13 Match Star Ratings For AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door
7. PAC Vs. Malakai Black Vs. Miro Vs. Clark Connors - AEW All-Atlantic Title Match
Even in small moments on the undercard, AEW and NJPW - not enjoying their most critically revered periods - proved why they are the best wrestling promotions on the planet.
The knee injury sustained by Tomohiro Ishii threatened to ruin the match entirely. He isn't just an incredible, G.O.A.T-tier worker; he was the sole representative of New Japan, and his replacement, Clark Connors, is hardly synonymous with the promotion. He deputised to great effect in a very intelligent bit of storytelling.
Barely removed from Young Lion chrysalis, on Strong no less, the layout didn't patronise the crowd. His gutsy inexperience cost him throughout the first 10 minutes. As he should have been, in the context of the dynamic, he was too impetuous. He was caught by Miro and smashed to smithereens when attempting several early dives.
The table spot gets over everywhere. A babyface can enter the performance of their life, and if a heel withdraws a table from under the ring, the crowd, with hope in their hearts, will beg for that babyface to eat sh*t. Laying out a (brilliant) spot in which Connors speared Miro through a table was an ingenious shortcut because the crowd got behind him big throughout the finishing sequence. They were in a great mood to begin with because PAC and Malakai worked a total banger between this story beat.
Far more than a spot-fest, there was some elusive, good lore here; when debating whose turn it was to destroy PAC next, Miro looked at Malakai and pointed towards his bicep. He wanted revenge for an injury sustained years ago in a different company; between this and the Jericho/Shota sequence, it didn't much matter that the month-long build wasn't great.
Several richly talented performers drew from deeper history than that to provide the crowd with stunning storytelling.
Star Rating: ★★★★