FORBIDDEN DOOR IV - 8/24/2025

[Ramo2653]

I'll never forget a tweet from a few years ago that referred to Powerhouse Hobbs as Faction Jackson since he always seemed to bounce around from group to group. We should figure out a name for Wardlow like that.

I caught this today and while I liked it I didn't love it. Regarding what's next with Swerve and Osprey out, I think some guys are going to get some opportunities and will have to make the most of them. But Darby is back, Omega is around and looking at the roster, might be time to see what Jet Speed can do with a bigger position either separate or together. Kingston hasn't really been doing big updates so no clue on close he is even if he's not my cup to tea.

You can always feature E&C/FTR more since they're established. There's the break Jericho in case of emergency option. Maybe Juice gets a push. We've been getting the Hook signals. Maybe Mark Briscoe gets revenge on MJF.

Or you just feature the women more. That would be awesome since that's a damn good roster on it's own.

[Curt McGirt]

Found a download so I'm gonna surf through some of the card. 

Spoiler

- Fletcher/Hiromu was about as good as expected. All of you who aren't familiar, the crazy guy that keeps coming back again and again is pretty much him. It picked up down the stretch and the crowd was biting on a lot of pinfalls. Hiromu seems to be working a little safer though he's still willing to take some pretty big hits. Fletcher is Fletcher. He needs to keep that belt for a good long while. 

- The four-woman was great! I mean, it wasn't great-great, it was sloppy and silly sometimes, and there was a lot of hiding beneath the apron on the floor by folks, but I can forgive it when Bozilla is channeling the TNA Knockouts days of lore and crushing folks. Danielson brought up Vader and did this manic, sadistic laugh at one point that told me more about him psychologically than I expected at all... Mone did the best Meteora I've ever seen her do and all the crying bullshit made her look truly in worry of losing the belt. The multiple-person submissions and suplexes just worked for me. They probably shouldn't have, but they did. Bozilla is going to crush everyone, and if they don't put her up against Nyla in a Battle of the Beasts, we are gonna be missing out. 

 

[HarryArchieGus]

ZSJ-Nigel was excellent. I like what they were going for with the video. It needed a little more work, but I was with it. Nice to see the old boys in attendance. I loved the confrontation ZSJ-Nigel did on Collision to build to the match. Simple and effective - no need for anything more than a bit of heated close talking. Bryan Danielson was gold on the entire show, but nowhere more than during this match. I’m looking forward to heel Danny Garcia, and liked his nervous frustration during the match. This match and the Unified TItle matches were both nice solid pro wrestling matches. The kind of matches that are sure to be overlooked. I'm a higher voter than most on Okada in AEW. I dig the pace/style. I wasn't sure how well Swerve/Okada would match up. I suspect they purposely left a little on the table for a rematch, and I was fine with that. I suspect Swerve's feeling pretty shitty physically, but he fought thru it. The Wardlow return was interesting. He looks heavier. I like him with Don - I think he'll work to get the best out of him.  And I'm not so worried of him simply becoming a heater. Tho, I do remember him cutting some really good promos just before he left, so I hope they give him some mic time. I think for now his ceiling is what it is, and that's fine. I don't need him in the top mix. Takeshita on the otherhand! I loved the roar of the crowd for Takeshita's entrance. And I really liked the staredown.   

[TheVileOne]

2 hours ago, JLSigman said:

To me, (a person who had never seen any of those dudes before) I had no idea until Takeshita shook the bad guy's hand that he was actually in the group. He looked like he was sizing someone up for a takedown. If they want to peel someone off, Wardlaw is low level enough that a beatdown by him would get him heat, but not so low that it would kill the victim.

That sounds okay and all, but that means they have to invest in actually pushing and running this storyline consistently. Something that Tony Khan sometimes struggles with in the midcard.

[Peck]

Oh, how Michael Oku isn't dead right now is beyond me. Please don't EVER do that bump again. Holy shit.

I think Rick Knox was the ref and I can't believe someone in the back didn't cue him in to go out and check on Oku immediately. 

[Casey]

So where does Toni go after this? She's beaten almost everyone in both divisions. I genuinely think the only person she hasn't faced (in the Timeless era) is Jamie Hayter. Do you heat Jamie up with a quick Thekla feud, and move her onto Toni in the fall? Maybe turn Jamie heel - the crowds won't boo Toni right now, and Jamie can be that kind of heel that's right but goes about it the wrong way. They do have a built in story left over from 2023 that hasn't been addressed at all.

[Death From Above]

8 hours ago, Craig H said:

 

I'm still waiting for Eddie to do something, anything, but apparently he's just not healthy enough yet.

Granted they probably have too many commentators already, but I'm kind of surprised we've never seen much of Eddie Kingston on commentary because he did it all the time in the indies and he was a lot of fun. It's probably something he can transition into for AEW whenever he packs it in, Ross will surely be gone by then. Maybe Tony too, who knows.

