The summer of AEW continues with the annual NJPW x AEW crossover PPV, Forbidden Door!
- Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Quarterfinal Match: CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima
- AEW International Championship Fatal Four-way: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Daniel Garcia vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- Ten-man Tag: The Elite, Eddie Kingston, & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Blackpool Combat Club
- Trios Match: Le Suzuki Gods vs. Sting, Darby Allin, & Tetsuya Naito
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Sanada (c) vs. Jungle boy
- AEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Willow Nightingale
- AEW World Championship Four-way: MJF (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
- IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Will Ospreay
- Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada
Make sure to keep refreshing the page as the most recent results are below!
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023
Live from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada! Excalibur, Taz, and Kevin Kelly are on commentary and it’s time for the The Devil!
Match #1. AEW World Heavyweight Championship: MJF (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Tanahashi using his power early as MJF mocks the air guitar. MJF decides he wants to leave but Tanahashi gets the crowd to chant “coward”, forcing MJF back in the ring. Palm strike by Tanahashi as MJF tries a cheap shot. Tanahashi charges MJF in the corner but MJF pulls the referee in front of him and then pulls Tanahashi face-first into the middle turnbuckle. MJF drops Tanahashi stomach-first on the top rope and follows up with a kitchen sink. Abdominal stretch by MJF, who also uses the top rope for leverage behind the referee’s back. MJF now holds the rope again but the referee kicks the hand off and Tanahashi hip tosses him off. Flying forearm by Tanahashi, a body slam, and a flipping senton from the middle rope. Two count. Tanahashi goes up top now for the High Fly Flow but hits a crossbody instead. MJF hits the corner and does the Flair up and over, but then gets thrown off the top rope. Slingblade by Tanahashi and another High Fly Flow attempt, but MJF shakes the ropes and Tanahashi gets crotched. Superplex from the top by MJF and both men are down. Double underhook shoulder breaker by MJF but the knee of MJF is in pain. Two count. MJF runs down Tanahashi, calling him a joke, as he struggles to his feet. Tanahashi eats a few elbows and MJF then pokes him in the eye. MJF comes in with a boot but Tanahashi grabs him… dragon screw! Standing Texas Cloverleaf by Tanahashi, right in the middle of the ring! MJF escapes but a pair of Slingblades have MJF in position for the High Fly Flow but MJF gets the knees up, simultaneously hurting his own knee. MJF rolls outside and grabs the title, but the referee takes it away as Tanahashi rolls up MJF from behind for what seems like ever. Tanahashi pleads his case to the referee but the Dynamite Diamond Ring shot to the temple seals this one.
Winner and STILL AEW World Heavyweight Champion: MJF
Rating: ***. Good wrestling match here. The psychology made sense, Tanahashi looked much better than he did against Swerve, and MJF can’t miss.
Match #2. Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Quarterfinal Match: CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima
Crowd is about 85/15 in favor of Kojima here. Pair of hip tosses by Kojima but Punk sends him to the floor. Make that 93/7 in favor of Kojima. Both men fighting on the outside now, with Punk laying in some hard chops, much to the chagrin of the crowd. Kojima fires back and the crowd loves it. Punk gets chopped over the barricade but returns to the ring and gets tripped up on the apron. Body slam and a leg drop from Punk, mocking the “that doesn’t work for me, brother” Hulk Hogan comparisons. Kojima fires back with hard strikes but Punk mounts Kojima in the corner and delivers 10 punches. Hard Irish whip into the corner by Punk. Punk now mocking the Kojima lariats in the corner before delivering a back suplex. Punk misses a dive in the corner and Kojima lays into him with machine gun chops! Kojima follows him to a second corner and delivers more chops. Kojima delivers an elbow from the top that looks to have landed square in the groin. Two count. DDT by Kojima! Two count. Kravat by Kojima but Punk fires him into the corner and delivers the running knee to the face. Punk goes up top for the Savage Elbow, waits, and lands it. Two count, but Punk sits through right into the Anaconda Vice. Kojima escapes but Punk has him up for the GTS, and Kojima escapes. Mongolian chops by Kojima and the Koji Cutter lands! Kojima removes the elbow sleeve, and it’s the lariat! Punk counters into a swinging neckbreaker. Punk looks for the GTS again but Kojima catches the leg and delivers a brainbuster! Two count. Kojima looks for the lariat but Punk ducks and hits a high kick. GTS! This one is over.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***1/4. Very similar to the first match, but I think Kojima had a better showing. Fans were excited for this one throughout and the Punk response is going to continue to be interesting. Punk also looked just fine in his first singles match since returning.
