Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite show in Chicago, Illinois featured six new matches officially added to the card of AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling’s co-promoted Forbidden Door II event, which takes place on Sunday, June 25th at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The first match announced was a 10-Man Tag Team match of Blackpool Combat Club vs. The Elite. In a backstage promo segment on the show, Jon Moxley issued a match challenge to The Elite for a 10-Man Tag Team match at Forbidden Door II. Moxley stated that his team would consist of himself, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita, and his protege Shota Umino on his side.
The #BlackpoolClub along with @TakeSoup & @Shooter_us, just challenged #TheElite to a 5-on-5 match at #ForbiddenDoor this SUNDAY!!!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 22, 2023
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS! @JonMoxley | @bryandanielson | #ClaudioCSRO | @wheeleryuta pic.twitter.com/R7g1QCnRWa
In a follow-up segment later in the show, The Elite stated that they found a fourth member for their team, which was revealed to be Eddie Kingston. Before they could announce who would be their fifth member, Kingston interrupted stated that he would be the one to make the announcement but later in the show. During the main event of the show, Kingston revealed to Moxley’s face that the fifth member of his and the Elite’s team is Tomohiro Ishii.
#TheElite and their new “friend” #EddieKingston have accepted the #BlackpoolCombatClub‘s 5-on-5 match at #ForbiddenDoor but who will be their fifth partner?
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 22, 2023
Watch #AEWDynamite on LIVE on TBS! pic.twitter.com/9uClcMNdzx
#TomohiroIshii will team up with the Young Bucks, Hangman Adam Page and Eddie Kingston to take on the #BlackpoolCombatClub at #ForbiddenDoor LIVE on PPV!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 22, 2023
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS! pic.twitter.com/RwUdwunK7S
The second new match announced was a Trios match of Le Suzuki Gods (Sammy Guevara, Chris Jericho, & Minoru Suzuki) vs. Darby Allin, Sting, & mystery partner. This match was setup following Jericho’s team victory in a Trios match against Action Andretti, Darius Martin, & AR Fox. In a post-match interview with Renee Paquette, Jericho mocked Sting and called him a “whore” for showing up wherever the highest bidder is. Jericho then issued a challenge to Sting for a Trios match between Le Suzuki Gods and Sting, Allin, and a partner of their choosing for Forbidden Door II. Sting and Allin came out and accepted Jericho’s challenge but also stated that they wouldn’t publicly reveal their partner tonight. Later in the show, it was announced that Sting and Allin will officially reveal their tag team partner at this Saturday’s AEW Collision show.
Sting & Darby Allin accept the challenge for Forbidden Door this Sunday…But, who will be their third tag team partner?
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 22, 2023
Watch #AEWDynamite on LIVE on TBS@IAmJericho | @sammyguevara | @suzuki_D_minoru | @Sting | @DarbyAllin pic.twitter.com/5Ny6VmCaB2
In regards to the Owen Hart Cup tournament matches at Forbidden Door II, this was announced to be a Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Cup First Round match of CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima and a Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Cup First Round match of Athena vs. Billie Starkz.
The Men’s and Women’s brackets for the Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament are here. Who do you think will win?
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 22, 2023
Watch #AEWDynamite on LIVE on TBS pic.twitter.com/BtSaToeXMH
The fifth new match announced was a Four-way match for the AEW International Championship of Daniel Garcia vs. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Orange Cassidy (c). This match was announced following the ending of the Garcia & Sabre Jr. vs. Shibata & Cassidy which involved Garcia ducking Cassidy’s Orange Punch that hit Shibata instead resulting in Garcia pinning Shibata for his team’s victory. Shibata, Garcia, and Sabre Jr. all grabbed Cassidy’s AEW International title which led to Cassidy grabbing his title back and walking out of the ring. AEW commentator Excalibur announced that he was just informed by AEW CEO Tony Khan that a Four-way match for the AEW International title has been made official for Forbidden Door II involving all four guys who had just wrestled.
THIS SUNDAY LIVE at Forbidden Door it’s 4-way match for the #AEW International championship | Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Daniel Garcia vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 22, 2023
Watch #AEWDynamite on LIVE on TBS@orangecassidy | @K_Shibata2022 | @GarciaWrestling | @zacksabrejr pic.twitter.com/R5wWauoRwx
The sixth and final new match announced was an AEW Women’s World Championship match of Willow Nightingale vs. Toni Storm (c). This match was announced in the form of a video promo involving Storm and Nightingale talking about their upcoming match for Storm’s title at Forbidden Door II.
THIS SUNDAY LIVE on PPV at Forbidden Door, the #AEW Women’s World Championship will be on the line as #ToniStorm (c) defends her title against #NJPWStrong Women’s champion @willowwrestles! pic.twitter.com/XldKD91QFF
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 22, 2023
In regards to the AEW World Championship match of Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. MJF (c), this match was initially setup on last week’s Dynamite show after Tanahashi had issued a challenge to MJF for his AEW World Championship at Forbidden Door II which MJF had brushed off and threatened to no show the event if it was made official. During tonight’s Dynamite show, MJF and Adam Cole bantered back-and-forth for their promo segment. After being interrupted by Tony Schiavone and Hiroshi Tanahashi, Cole then baited MJF into publicly accepting Tanahashi’s challenge, which he angrily did.
Updated Card for Forbidden Door II
Following Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite show, here is the updated card for AEW and NJPW’s co-promoted Forbidden Door II event on June 25th in Toronto:
- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Open Challenge match – Jungle Boy Jack Perry vs. SANADA (c)
- IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship – Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega (c)
- AEW World Championship – Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. MJF (c)
- AEW International Championship Four-way match – Daniel Garcia vs. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Kasuyori Shibata vs. Orange Cassidy (c)
- AEW Women’s World Championship – Willow Nightingale vs. Toni Storm (c)
- 2023 Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament First Round match – CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima
- 10-Man Tag Team match – Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, & Wheeler Yuta), Konosuke Takeshita, & Shota Umino vs. The Elite (Hangman Adam Page, The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson)), Eddie Kingston, & Tomohiro Ishii
- Le Suzuki Gods (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, & Minoru Suzuki) vs. Darby Allin, Sting, & mystery partner
- Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada
- Zero Hour pre-show: 2023 Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament First Round match – Athena vs. Billie Starkz
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