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

5. Sanada (c) Vs. "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry (with Hook)

Kazuchika Okada Bryan Danielson
AEW/NJPW

This might sound a bit like an attempt to polish a turd when really it's anything but, but did anybody really pitch a "dream" match for IWGP Champion SANADA. And/or, for that matter, Jungle Boy Jack Perry?

The former LIJ man is still finding his feet as NJPW's top guy after an aggressive image overhaul and stable shift, but the Just 5 Guys leader will get the win here to help the Challenger's cause as much as his own. Stature-enhancing on one of the bigger co-promotional stages of the year, it also positions him as the guy that survived an open challenge to anybody on the AEW roster right before he readied himself for yet another gruelling G1.

Perry, meanwhile, is going to turn heel. Maybe not right here (though a defeat won't exactly lift his mood), but he's already insincerely promised the world to Hook for the summer ahead then gone back on it, and every nagging defeat seems to be the last one his fraying psyche can't tolerate. A switch on the actual show would be a shock, but there have been bigger surprises on supercards than a Jungle Boy heel turn. Jungle Hook is on borrowed time.

Winner - SANADA

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