Match #3. AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Daniel Garcia
Orange kicks to everyone but Shibata grabs the leg and everyone passes it around. Dragontamer early by Garcia but Shibata punts him in the chest. Figure four by Shibata but ZSJ twists the neck ZSJ to break it up. European uppercuts by ZSJ and Shibata to each other, and now to Garcia. These three just beat the heck out of each other here. Garcia tries to dance but gets pummeled. Double clothesline by Garcia and a four-way boot. Shibata and ZSJ lock in dueling Cobra Twists, and then drop it and continue beating each other with palm strikes. Cassidy and Garcia jump on their backs and the fight still continue. Snap brainbuster by ZSJ. One by Shibata. One by Garcia. One by Cassidy. By ZSJ. By Shibata. By Garcia. Stundog Millionaire by Cassidy. Satellite DDT by Cassidy! Two count on Garcia. Orange Punch attempt but ZSJ catches him from behind and beats on the fingers but gets sent into the turnbuckle from the apron. Boot to Shibata sends Cassidy to the floor. Garcia levels Shibata with the Pure Title! No DQ in a four-way, don’t forget. Shibata gets out at two. Garcia lays in some forearms but Shibata rebounds with one stiff one that drops Garcia and a stalling dropkick in the corner. Cassidy and Shibata are now toe-to-toe in the center of the ring, as both men sit cross legged facing each other. Open hand strikes back and forth. Kawada kicks by Shibata. Cassidy begs off and goes hands in pockets. Orange Punch out of nowhere! Shibata eats it and returns an elbow! Beach Break by Cassidy! 2.99999. ZSJ is in and stomping on Cassidy’s injured hand… repeatedly. Cassidy looks for the Mouse Trap but ZSJ counters into a crossface. Stundog by Garcia but ZSJ counters into a double armbar variation. Shibata misses a PK but locks in the RNC. ZSJ counters into a European Clutch for two. Garcia is in the ring now and a backslide gets two. Piledriver by Garcia but Shibata runs in and hits the PK on Garcia! Cassidy is here, shoves Shibata to the floor, and then cradles Garcia from behind for the win!
Winner and STILL AEW International Champion: Orange Cassidy
Rating: ****. Excellent wrestling match here, and the story of Orange Cassidy doing anything and everything he can to overcome the odds continues. I have no idea who takes the title from Cassidy, but this reign is nearly historic levels. Great to see Shibata in the ring, he looks like the Shibata of old and he’s an asset to ROH and AEW.
Match #4. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Sanada (c) vs. Jungle Boy
Arm drag and a quick Snare Trip attempt by Jungle Boy, before Sanada gets to the ropes. Pair of leap frogs by Sanada and a picture-perfect dropkick sends Jungle Boy to the floor. Sanada looks to fly to the floor but Jungle Boy catches him. Both men exchange chops as Sanada runs into a boot and catches it, before looking for the Paradise Lock. No dice. Jungle Boy tries it. No dice. Sanada locks it in finally and dropkicks Jungle Boy to break it. Sanada misses a lariat and Jungle Boy hits a superkick and a Tiger Bomb. Two count. Sanada with an anarchist suplex gets two. Both men now exchanging strikes from their knees, before bringing it to the feet and laying in some stiff chops to the chest. European uppercuts traded by both men now. Back slide by Jungle Boy gets two. Jungle Boy looks for the crucifix but Sanada powers him up on to his shoulders and looks for the TKO, but Jungle Boy lands on his feet and locks in Skull End! Sanada gets to the ropes and finally hits the TKO he’s been looking for. Sanada goes for the Muta moonsault but lands on his feet. Skull End is locked in standing but Jungle Boy counters with a poisonrana. Sanada lands on his feet and has Skull End locked in, swinging Jungle Boy around. Jungle Boy escapes and a superkick by Jungle Boy and a poisonrana by Sanada! Shining Wizard! Moonsault by Sanada! That’ll do it.
Winner and STILL IWGP Heavyweight Champion: Sanada
Rating: ***1/2. No shot Sanada was losing this one here, but we knew Jungle Boy would give him a heck of a match along the way, and he did. The moonsault finish was kind of out of nowhere, but a very good match.
