10 HUGE AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 Predictions You Need To Know

What nightmares await some of AEW's biggest stars on Tony Khan's dream match extravaganza...

Kazuchika Okada Bryan Danielson
AEW

The build to last year's Forbidden Door pay-per-view felt equal parts cursed and creatively bankrupt.

Injuries to Bryan Danielson and then-AEW World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk immediately knocked huge matches off the table, as did the continued absence of MJF during his worked shoot angle with Tony Khan and Kenny Omega as he recovered from his multitude of physical issues from the prior few years.

It was a wonderful idea that had, wonderfully, been arrived upon, but key players were missing and a key focus on AEW storylines rather than assembling amazing matches left everybody cold on what should have been the hottest run of the year. Then, the pay-per-view actually happened and none of that even mattered.

Highlighting the diversity and range of the wrestlers and matchmaking, the show was a creative and commercial smash, earning rave reviews and a buyrate that stood up to the increased numbers that had been the norm since the 'Straight Edge Superstar' arrived. Much rejoicing was done around the event after it proved itself - even a stinker of an event came out smelling of roses such was the power of the format. 12 months and several dream matches later, surely it's okay to expect the same again?

Right?

10. The Elite, Eddie Kingston & Tomohiro Ishii Vs The BCC, Shota Umino & Konosuke Takeshita

Kazuchika Okada Bryan Danielson
AEW

A continuation of the Blackpool Combat Club/Elite feud that works just enough for Forbidden Door thanks to to Tomohiro Ishii and upcoming G1 entrant Eddie Kingston both backing the babyfaces, this 5-on-5 battle has an enormously high ceiling on talent alone.

After The BCC's victory at Double Or Nothing, most had assumed the next logical steps between loose approximations of the stables was a Blood & Guts payoff, but AEW have stumbled on the perfect delaying tactic while Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson wage singles wars elsewhere on the show. Even the pressure of following Anarchy In The Arena 2 has been offset somewhat by the special guests - Ishii and Moxley! Kingston and Claudio! Page and Takeshita! - and all of this doesn't even factor in the quite incredible push and pull of Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston's newly-strained bond.

This promises violence, drama and brand new questions emerging out the other side. It feels like, in order for the story to continue, the heels yet again need to get the upper hand too.

Winners - The Blackpool Combat Club, Shota Umino & Konosuke Takeshita

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett