Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay tore the house down at 2024 AEW Forbidden Door. All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling's annual crossover ended on a high note on a card that got better as the night progressed.
Strickland and Ospreay produced a world title spectacle that had everything: world-class athleticism, dramatic near falls and classic professional wrestling storytelling. Another standout match in Elmont, N.Y. was a champion vs. champion match between Mercedes Mone and Stephanie Vaquer that welcomed Britt Baker back into the fold.
CBS Sports was with you the whole way through the event, providing updates and highlights. Relive the entire Forbidden Door card below as AEW sets the stage for a big second half of 2024.
2024 AEW Forbidden Door results
AEW World Championship -- Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Will Ospreay: This main event was an ode to the classic fabric of AEW: world-class athleticism, dramatic momentum swings and strong storytelling. Ospreay and Strickland looked like live-action anime. Sunday's headliners were always thinking, countering each other with lightning-quick offense and unbelievable athletic feats. It wasn't a careless circus showcase but a show of bravado as they tried to one-up each other. There were also slow burn moments as the competitors took time to rub their success in their opponent's face.
A stunning spot saw Ospreay run up Strickland's body into a Styles Clash. Ospreay went for a springboard maneuver but Strickland intercepted with a Swerve Stomp. The match's big top rope move was a high-angle avalanche Olympic slam from Strickland to the challenger. The champ managed to one-up it with a wild top rope Swerve Stomp off the top rope into Opsreay who was leaning against the announcers' table. Strickland continued to escalate the violence, spiking Ospreay with a piledriver on the barricade. The challenger finally turned the tables by intercepting Strickland with a springboard avalanche Oscutter followed by a traditional Oscutter for the deep two count. Another Oscutter and Storm Breaker just about sealed the deal but Strickland's late kick out brought the crowd to its feet. Ospreay attempted the Tiger Driver 91 that he retired after (storyline) injuring Bryan Danielson but Strickland reversed it. Strickland ducked a Hidden Blade and the referee took the brunt of it. That introduced some pro wrestling drama. Ospreay hit Strickland with the Hidden Blade and would've had the match won if the referee was conscious.
Don Callis tried to introduce a screwdriver but Ospreay refused to use it. The challenger nearly stabbed Prince Nana with it after Nana shoved Callis to the floor but Ospreay came to his senses. Ospreay returned to the ring and had his skull cracked by a House Call followed by a Swerve Stomp. Refere Aubrey Edwards slid into the ring but Ospreay kicked out at two. Strickland with another House Call and Ospreay somehow kicked out again. An exhausted Ospreay couldn't pull the trigger on the Hidden Blade as Strickland landed a third House Call, plus a Big Pressure for the pinfall victory. What an incredible match chock-full of drama, impressive feats and undeniable chemistry. Strickland was introduced by rapper Jim Jones and Ospreay paid tribute to Hayabusa with his entrance. MJF and Daniel Garcia were seen watching the match closely, setting up future storylines. Strickland def. Ospreay to retain the title. Grade: A
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship -- Jon Moxley (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito: Moxley's ruthlessness and Naito's mind games were on full display. The champ immediately clubbed Naito with forearms. The challenger responded by spitting in Moxley's face and playing to the crowd. Both men were willing to push the boundaries of the rules. Moxley meticulously raked Naito's back and Naito repeatedly smacked him in the face with a piece of the barricade. One of the match's first big moments was a top rope-assisted powerbomb by Moxley. Naito was on the verge of reclaiming the title after hitting Destino but Moxley endured. Moxley had a bone to pick with the referee after Moxley hit a nasty lariat and death rider that drew a deep two count. Moxley tried to hit a death rider onto a steel chair but the official kicked the foreign object out of the way. Moxley's fixation with the referee and overreliance on the death rider cost him the match. Naito countered the finisher, spiked Moxley on his head and hit one last Destino to reclaim the title. A great, hard-hitting match with a world title at stake. What's not to like? Naito def. Moxley to win the title. Grade: A-
TBS Championship and NJPW Strong Women's Championship -- Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Stephanie Vaquer (c): This champion vs. champion match lived up to its stature. Mone and Vaquer went toe-to-toe exchanging hard blows and big moves. Vaquer flattened Mone with a springboard crossbody to the outside and took control for a while after. Mone caught Vaquer with an anti-air dropkick as Vaquer lept off the top ropes. The finishing sequence had the crowd unglued. Mone locked in a cross face but Vaquer powered her up with a fireman's carry into a lumbar check. The New York crowd vocally supported Vaquer as they abandoned the AEW star. Mone blitzed Vaquer with a pair of backstabbers that had the fans booing loudly. An impressive exchange of counters concluded with Mone hitting the Money Maker into a cross-face for the submission win. Britt Baker's theme song hit post-match to a warm reception from the crowd. Another strong showing from Mone whose reputation will benefit far more from in-ring action than the slowburn promos AEW executed before her TBS title win last month. Baker's star power and mics skill were sorely missed. It's great to have her back. Mone def. Vaquer to retain the TBS title and win the NJPW strong women's championship. Grade: A-
AEW TNT Championship -- Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mark Briscoe vs. Jack Perry vs. Dante Martin vs. Lio Rush vs. El Phantasmo (Ladder match): Things get chaotic with six wrestlers and a ladder. A silly spot saw Briscoe, Martin, Rush and Phantasmo hurl ladders into the center of the ring. Not sure what the point of that was. A cooler spot featured Takeshita knocking Martin off the ladder only for Martin to hit Phantasmo with a crossbody. Speaking of Takeshita, he was a major threat in the match. Takeshita at one point hit Martin with a brainbuster onto the side of a ladder. Wildman Briscoe temporarily removed Takeshita from consideration with a front flip senton through a ladder and table. A huge but disappointing spot saw Briscoe climb a ladder on the apron and leap off with a double sledgehammer on Perry through a table. Unfortunately, the table didn't break.
Rush was on the receiving end of a painful Last Ride powerbomb from Takeshita into a ladder. Match MVP Takeshita continued to earn his status with a sickening blue thunder bomb on Phantasmooff from the apron through two tables ringside. Briscoe had better luck with plunder while breaking a ladder in half with a Jay Driller on Takeshita. Briscoe appeared to have the match won but Perry beat him down with a ladder and chair, stepped over his body and claimed the title. A fun plunder brawl with significant highs and lows. Perry was the obvious but arguably correct choice to win. Perry def. Briscoe, Martin, Phantasmo, Rush and Takeshita to win the vacant TNT title. Grade: B
The Learning Tree (Chris Jericho and Big Bill) and Jeff Cobb vs. Samoa Joe, Hook and Katsuyori Shibata: The match started with Jerico's maligned shenanigans but fans were soon treated to the main course -- Joe vs. Cobb. The big men had a brief but hard-hitting encounter before sharing the spotlight with their colleagues. Shibata was presented especially well, overwhelming the powerhouse Cobb with a series of strikes and submissions. Other highlights included Joe and Hook's tandem offense on Jericho -- a nod to Joe's success as a mentor where Jericho failed -- and Hook's T-Bone suplex on Cobb. The match ended with Hook hitting Jericho with his own finisher, the Judas Effect. A fast-paced match that showcased each athlete's personality. The fans were really into this one. Hook, Joe and Shibata def. The Learning Tree and Cobb via pinfall. Grade: B
Orange Cassidy vs. Zack Sabre Jr.: Sabre has a reputation for being the best technical wrestler on the planet but Cassidy gave him a run for his money. Cassidy couldn't keep up with the former NJPW television champion hold for hold, but he had enough tricks to threaten Sabre. Cassidy overcame a stretch on defense with a Michonuku Driver and leaping DDT off the top rope. A nasty spot involved Sabre appearing to break his opponent's fingers. The typically lethargic Cassidy finally had enough of having his arm torn apart by Sabre and spiked him with a Beach Break. Cassidy tried to seal the deal with an Orange Punch but his hand appeared damaged. The rivals exchanged an exhilarating series of pinfall attempts that ended with Sabre twisting Cassidy like a pretzel in a painful-looking submission. Cassidy verbally submitted. Sabre is a technical wizard and it's old news that Cassidy is a phenomenal talent. A really fun match between workers with clear chemistry. Sabre def. Cassidy via submission. Grade: B+
AEW Women's World Championship -- "Timeless" Toni Storm vs. Mira Shirakawa: There was no semblance of respect despite their mutual friendship with Mariah May. Shirakawa attacked Storm's leg early and often. The champion had moments of offense but was often overwhelmed by Shirakawa's cunning and physicality. The challenger continued to attack Storm's compromised leg with a figure-four leg lock. Big highlights saw Shirakawa hit Storm with a top rope DDT and a Glamorous Driver for a near fall. Storm found an opening with two stiff headbutts and a tidy Storm Zero for the win. The rivals embraced post-match before joining May in a post-match peck. The match was solid and Shirakawa was booked strongly but the challenger struggled with some strength-intensive spot. Storm's entrance as Lady Liberty and May's concerned look ringside were nice touches. I have mixed feelings about the rivals kissing and making up. This was one of the more character-driven stories in AEW at the moment and it ended in the tamest way possible. Storm def. Shirakawa to retain her title. Grade: B-
Bryan Danielson vs. Shingo Takagi (Men's Owen Hart Cup Tournament match, Round 1): Danielson was nearly counted out after Takagi hit an apron-assisted corkscrew brainbuster to the floor. Danielson couldn't match Takagi's power or striking ability but his speed provided openings to land crucial kicks and knee attacks. A stunning sequence saw Danielson use kicks to intercept Takagi's offense before springing into a flying armbar. Takagi responded by muscling Danielson into a power slam. An avalanche backdrop and superplex were on the menus for Danielson and Takagi, respectively. The match's first believable near fall was courtesy of a mammoth lariat and Made in Japan combo by Takagi. The second near fall came after Danielson landed a Busaiku knee, spurring chants of "fight forever!" A nasty variation on a Fujiwara armbar sealed the deal for "The American Dragon." It was a great match between two world-class veterans. Danielson def. Takagi via submission to advance in the Owen Hart Cup Tournament. Grade: B+