Hook walks Jungle Boy to the back and raises his hand for the fans, but Jungle Boy clotheslines him! Jungle Boy drops to his knees and mocks the fans for singing along with his song. Taz on commentary is not thrilled, and tells us that Jungle Boy is a dead man.
Match #5. Eddie Kingston, Tomohiro Ishii, & The Hung Bucks vs. Blackpool Combat Club
Kingston and Shota to start, but Kingston tags Page because he doesn’t care about fighting anyone but Claudio. Arm drag and some fanciness by Shota but Page just punts him across the ring. Ishii gets the tag and it’s a double shoulder block to Shota. Takeshita gets the tag and both men are trading BRICKS here. Double shoulder block. Twice. Three times. Four times. Five times. Both men finally fall. Bucks in now and it’s a double dropkick to Takeshita. Kingston and Moxley are legal now and they’re staring down. Moxley throws the first shot! Straps come down and Kingston delivers some chops. We’re trading, now. Kingston delivers the stronger strikes and Moxley is starting to back off but we’re 20/30 chops deep, here. Yuta gets in the ring and gets dropped. Matt dos too. Now all ten men are in the ring and it’s breaking down! Moxley and Kingston are still going! Double jump escalara by Nick and dive off the top by Matt. Now a corner moonsault by Page! MOXLEY AND KINGSTON ARE STILL TRADING! Moxley calls him on! Kingston obliges but Claudio jumps Kingston from behind! Yuta tags himself in and puts the boots to Kingston, as Moxley makes eye contact from outside. Takeshita puts Kingston in a Camel Clutch but Ishii breaks it up, only to be floored by a vicious forearm. Shota puts the boots to Kingston and then tags Claudio, who pounds on him in the corner, but Kingston responds with a big lariat! Moxley cuts off the tag. Kingston asks Moxley what he’s doing, and both men pick up right where they left off before a double clothesline! Ishii and Shota are tagged in and Ishii runs through him with a shoulder block. Shoulder block for Yuta. One for Claudio, but he didn’t budge. European uppercut to Ishii and a vertical suplex, but Ishii counters with one of his own. Takeshita and Shota are in now beating on Ishii. Helluva kick to Ishii by Takeshita and a reverse/DDT powerbomb combo to Ishii. Two count. Ishii fights back with a back suplex to Moxley and one to Shota. Page and Takeshita are legal. Big boot by Page! Fans are on their feet. Flying clothesline by Takeshita but Page connects with an anti-air rolling elbow! Fall away slam by Page and a plancha takes out Yuta. Claudio gets posted. Big boot to Takeshita over the ropes, the Bucks catch Takeshita, and Page hits the running shooting star to a prone Takeshita! Diving lariat off the top by Page gets a two count. Deadeye by Page is countered and a huge forearm drops Page. Triple boots in the corner by the Hung Bucks. Superkick by Nick and assisted Sliced Bread by the Bucks! BTE Trigger but Takeshita moves. Double German suplex by Takeshita but he runs into a double superkick. One for Shota. One for Claudio. Kingston pushes Moxley out of the way of the superkick from the Bucks and he eats it! Blue Thunder Bomb to Matt by Takeshita gets a long two count! Takeshita hits a double overhook tombstone into a wheelbarrow suplex and a German suplex by Yuta! One, two, NO! Nick makes the save. Hart Attack by Moxley and Claudio and it’s the Giant Swing by Claudio into the dropkick by Yuta. Everyone makes the save at the same time. Hammer and anvil elbows to Matt from Claudio as Yuta misses a rocket launcher. Ishii in with a big lariat before putting Yuta on the top and delivering a delayed superplex. Sandwich lariats and enziguiris from Ishii and Kingston. Olympic Slam to Ishii gets two. Matt DDT’s Shota. Lariat by Takeshita to Matt. Pop-up powerbomb to Takeshita by Page. European by Claudio. Spinning back fist by Kingston to Claudio. Cutter to Kingston from Moxley! Double superkicks by the Bucks! Overhead belly-to-belly by Yuta to Page and a sliding lariat by Ishii! Lariat by Ishii! Sheer drop brainbuster by Ishii to Yuta and that gets the win!
