With Forbidden Door just around the corner and six championships on the line, the best in AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling collide in a revolutionary spectacle.
Here are our picks for who will walk out of Forbidden Door winners, courtesy of GiveMeSport:
Jon Moxley v Hiroshi Tanahashi - Interim AEW World Championship
Build up:
After the injury suffered by CM Punk at Double Or Nothing and the Dynamite after Double Or Nothing saw the Best Of The World requiring surgery. It was confirmed that an Interim AEW World Champion would be determined at Forbidden Door with a unification match happening with Punk in the future once he returns from injury.
AEW President Tony Khan revealed that the winner of a Casino battle Royal on the June 8th edition of Dynamite would face off against number 1 ranked Jon Moxley in the main event on the same night.
The winner of the battle royale was revealed to be The Undisputed Elite's Kyle O'Reilly, who eliminated Moxley's fellow Blackpool Combat Club teammate Wheeler Yuta to claim his chance to make him one step away from Forbidden Door.
Moxley and O'Reilly would go to war in what was a very physical hard-hitting contest but Moxley would walk out the victor and advance to Forbidden Door after a Paradigm Shift to remain undefeated in singles competition in 2022.
It would be revealed that Moxley would finally get a chance that has alluded him for three years since his ties with AEW and NJPW and that is the chance to wrestle the Ace of New Japan Pro Wrestling Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Tanahashi defeated Hirooki Goto to advance to Forbidden Door.
Match prediction:
The past two weeks have seen Mox and Tanahashi come face to face on numerous occasions, with the two even picking up a victory in tag team action after defeating Chris Jericho and Lance Archer in the main event of Dynamite.
How I see the match at Forbidden Door play out is as seen below.
Tanahashi and Mox will tear each other apart in what will probably be the main event of the show. Tanahashi will come close on multiple occasions and could potentially see a shocking moment where Moxley kicks out of the High Fly Flow.
The Ace will continue to apply the pressure but the resilience of Moxley will allow him to find a way to drop Tanahashi with a second Paradigm Shift to pick up the victory and be the new Interim AEW World Champion.
WINNER: JON MOXLEY (New Interim AEW World Champion)
Jay White ( c ) v Kazuchika Okada v Adam Cole v Hangman Page - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship 4-Way Match
Build Up:
The crafting of Forbidden Door's IWGP Heavyweight Championship picture began when Hangman Page discussed what his next step was on the June 8th edition of AEW Dynamite, where he expressed his desire to go for New Japan's top prize but more specifically challenge Kazuchika Okada.
However, this provoked a confrontation from Adam Cole, who scouted Page from the commentary table in his win against NJPW's David Finlay.
Cole would continue to add that the champion after NJPW's Dominion event on June 12th could be Bullet Club leader Jay White.
Cole seemed to have predicted the future as Dominion saw Jay White dethrone The Rainmaker to become a 2x NJPW World Heavyweight Champion.
The following weeks would see White attack Hangman on multiple occasions and even reject Adam Cole's challenge.
This past Wednesday on Dynamite saw the title picture made a lot clearer as the catalyst of professional wrestling awoke a rival from across the sea as former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada came down to assist Page against the assault from Cole and White.
It was later revealed on Dynamite the worst possible scenario for Jay White but a dream scenario for wrestling fans as he must defend his IWGP World Heavyweight Title against Okada, Cole and Hangman Page in a 4-way match.
Match Prediction:
The match could be the match of the night due to the level of talent colliding. The majority of the match will consist of teamwork between Undisputed Elite's Adam Cole and Bullet Club's Jay White, with both men utilising a two-on-one strategy to the ground and punishing Hangman and Okada.
As the match progresses, Cole and White's plan will backfire when Cole turns on White after we saw glimpses of it on Dynamite. Cole will then get taken out by a Buckshot Lariat that will see a long-awaited showdown between Okada and Page.
Okada and Page will take each other to the limit but will be broken up by Cole who will hit either man with the Boom.
As Cole goes for the pin, he will be thrown out of the ring by White, who will steal the victory to retain his championship.
Post-match could potentially see a confrontation between White and Cole that could be interrupted by a returning Kenny Omega.
WINNER: JAY WHITE (Still IWGP World Heavyweight Champion)
Pac v Malakai Black v Miro v Clark Connors - All Atlantic Championship 4-Way match
Build Up:
The past few weeks have seen a series of qualifying matches after the announcement of the All-Atlantic Championship.
The first qualifier was between The House Of Black's Buddy Matthews and Death Triangle's Pac. Pac was the first wrestler confirmed for the match after hitting Matthews with the Black Arrow.
The second qualifier consisted of Miro vs Ethan Page. Page put up a good contest but fell victim to the Game Over as Miro became the second man to qualify.
