12 Ups & 0 Downs From AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door

1. Claudio The Centrepiece

Claudio Castagnoli was the absolute centrepiece on his first night in All Elite Wrestling, giving the impression that the hyper-talented Swiss star is set to be rocket-strapped and sent to the moon after years of chasing such a push in WWE.

Forbidden Door's closing angle cemented this. Already glittering after his great match with Zack Sabre Jr., Claudio was at the heart of Blackpool Combat Club, Eddie Kingston, Santana, and Ortiz gaining ground on the Jericho Appreciation Society. His signature uppercut cloudburst cleared enough space for the crowd-popping giant swing on Angelo Parker, who must have rotated over two-dozen times before eventually going down, gratifying the crowd after being denied of the move in the ZSJ bout.

Following this angle, viewers were left in no doubt as to who the MVP of Forbidden Door was.

Castagnoli, by all accounts, didn't want to leave WWE. He appeared happy there despite the consistent push many argued his prodigious in-ring talents warranted. Though he always shone when given a big spotlight, Claudio was content, it seemed, to exist on the midcard, stepping up only for the occasional main event. The brass ring is a mythical Stamfordian concept tied to outdated perceptions of what it takes to be a modern wrestling star. It was never to be his, but Castagnoli was cool with that.

At Forbidden Door, this changed. Wrestling vs. Sports Entertainment is a tired argument but the differences in AEW and WWE's approaches are clear. Claudio was The Man on a major pay-per-view here. There's a good chance he will now be The Man in this week's Blood and Guts match, too - and it's nothing less than what he deserves.