Winner: Eddie Kingston, Tomohiro Ishii, & The Hung Bucks
Rating: ****1/2. Just an absolute banger of a match here. The storylines within the match itself, the crowd, everything. This was just a blast.
Match #6. AEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm (c) w/ The Outcasts vs. Willow Nightingale
Arm drag by Storm but Willow cradles for two. Body slam by Willow and some running avalanches in the corner. Running dropkick by Willow sends Storm to the outside. Saraya and Ruby get in Willows face but she drops them both and it’s a meeting of the minds on the floor. Willow looks to get back in the ring but Storm hits the running hip attack on the apron that sends Willow to the floor. The Outcasts get involved as Storm works over Willow on the floor. Back in the ring, Willow counters a charge with a Death Valley Driver. Two count. Willow goes up top looking for the moonsault but the Outcasts throw in the spray paint and the referee grabs it and ejects them. Willow tries the moonsault again but misses DDT by Storm and the running hip attack in the corner. DDT by Storm again and a long two count. Both women square up and trade elbows but it’s a spinebuster by Willow! Willow looks for the Indian Death Lock and gets it. Storm tries to keep her shoulders off the mat but Willow is chopping the stomach. Storm bites on the knee to break the hold! Storm wants to charge with another hip attack but it’s the POUNCEEEE. Storm rolls to the outside and Willow brings her in and hits a hip attack of her own in the corner. Clotheslines in the corner by Willow and she charges but Storm pulls the referee in the way. Behind the referee’s back, Storm gouges the eyes and hits Storm Zero for the win.
Winner and STILL AEW World Women’s Champion: Toni Storm
Rating: **3/4. Strong showing here from both women, as Storm might be the best in the division. The fans love Willow and a loss here doesn’t hurt her at all. The only issue I have here is that this exact finish was used in the opening match, and that takes away from it’s effectiveness here.
Match #7. IWGP United States Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Will Ospreay w/ Don Callis & Security
Deliberate pace to start with both men trading head scissors and wrist locks. One Winged Angel, Oscutter, Snap Dragon teases back and forth early now, but they reset. Omega quickly transitions into YOU CAN’T ESCAPE and hits the moonsault! Two count. Terminator dive but Don Callis trips Omega up. Omega chases Callis from ringside as the security guards get in the way of Callis and Omega. The referee throws Callis out but Ospreay hits a plancha to the floor. Ospreay sends Omega into the steel steps knees-first and then into the guard rail on the outside. Back in the ring, a spinning back breaker by Ospreay gets a two count. Ospreay hits the ropes and Omega looks for a hip toss but Ospreay dives on an abdominal stretch. Omega gets out and hits the ropes… Kitaro Krusher! Omega just punts Ospreay in the ribs. Run up and enziguiri by Ospreay as he hangs Omega out to dry over the top rope. Shooting star press to the back of a hanging Omega by Ospreay! Omega is standing prone on the ropes and Ospreay runs up the top rope… Oscutter on the apron! Ospready is pounding Omega’s face into the announcer’s table! Omega tries to block it but Ospreay bites the hand and just destroys the table with Omega’s head. Omega is busted open as Ospreay puts the announce table graphic bridged between the apron and the floor and puts Omega’s head through it. Omega is badly busted open and Ospreay is reveling in it. Ospreay loads the gun and points it at the head calling for the V-Trigger and he delivers! Ospreay grabs a Canadian flag from ringside and wipes his underpants with it. V-Trigger by Omega! Omega picks up the flag and now chokes Ospreay with it, before bieling him across the ring. Omega hangs Ospreay over the top rope with the flag, before giving it back to the kids in the front row that Ospreay took it from. V-Trigger to Ospreay who’s prone on the guard rail! Omega now pounds Ospreay’s head into the steel steps. Ospreay is busted open as the fans chant for Kenny to eff him up. Both men are standing on the steps now and Omega delivers a DDT on the steps! Back in the ring, Omega mounts Ospreay and pounds on the cut. before taking the back and locking in a straight arm bar. Omega transitions into a triangle and Ospreay powers him up… powerbomb! German suplex by Ospreay. By Omega. By Ospreay. Omega looks