[Matt D]

33 minutes ago, Casey said:

So where does Toni go after this? She's beaten almost everyone in both divisions. I genuinely think the only person she hasn't faced (in the Timeless era) is Jamie Hayter. Do you heat Jamie up with a quick Thekla feud, and move her onto Toni in the fall? Maybe turn Jamie heel - the crowds won't boo Toni right now, and Jamie can be that kind of heel that's right but goes about it the wrong way. They do have a built in story left over from 2023 that hasn't been addressed at all.

I'd like them to do Triangle of Madness as a Halloween thing, myself. 

[tbarrie]

16 hours ago, The Natural said:

8-1. I never expected Brodido to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship. Did anyone? Convenient how in an elimination match, The Hurt Syndicate still avoided jobbing getting taken out. Shame about the botched finish.

Was it an elimination match? I thought they just sort of changed their mind about that. The commentators were constantly talking about how the champs could lose their titles without being involved in the decision, and of course there was only one pin. Did they announce Hurt Syndicate as being eliminated by count-out? If so, I missed it.

[Niners Fan in CT]

I'm guilty of this too but if you read the sheets and then go on to say Okada/Swerve was predictable well that's not the fault of Tony Khan.  It's human nature to be a little disappointed knowing ahead of time what the likely outcome is and that does play into your reaction to it but it's not in any way the fault of the performers or Tony. 

[Casey]

It clearly wasn’t an elimination match by the time the match started, but as others pointed out in the Dynamite thread - it was advertised that way, and even on their social media posts hyping up the match (which is how I discovered I was wrong about it being elimination, but then proven right when it wasn’t lol)

[Niners Fan in CT]

45 minutes ago, Casey said:

So where does Toni go after this? She's beaten almost everyone in both divisions. I genuinely think the only person she hasn't faced (in the Timeless era) is Jamie Hayter. Do you heat Jamie up with a quick Thekla feud, and move her onto Toni in the fall? Maybe turn Jamie heel - the crowds won't boo Toni right now, and Jamie can be that kind of heel that's right but goes about it the wrong way. They do have a built in story left over from 2023 that hasn't been addressed at all.

Megan Bayne is heated up. I think you can play around with her beating Toni in almost a squash type situation and then get Toni trained and ready for round 3. 

[Curt McGirt]

I had to skip a lot on this card, it's just too long. Overstuffed. Anyway though, ZSJ/Nigel was perfectly fine and surprisingly brief when I expected something more quasi-epic. Nigel still hits like a motherfucker. Man... I agree with everyone who liked Danielson on commentary because he did a stellar job the entire time. Toni vs. Athena probably could have tried to go for the epic route itself but didn't quite make it. Athena's capture suplex that landed Toni on her face right into the submission was GNARLY though. Honestly, I could have went with Athena winning this one, but I presume Tony has some ideas at play here that will turn out interesting, what with Jamie back and other stuff in the division. The matches that I skipped? Well I can bypass Max and a three-way tag. Okada/Strickland sounds good but I can always come back to it later if necessary. Actually the Opps match might be up my alley more? Anyway, main event time.

[southofheavy]

6 minutes ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

Megan Bayne is heated up. I think you can play around with her beating Toni in almost a squash type situation and then get Toni trained and ready for round 3. 

TONI AS ROCKY OMG

I would DIE. That is a fantastic idea. 

To add on, and hear me out, Mercedes as Apollo in Rocky 3. 

Mina or Alex Windsor as Adrian! Or both as TWO ADRIANS!!!

Luther lives because I can't live through Mickey's death again!

 

[Niners Fan in CT]

Just now, southofheavy said:

TONI AS ROCKY OMG

I would DIE. That is a fantastic idea. 

To add on, and hear me out, Mercedes as Apollo in Rocky 3. 

Mina or Alex Windsor as Adrian! Or both as TWO ADRIANS!!!

Luther lives because I can't live through Mickey's death again!

 

Toni has already done a video package as Rocky and Mercedes already has Apollo Creed inspired gear.  

Bayne as Drago is good,  I mean Bozilla might be even better suited but she's in STARDOM.   Megan Bayne is good though and I feel it'd be a fun back and forth. 

[Casey]

3 minutes ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

Megan Bayne is heated up. I think you can play around with her beating Toni in almost a squash type situation and then get Toni trained and ready for round 3. 

I think Megan Bayne should dethrone Mercedes, not Toni. Your idea suggests she wins Round 3, and I’m of the opinion that she takes a backseat in the title picture for awhile after she loses it this time.

Shit, have Toni try and fail (or succeed) to win the TBS title from Bayne. Maybe at Grand Slam Australia. Run Mercedes/Jamie for the World title. If they’re gonna introduce Tag titles, you don’t need two singles titles in addition to Tag titles for a super thin women’s division, so do a Winner Takes All Unification match between Toni or Bayne versus Mercedes or Hayter at All In London 2026.

No, I haven’t been playing TEW, why do you ask?

[Niners Fan in CT]

1 minute ago, Casey said:

I think Megan Bayne should dethrone Mercedes, not Toni. Your idea suggests she wins Round 3, and I’m of the opinion that she takes a backseat in the title picture for awhile after she loses it this time.