The third man to qualify was originally Tomohiro Ishii, who went to war with NJPW LA Dojo's Clark Connors in a gruelling battle. However, the effects of the battle meant Ishii was unfortunately medically cleared for Forbidden Door, meaning Connors would now be taking his place.
Finally, Malakai Black took the final spot after defeating Penta Oscuro on this past Wednesday's AEW Dynamite.
Match Prediction:
The match will be captivating and has all the tools to be the match of the night.
For most of the match, Miro will look strong, punishing his opponents. Also, Pac and Malakai will showcase their feud by battling with each other and will see an array of good spots.
Furthermore, Connors will also be pivotal in this and have a chance to shine on a big stage.
However, the match will ultimately end with Connors being pinned by Black after hitting him with the Dark Mass, crowning him the Inaugural All-Atlantic Champion.
This could create the opportunity for a singles match between Pac and Black for the title down the line and also keeps Miro strong.
WINNER: MALAKAI BLACK (New All-Atlantic Champion)
Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara and Minoru Suzuki v Eddie Kingston, Wheeler Yuta and Shota Umino- Winner gets man advantage at Blood and Guts.
Build Up:
Ever since Jericho's loss at Revolution and the arrival of the Jericho Appreciation Society, the rivalry between Chris Jericho and Eddie Kingston has been red hot.
Jericho and the JAS have the upper hand currently after their big Anarchy In The Arena victory at Double Or Nothing, which saw them put Blackpool Combat Club's Bryan Danielson on the shelf.
However, Kingston is still relentless in taking the fight to Jericho, but 'The Wizard' seems to have endless tricks up his sleeve after the reunion with Sammy Guevara, which saw him win the hair v hair match against Ortiz at Dynamite Road Rager.
Also, the alignment of the JAS with NJPW's Suzuki-Gun has led to this trios contest.
Match Prediction:
The match is a great showcase of styles which will see great clashes between Guevara and Umino as well as the hard-hitting showdown between ROH Pure Champion Yuta and the veteran Suzuki.
However, Kingston's emotions will get the best of him in the match which will ultimately lead to him not receiving the man advantage as a potential assist from Tay Conti could lead to Guevara getting the pinfall victory on either Yuta or Umino. Overall, giving the JAS the advantage going into Blood and Guts.
WINNER: CHRIS JERICHO, SAMMY GUEVARA AND MINORU SUZUKI
Will Ospreay ( c ) v Orange Cassidy- IWGP United States Championship
Build Up:
Will Ospreay has been the mastermind in the rivalry between the United Empire, FTR and Roppongi Vice.
The United Empire's Kingpin has been impressive in singles action, defeating Dax Harwood on Dynamite Road Rager.
However, recently on Rampage, it was revealed that Ospreay would be colliding with the returning Orange Cassidy, where Ospreay's newly won IWGP United States Championship will be on the line.
Ospreay still doesn't possess the physical championship belt after Bullet Club' Juice Robinson didn't show up at the Dominion Pay-Per-View, forfeiting the title that saw Ospreay win after beating SANADA in singles competition.
Match Prediction:
The match will be a great contest and give a great representation of both Ospreay's and Cassidy's charisma as well as their aerial abilities.
The bout will consist of an array of great counters and strikes from both Ospreay and Cassidy, similar to the type of counter we saw on Dynamite when Cassidy reversed a suplex from Ospreay into the Stun Dog Millionaire.
To conclude, Ospreay will walk out the victor after dropping Cassidy with the hidden blade to retain his championship.
Ospreay retaining could spark a sneak attack from former IWGP United States Champion, who makes a shock AEW appearance to ignite their rivalry going forward in NJPW.
WINNER: WILL OSPREAY ( Still IWGP United States Champion)
Zack Sabre Jr vs TBA-
Build up:
Since the post-Dominion press conference, Zack Sabre Jr laid out the challenge that he wanted to be at Forbidden Door but more specifically face off against Blackpool Combat Club's Bryan Danielson, to determine who is the best technical wrestler.
Danielson addressed the challenge this past Wednesday on AEW Dynamite but confirmed that he wasn't medically cleared to wrestle at either Forbidden Door or Blood and Guts next Wednesday.
The American Dragon would go on to say that it will be a mystery opponent of his choosing that is a great technical wrestler that will face Zack Sabre Jr and replace him at Blood and Guts, with his choice being someone he has trusted for years.
Match Prediction:
Regarding Danielson's replacement, I believe the choices could be between two people. This is either former WWE superstars Johnny Gargano or Cesaro.
I believe it will be Cesaro who makes his AEW debut and becomes ALL ELITE under the name Claudio Castagnoli, which he recently changed his Twitter name to.
In terms of technical wrestling, Claudio is phenomenal and one of the most athletically gifted wrestlers. He also has a history with Eddie Kingston, so will add a storyline to the upcoming Blood and Guts event.