for a snap dragon but Ospreay headbutts him.V-Trigger! Omega looks for a second one but runs into a Spanish Fly. Two count. Ospreay now taunts all of Canada by locking in a Sharpshooter. Ospreay now with the Crippler Crossface as the fans boo even more. Omega crawls to the bottom rope and gets there after what feels like forever. Kawada kicks by Ospreay and some stinging chops to the chest. Omega tries to fire back but he doesn’t have anything on his chops. Ospreay looks for the Oscutter but Omega catches him with an anti-air knee to the back! Snap dragon by Omega. Make that two! Ospreay fights out of a third but eats a V-Trigger in the back of the neck and a poisonrana. Piledriver by Omega. Fisherman’s neckbreaker on the knee by Omega. V-Trigger to the back of the head by Omega as Ospreay’s head is resting on the middle turnbuckle. Omega looks for an avalanche dragon suplex but Ospreay flips out, tucks the head, and superkicks Omega. Sky Twister Press by Ospreay from the top turnbuckle to the floor! Ospreay heads up top now after rolling Omega in the ring and drops an elbow to the back of the head. Omega ducks a Hidden Blade and both men connect on big boots and clotheslines. Liger Bomb by Ospready gets two! Top rope Oscutter gets a 2.9999! Ospready looks for the Storm Breaker but Omega counters into an arm-trapped Dead Eye! Callis has returned to ringside as the fans chant “piece of s”. Knee to the face by Omega. Two. Now Omega points at Callis and delivers another running knee to the face. Callis covers Ospreay so Omega can’t hit the V-Trigger but Omega does anyway. The referee goes to eject Callis but Callis hands Ospreay the screwdriver. Omega looks for the V-Trigger but Ospreay stabs him in the head! Hidden Blade. Storm Breaker! OMEGA GETS HIS FOOT ON THE ROPE BEFORE THE THREE! Kamigoye (Kota Ibushi’s finisher) by Ospreay and the knee to the face. The One Winged Angel by Ospready lands. OMEGA OUT AT ONE! IT’S A BRAWL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING. Ospreay walks into a knee and Omega walks into a superkick. Brainbsuter by Omega. One Winged Angel but Omega shucks him off, catches him, and hits the German suplex. Ripcord Hidden Blade and the TIGER DRIVER 91! HOLY S. TWO COUNT! OSPREAY REMOVES THE SLEEVE AND THE HIDDEN BLADE CONNECTS. STORM BREAKER. THIS ONE IS OVER.
Winner and NEW IWGP United States Champion: Will Ospreay
Rating: *****. All of them. Were there too many kick outs? Sure. Too many V-Triggers? Yup. Also, I don’t care. The match was insane, they did everything they could, they hated each other, there were callbacks to the previous match, the anti-Canada storyline, Ospreay using Ibushi’s finisher, just so much. Two of the best to ever do it once it’s all said and done.
Match #8. Trios Match: Tetsuya Naito, Sting, & Darby Allin vs. Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, & Minoru Suzuki
Sammy rushes Naito a few times and misses. Double leap from by Guevara and a dropkick to Naito. Naito controls the pace now early as Darby gets the tag and here comes the Murder Grandpa known as Suzuki. Suzuki delivers some of the hardest forearms I’ve ever seen to Darby, and Darby embraces them. Darby gets back up and slaps Suzuki’s chest before diving into a rear naked choke from a coffin splash. Sting tags himself in and it’s Sting vs. Suzuki! Jericho begs for the tag, but Suzuki isn’t sure. Jericho attacks Sting from behind but Sting is back up and both men are slugging away. Hockey fight! Jericho teases a Stinger Splash but misses, as Sting locks in the Scorpion Death Lock. Guevara comes off the top rope with a diving cutter and the submission is off. Double shoulder block to Sting and Le Suzuki Gods get the three-way pose. Sting makes the tag to Darby and he runs up top, but Guevara is there with the Spanish Fly off the top. Two count. Naito and Jericho in now as Naito hammers Jericho with elbows. Three way sleeper here but the good guys fight out and Darby takes out Suzuki with a suicide dive. Darby looks for another dive on Jericho but he runs into the Judas Effect! Rising knee strike to Naito in the ring by Guevara. Sting misses a Stinger Splash on the outside and finds only guard rail. Jericho sets up a table on the outside Jericho demands Guevara goes up top and puts Sting through the table with the 630 and Sting moves… kind of. Scorpion on Jericho but Suzuki locks in the choke. Code Breaker to Naito. Two count. My feed went out and I come back to Sting celebrating a victory.
