The phrase “Forbidden Door” has become a staple of modern wrestling discourse, used whenever talent crosses promotional lines. But according to Doc Gallows, one prominent figure in WWE is not exactly fond of the term.
Speaking on the Talk N Shop podcast alongside Karl Anderson and Frankie Kazarian, Gallows suggested that Paul Levesque isn’t a fan of the phrase.
“I would have to say that the three of us are, if not the, damn close to the originators of the term I know Triple H doesn’t love, the Forbidden Door,” Gallows said.
Gallows pointed to Kazarian as an example of how cross-promotional appearances have become increasingly common. Kazarian has appeared on TNA programming while under contract with AEW and also worked WWE programming while contracted to TNA.
According to Gallows, those kinds of talent exchanges trace back to earlier collaborations between wrestlers across promotions during their time in Japan.
“We were the first guys,” Gallows said. “When we were Impact guys and you’re AEW and crisscrossing started man, and all that goes to when we were all killing it together in Japan.”
While Levesque has never publicly criticized the phrase outright, he did hint at his feelings during the 2024 Royal Rumble. When Jordynne Grace made a surprise appearance in the match, Levesque thanked Total Nonstop Action Wrestling for allowing her to participate.
However, he jokingly avoided referencing the “Forbidden Door” terminology, saying he would not mention “what type of door” she walked through because he considered the phrase “stupid” and “silly.”
The concept itself has become increasingly common in modern wrestling, with promotions occasionally collaborating or allowing contracted talent to appear elsewhere. Still, WWE leadership appears less interested in branding those moments with the now-popular phrase.
In wrestling, language often becomes part of the spectacle. Whether executives embrace that language is another story entirely.