The Elite (Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson and Kazuchika Okada) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and Hiroshi Tanahashi: Okada immediately addressed the elephant in the room by demanding Tanahashi start the match, calling back to their iconic rivalry from New Japan Pro-Wrestling that dominated the 2010s. However, Okada then quickly tagged himself out, reminding the Long Island crowd that he's no longer the conquering hero that beat "The Ace" so many times. The match quickly turned into dueling "Scissor Me" and air guitar taunts and the heels took control until Bowens was able to fire back off a hot tag. The Bucks and Acclaimed eventually took each other out, leaving Okada with no choice but to finally confront Tanahashi. Tanahashi immediately took the advantage and looked to secure the win after The Acclaimed hit Okada with The Arrival and The Mic Drop, but Okada was able to get his knees up in time to counter the High Fly Flow finisher. The Bucks then ganged up on Tanhashi and took out Bowens and Caster at ringside. "The Ace" tried his best to fight back but the three-on-one assault was too much. Okada put him away with a Rainmaker and ditched the ring once Billy Gunn arrived. The match got plenty of mileage out of Okada's heel persona, which has been a ton of fun since he arrived in AEW. But The Acclaimed's act has started to grow a bit stale and this match did nothing to help fix that. The Elite def. The Acclaimed and Hiroshi Tanahashi via pinfall. Grade: B-
MJF vs. Hechicero: Unsurprisingly, MJF arrived to a massive ovation from his hometown crowd. And while Friedman held the advantage early with his usual bag of tricks, it wasn't long before "The Alchemist'' was tying him in knots with unique submissions. But even after Hechicero weakened Friedman's left arm, the former world champ was still strong enough to deliver a sheer drop brainbuster for the win. This match was made to remind people that MJF is every bit as good at technical wrestling as he is on the mic, and in that sense it delivered. But the result was never in doubt and Max has done better work elsewhere. MJF def. Hechicero via pinfall. Grade: C+
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Yota Tsuji, Titan and Hiromu Takahashi) vs. The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix) and Mistico: The six-man sprint culminated in Penta and Fenix hitting Takahashi with the Fear Factor to clear the ring. Mistico then applied his signature armbar to Titan for the win. Mistico and The Lucha Bros. def. Los Ingobernables de Japon via submission. Grade: C+
Mariah May vs. Saraya (Women's Owen Hart Cup Tournament match, Round 1): Toni Storm arrived alongside May but nearly cost her the match when she pulled Harley Cameron - - only to distract May and enable Saraya to hit the Knight Cap. May got her hand on the bottom rope at the last possible moment, so Saraya transitioned into her Scorpion Cross Lock submission. May managed to escape, then countered Saraya's Good Knight finisher with a bridging roll-up for the pin, advancing to the Owen Hart Cup semifinals. Mariah May def. Saraya via pinfall. Grade: C+
Kris Statlander and Momo Watanabe vs. Willow Nightingale and Tam Nakano: Statlander spent a good chunk of the match avoiding Nightingale, though Nightingale managed to get in a few shots off of a hot tag. The final sequence of the match saw Nightingale blast Watanabe with a pounce then dispatch of Statlander with a lariat and a dropkick off of the apron. Nakano then secured the win with a bridging German suplex. Tam Nakano and Willow Nightingale def. Kris Statlander and Momo Watanabe via pinfall. Grade: C
The House of Black (Malakai Black and Brody King) vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Kyle O'Reilly vs. Roderick Strong and Gabriel Kidd vs. Private Party (Zay and Quen): This was a standard four-team sprint as all eight men tried to get their signature moves in as quickly as possible. Black and King stood tall after the latter hit Zay with a Gonzo Bomb. The House of Black wins via pinfall. Grade: C+
Kyle Fletcher vs. Serpentico: Fresh off losing his ROH world television championship to Atlantis Jr. in Mexico, Fletcher picked up an easy win over the masked luchador. He had the win after hitting a piledriver, but decided to up the ante by hitting Serpentico with a twisting brain-buster on the top turnbuckle. Fletcher def. Serpentico. Grade: C