Winners: Sting, Darby Allin, & Tetsuya Naito
Rating: *1/2. This was… rough. I don’t know if it’s a running low on time issue, lack of communication, or what, but this was bad. The crowd could not begin to care any less, everyone was all over the place, spots were missed like crazy… and it seems like the guy that had the best showing was Suzuki. Just a rough one overall.
Match #9. Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada
Danielson has The Final Countdown by Europe! Wow Tony must have ponied up a ton of money for that. Both men trade wrist locks and head locks to start. Running back elbow by Okada and a snap mare. Sliding basement single leg dropkick by Okada sends Danielson to the floor. Okada sends Danielson into the guard rail on the outside and follows up with a big boot. Okada looks for the DDT but Danielson sees it coming and sends Okada into the post with his arm hammerlocked, focusing on the shoulder now. Baseball slide by Danielson sends Okada into the announce desk, followed by a diving knee off the apron. Double stomp to Okada’s elbow now. Two count. Hammer and anvil elbow strikes by Danielson. Cattle Mutilation by Danielson! Okada fights out. Danielson now delivers some Yes kicks in the corner and chops, but Okada asks for more. Okada tries to send some forearms back but the damage has been done. Danielson charges and Okada flapjacks him. Kick to the stomach and a DDT gets two. Okada sets Danielson up on the top rope and dropkicks him to the floor. Okada sends Danielson into the front row and follows with a running crossbody over the guard rail! Boh men are back in the ring now and Okada hits the Air Raid Crash neckbreaker for two. Danielson set up on the top and delivers some brutal hammer and anvil elbows followed by a shotgun dropkick. European uppercuts by Danielson staggering Okada back into the corner. Running dropkick in the corner by Danielson. Make that two. Danielson looks for a third but it’s the dropkick from Okada! Danielson ducks a Rainmaker but comes off the ropes right into another huge dropkick. Okada goes up again and it’s he elbow drop, but Danielson catches him in a triangle choke, Danielson transitions into the Lebell Lock but Okada gets the ropes. Okada is sitting prone on the apron so Danielson punts him in the back. Suicide dive by Danielson to the floor but Okada moves, Rainmaker but Danielson ducks, and Danielson hits a running dropkick on the floor. YES KICKS on the entrance now but Okada ducks the high kick. Okada picks up Danielson and it’s a tombstone on the ramp! Okada drags Danielson into the ring and goes up to the top rope. Elbow drop by Okada is perfect, but there’s no pin! RAINMAKAHHHH POSE. Danielson is struggling to get up and they’re calling for a doctor? Okada doesn’t buy it and looks for the Rainmaker, but Danielson is playing possum and hits the Busaiku Knee. Okada is still holding on to the wrist, however, and delivers some elbows from his own knees. German suplex but Danielson lands on his feet and it’s another Busaiku Knee! Two count. “It’s time, to kick his f’ing head in!” says Danielson. Danielson holds the wrist and stomps Okada’s head before locking in the Lebell Lock momentarily, which Okada countered into a two count. Head kick by Danielson and Okada is down. Busaiku Knee again but Okada hits the drppkick! Landslide by Okada! Rainmaker finally connects but Danielson is out at 2.9999! Wrist trap by Okada and he’s delivering short-arm clotheslines in bunches. Danielson ducks another Rainmaker and forces Okada down with the omoplata right into the Labell Lock! Danielson now replaces his right arm with his right leg and the Lebell Lock is in even tighter. OKADA TAPS! OKADA TAPS!
Winner: Bryan Danielson
Rating: ****1/2. Wow. Absolutely stunning, wrestling-based finish. I feel like this match was positioned to go longer, but Omega/Ospreay went maybe a little too long? That said, these two delivered, I just wish the crowd had more left in the tank, which is a lot to ask based upon how long they’ve been there and what they’ve seen so far. The wrestling in this match made sense and everything was done for a reason.
Final Thoughts: What is there to say about this show? Top to bottom, absolutely fantastic professional wrestling. Two MOTY candidates on one show is enough to give it a thumbs up, but there was a lot more than that. Orange Cassidy’s historic reign continued, The Elite/BCC storyline continued with a heck of a ten-man tag, Jungle Boy turned on Hook after a good match with Sanada, etc. The story here is Omega and Ospreay, which was one of the darndest, over the top matches of the year. Okada and Danielson, although delivering a slower paced match, equally lived up to their billing. 9.25/10