Zack Sabre Jr will be shocked at his arrival, which will trigger him to try and finish the match as quick as possible. However, even though Sabre Jr will get close to putting him away on multiple occasions, Castagnoli will get the better of the NJPW star and pick up an impressive victory.
WINNER: TBA ( Claudio Castagoli)
FTR V United Empire (Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb) v Roppongi Vice- IWGP and ROH Tag Championships Winner Take All
Build Up:
The 25th of May edition of AEW Dynamite was when this rivalry sparked between the three teams as, during the ROH Tag Team Title match between FTR and Roppongi Vice, the match was a no-contest because of an attack from O-Khan and Cobb.
Cobb and O-Khan would make their presence known, smashing each team through tables and over the coming weeks has catalysed the arrival of fellow United Empire members Aussie Open and the Kingpin, IWGP United States Champion, Will Ospreay.
Our first glimpse at a clash with either Cobb or O-Khan and FTR came last night when Cobb defeated Cash Wheeler on Rampage.
Match Prediction:
With the stakes at their highest and the calibre of teams colliding, it has all the makings for a match of the night contender.
Cobb and O-Khan will dominate from the get-go utilising their power advantage to overthrow FTR and Roppongi Vice.
However, this will soon shift after FTR and Roppongi Vice would work together to regain an advantage.
The match will see a signature hard-hitting chop exchange from Dax Harwood on either member of the United Empire.
However, FTR will use their ring IQ to pick up the victory after leaving both members of the United Empire on the outside and hitting Beretta or Romero with the Big Rig to pick up the victory.
FTR will be adding the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Titles to their collection of belts which only leaves the AEW World Team Titles, which they have expressed their frustration towards on Twitter.
Also, setting up what could be the biggest tag team match in history with their long-time rivals, The Young Bucks, for the IWGP, AEW, ROH, and AAA Tag Team Championships in another winner take all scenario.
Plus, with FTR not pinning Cobb and O-Khan, it keeps the NJPW tag team looking strong and an opportunity for a singles tag match at an upcoming NJPW Pay-Per-View.
WINNERS: FTR ( New IWGP Tag-Team Champions and still ROH Tag Team Champions)
Thunder Rosa ( c ) v Toni Storm- AEW Women's World Championship
Build Up:
Thunder Rosa has been a dominant AEW Women's Champion, ever since winning the title from Dr Britt Baker at St. Patrick's Day Slam.
Defeating the likes of Nyla Rosa, Serena Deeb, and Marina Shafir, La Mera Mera looks as if she isn't going to be losing the title anytime soon.
However, a new challenger came into the picture after Rosa defeated Shafir. Shafir would attack Rosa after their match, which instigated the help of Toni Storm, who got rid of Shafir. Storm would pick up the AEW Women's Championship before handing it to Rosa.
Storm, in her quest for gold, would pick up big wins over Dr Britt Baker as well as Marina Shafir, following in the path of Rosa as she looks to dethrone her at Forbidden Door.
Match Prediction:
Both women will demonstrate strong style striking mixed in with tactical technical wrestling throughout the bout.
However, what could be a turning point in the match is Rosa's frustration in trying to put Storm away with her opponent kicking out of everything that she throws.
Fighting with emotion could lead to Rosa's downfall which can allow Storm to capitalise and pick up a shock roll-up victory and crown her the new champion.
Storm capturing the title could spark a shock heel turn from Rosa, igniting the rivalry.
WINNER: TONI STORM ( New AEW Women's World Champion)
Bullet Club ( El Phantasmo, Hikuleo and AEW World Tag Champions The Young Bucks) vs Dudes With Attitudes ( Sting, Darby Allin, Shingo Takagi and Hiromu Takahashi- 8-Man Tag Team Match
Build Up:
The recent rivalry between reDragon, Darby Allin and Sting has reached boiling point after Kyle O'Reilly took out Sting with Darby Allin returning the favour last Friday on Rampage when he took out Bobby Fish.
O'Reilly was on a crash course to collide with either Sting or Darby Allin but at Forbidden Door, they find themselves in the crosshairs of the Bullet Club.
The Young Bucks confirmed for one night only that they will be rejoining the Bullet Club ranks to get revenge on Sting and Darby Allin who have found allies of their own in NJPW's Shingo Takahi and Hiromu Takahashi.
Match Prediction:
The match will be bound to have an array of spots featuring Darby Allin, Sting and The Young Bucks. however, it will also give a glimpse of action between Bullet Club, Takagi and Takahashi.
Darby and Sting will get close to victory but will ultimately fall short to the AEW World Tag Team Champions after a potential interference from Kyle O'Reilly on the outside.
Winners: BULLET CLUB
Buy-In:
Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland def Suzuki-Gun's El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
CHAOS' Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto def Aaron Solo and QT Marshall
Gunn Club and Max Caster def NJPW LA Dojo's (The DKC, Yuya Uemura, Kevin Knight and Alex Coughlin)