12 Ups & 0 Downs From AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door

6. Finally, PAC

PAC AEW
AEW

One of Forbidden Door's most pleasing moments came from PAC, who finally scored his first championship in the company by becoming its first All-Atlantic Champion, felling Miro, Malakai Black, and Clark Connors for the honour.

Whether or not AEW needed another men's singles championship is a worthy debate. Nonetheless, PAC deserves this moment in the sun. An incredibly talented wrestler whose precision and timing are unmatched in modern wrestling, he has, over the past few years, appeared only in fits and starts. That he frequently travels between the United Kingdom and United States makes him a hard guy to push despite his obvious skull. Something may have now changed in this regard.

PAC's win came following a great four-way. Miro, the pre-match favourite, was neutralised by Malakai Black's mist, putting him out of contention. Black then looked to submit Connors, which let 'The Bastard' soar down with the 450 splash, nailing both men before tapping Clark out with the Brutalizer.

Connors deserves a nod here. Him replacing the injured Tomohiro Ishii attracted groans from many, though he showed out big time at Forbidden Door. Seemingly driven by a desire to prove his doubters wrong, Connors was on fire, demonstrating pure 'Wild Rhino' spirit in his pulse-pounding moments on top.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.