13 Match Star Ratings For AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door

8. FTR Vs. United Empire Vs. Roppongi Vice - ROH World & IWGP Heavyweight Tag Title Match

Will Ospreay Orange Cassidy
AEW

The wonderful part of AEW is that, even when the booker isn't in great form, the talent is entrusted to tell their own story between the ropes - and Dax Harwood was one of several performers to operate with an inspired bent on the night.

If there was ever a night to work an injury, this was it; the "cursed" narrative surrounding the show meant that fans were very susceptible to the anxiety of yet another. Dax knew this, and in paying tribute to Canadian Stampede, was "forced out" of the match early. And while it quickly became clear that it was a work - the match didn't fall apart, nobody scrambled, and Cash Wheeler played the face-in-peril by instinctively reaching out for his partner - Dax's selling was so good that real drama hung over the atmosphere.

The match was so good (without being blow-away great) that the crowd wasn't completely lost in a state of anxiety. The story beat paid off. Wheeler was great with his defiant selling up against against the monstrous Jeff Cobb, Great O'Khan is a super character in the tag context with noisy fans lapping up his theatrical schtick, and Roppongi Vice were on great form as zippy opportunists spiking the excitement levels.

A botched count threatened to derail things more than the worked injury, but Dax's badass last stand, complete with an unreal German suplex trifecta on Cobb (!), was so good that the feel-good title win was enthusiastically received.

Star Rating: ★★★¾

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!