out 6-8 weeks.
It was a the first time since 2015, against Shinsuke Nakamura, that Okada, the multi-time IWGP world champion, had lost by tapping out. Will we get a rematch down the road?
Before that bout, Omega and Ospreay outdid their Match of the Year contender at Wrestle Kingdom 17 with a violent classic. Ospreay, who was beaten badly at the NJPW event in January, was a man possessed. He forced Omega to bleed by bashing his head through a table several times. Omega returned the favor by using the steel steps. It was a bloody masterpiece and got better with each devastating move.
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Don Callis, Omega’s former friend, tried to get involved at several points, even when he got kicked out of the bout. He gave Ospreay a screwdriver and told him to use Omega’s One Winged Angel against him. The crowd erupted when Omega kicked out at one following the move. They weren’t even close to being done.
Ospreay finally took down Omega with a terrifying version of the Tiger Driver ’91 to become the IWGP United States champion.
If Omega is healthy after taking all the brutal moves, Part 3 is expected.
The night started with the polarizing CM Punk beating Satoshi Kojima in the first round of the Men's Owen Hart Cup Tournament. Punk got booed in Canada, one of the first places outside Chicago he has competed in since his return.
Orange Cassidy, who's in the lead for Wrestler of the Year, retained his AEW International title against Zack Sabre Jr., Katsuyori Shibata and Daniel Garcia. A highlight was Garcia doing a lot of "sports entertaining" in a bout featuring great wrestlers.
Cassidy's reign continues at 250-plus days. Can anyone dethrone him?
There was tension in the 10-man tag team match centered around The Elite vs. The Blackpool Combat Club as various stories came into play. Eddie Kingston continued his rivalry with Claudio Castagnoli while being conflicted about fighting his best friend, Jon Moxley.
The Elite, teaming with Tomohiro Ishii and Kingston, beat the BCC, Konosuke Takeshita and Shota Umino. The rivalry between the factions is far from over, and there’s a chance it will all come to a head in a Blood and Guts match.
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Also on the main card, MJF beat Hiroshi Tanahashi to retain the AEW world title, Toni Storm beat Willow Nightingale to retain the AEW women's world title, and Sting, Darby Allin and Tetsuya Naito beat Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara and Minoru Suzuki.
Finally, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry turned heel after losing to IWGP world heavyweight champion SANADA. Perry attacked HOOK after the match, to the shock and anger of HOOK’s dad, Taz. Perry is focusing on HOOK’s FTW title.
The results from the Forbidden Door card:
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 full card results
- Bryan Danielson def. Kazuchika Okada
- Sting, Darby Allin and Tetsuya Naito def. Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara and Minoru Suzuki
- Will Ospreay def. Kenny Omega (c) for the IWGP United States heavyweight title
- Toni Storm (c) def. Willow Nightingale to retain the AEW women's world title
- The Elite ("Hangman" Adam Page, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson), Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro Ishii def. Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli), Konosuke Takeshita and Shota Umino
- SANADA (c) def. "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry to retain the IWGP world heavyweight title
- Orange Cassidy (c) def. Zack Sabre Jr., Katsuyori Shibata and Daniel Garcia to retain the AEW international title
- CM Punk def. Satoshi Kojima in a first-round match of the Men's Owen Hart Cup Tournament
- MJF (c) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi to retain the AEW world title
- Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi and Bushi) def. United Empire (Kyle Fletcher, Jeff Cobb and TJP)
- El Phantasmo def. Stu Grayson
- Athena def. Billie Starkz in a first-round match of the Women's Owen Hart Cup Tournament
- Mogul Embassy (Swerve Strickland, Toa Liona, Brian Cage and Bishop Kaun) def. CHAOS (Rocky Romero, Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta) and El Desperado
- Tom Lawlor def. Serpentico