I have always felt either Willow or Stat dethrones Mercedes.  She has history with both.  Willow beat her in the match where Mercedes had to call the audible in New Japan when she was injured.  Mercedes won the rematch.  They are due for a Part 3 and Willow is due for a title reign. 

Or Stat because they fought twice and both times Mercedes had to sneak out of there with a win.  Third time is the charm for Stat. 

[southofheavy]

Just now, Niners Fan in CT said:

Toni has already done a video package as Rocky and Mercedes already has Apollo Creed inspired gear.  

I forgot about that, but Toni hasn't lost the Eye of the Tiger yet!

Bozilla could be Thunderlips!

(I think we all know what Toni would turn that name into.)

Setting my Rocky fanaticism aside, I like Matt D's Triangle of Madness Halloween idea, though Toni had her slasher flick with Mariah. 

I think the angle with the most mileage, though, is Jamie. There's gotta be a film parallel there, I just can't think of it right now. 

 

[Casey]

8 minutes ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

She has history with both

By that same logic, wouldn't a Jamie Hayter win over Toni Storm make more sense? Toni has WAY more history with Hayter than the, what, month long feud with Megan Bayne? Outcasts jumped her and injured her allowing Toni to get a quick win and the title, then Jamie was gone until All In London 2024 and hasn't had a chance to confront her about any of that. Meanwhile, that same year, Toni lost her mind and the title, went Timeless, got huge babyface support, all off the back of injuring Jamie.

Also the TBS title is so far beneath Stat, Willow & Mercedes at this point. All of them should be in contention for the World title, not fucking around with the midcard. If we're keeping that thing around, it should be for talent that's right below the main event scene. I also hate it when someone tries and fails for a title and then just moves on to another title IE Stat trying to beat Mercedes and then she just goes and challenges Toni or something. When they introduce tag titles for the women, are they gonna have Julia & Skye try to win them one week, and then the next one of them is challenging for the TBS title or whatever? I hate that, you don't see Dax going after Okada or whoever. In my mind, there should be strict title divisions, but even if they did that currently, there's not enough women to pad out divisions for two singles titles AND tag titles without crossover.

[dorfus malorfus]

Athena unifying the ROH, TBS, and AEW Women's Championship would be a nice way to clean up the title picture and finally give Athens her proper "main roster" flowers (especially if you did it in an elimination three way where she decisively pins both the other champs).

[ExcellenceofAirPollution]

45 minutes ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

I'm guilty of this too but if you read the sheets and then go on to say Okada/Swerve was predictable well that's not the fault of Tony Khan.  It's human nature to be a little disappointed knowing ahead of time what the likely outcome is and that does play into your reaction to it but it's not in any way the fault of the performers or Tony. 

I knew nothing about his knee injury until he told me about it on TV and I thought, "ok, well done deal he's losing then, there's his out."

That's not reading the sheets, that's being a pro-wrestling fan who didn't just fall off the turnip truck.  If Tony didn't want it to be predictable he shouldn't have mentioned it in the buildup

[Niners Fan in CT]

I like having secondary titles especially in the women's division.  The TBS title has always been a big deal.  Yes, Mercedes is carrying it now but even when Jade had it I felt like it was a special attraction.  The TBS title is a belt that actually has a lot of quality title holders and history. 

I would have never said Lex Luger or Rick Rude are above the U.S. title,  I think when secondary titles are booked correctly they should feel like a big thing. 

[Curt McGirt]

Main event was... a Young Bucks match. Which isn't bad, long as you have a high tolerance for it. Mox's fork action of course I dug more than anything, because sometimes the simplest things work the most. Even when they involve things as dumb as duct tape or handcuffs. And a fork going in somebody's ear.  And then Darby still insists on taking the most absurd bump of the match where he almost totally skates the top table and lands on his head with nothing breaking the fall. Tana getting pulled off the ladder was great (as was him getting the pin just because), Ibushi stuck in there, Claudio was the only person from the ROH vs. CZW Cage of Death also in the match, and still being the base for everyone! So, not bad. I hope those gummies were of the special variety so maybe one of the Jacksons experienced something unique. 

The Ospreay attack at the end, well, that's just wrestling. They did a good job of selling it after the match. And man, Joe is still so over. He needs a final run with a major singles title. He deserves it. 

[HarryArchieGus]

I'm not ready to see Toni dethroned. TItle holders have PPV matches, and there's no better wrestler than Toni. And there are few even remotely close on the mic. 

[username]

The tag title match was wild as like... the two main possibilities that seem to be in play is that it was changed away from elimination and with a run-in to remove the Hurt Business so that they didn't have to be involved with the finish because TK is aware of the rumors and is intentionally playing off them which feels too clever by half but also like something he would possibly do, or that there is an element of truth to the rumors and that is how we got here. My take as always is that you have to protect the Hurt Business to a degree... but you don't really have to protect Shelton that hard, he can take a pin and things will be fine. 

I actually like how they changed up the post-main chair/neck attack as if Claudio can't get that much heat pillmanizing the necks of five different people it's time to let someone else take a shot at it >_>