AEW didn’t sanction this match for a reason.
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door went down at the O2 Arena in London. The whole night ended with a very violent encounter.
The last match of the night at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door was a Lights Out Steel Cage match where the team of Golden Lovers, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi, along with Darby Allin, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Will Ospreay faced the team of Death Riders, Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley, The Young Bucks, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson, and Gabe Kidd.
This match has a bit of a backstory. Hiroshi Tanahashi was announced for his final match in the United Kingdom at Forbidden Door. On Dynamite, the Death Riders attacked after a match, leading to Darby Allin and a returning Will Ospreay making the save. Ospreay then challenged the group to a Lights Out Steel Cage match. Tanahashi joined Ospreay’s team, while Moxley added The Young Bucks. The match was set with Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, The Young Bucks, and Gabe Kidd against Allin, Ospreay, Tanahashi, and the Golden Lovers, Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega.
Will Ospreay also entered this match while recovering from an injury. He received quite a special entrance with a video package as well.
This match started off in violent fashion, and fans stayed on their feet for practically the entire encounter. A ring circled the ring, but they had room at the ringside area to continue the chaos. Eventually, Darby Allin was handcuffed, but it was eventually broken.
The Young Bucks got a bag, but it was full of gummy bears. So, someone took a face plant into the gummy bears to further their gimmick that they’re getting buried by AEW after losing their EVP spots.
The match continued as Darby was cut open and so was Ospreay. Fans saw Will Ospreay bleeding so much, and they immediately started chanting for him. Then Ospreay started to rally, and he ate a gummy bear off the mat for good measure. Then Gabe Kidd nailed Ospreay with a piledriver. The mat was covered in Ospreay’s blood at that point.
Eventually, Darby Allin was duct taped to a chair and Jon Moxley shoved a fork through his ear. It was incredibly bloody and disturbing. Jim Ross, who sat in on commentary, was also disgusted. Then Allin took a bump while still in the chair.
A barbed wise table was also set up in the ring, and then Tanahashi put Moxley into the sharp metal before Gabe Kidd stopped it. The canvas was soaked with blood as it looked like a crime scene as the Young Bucks nailed a BTE Trigger on Tanahashi for a near fall before Ospreay broke up the pin.
Eventually, Moxley took a bump through the barbed wire table before Kenny Omega started hitting everyone he could with suplexes. Then Omega and Ibushi teamed up for double snap dragon suplexes on Mox and Kidd. Omega hyped up the O2 Arena after that to hit a Terminator Dive on the pack on the floor.
Eventually, Will Ospreay climbed to the top of the cage, and he nailed a moonsault from the top on the pack to take everyone out. The match continued and chaos continued to erupt around every corner with violence. The action spilled outside the ring eventually as Darby and Moxley fought. Two tables were stacked up as Darby put Mox between them and he climbed to the top of the cage. Then Allin was hit with a low blow as Marina Shafir got Mox out of harm’s way. Gabe Kidd climbed up with Darby after that before Darby launched himself off the cage through the two tables with him on his back. Then Ibushi and Claudio duked it out in the ring.
Eventually, Omega and Ospreay hit Matt Jackson with a One Winged Angel and Hidden Blade combo before Tanahashi nailed a splash to end this violent match.
After the post match celebrations, Will Ospreay was jumped by the Death Riders. Moxley nailed him with multiple Paradigm Shift moves, and he had a chair put around his neck before the Opps ran down to try and get the cage unlocked. However, there was nothing they could do before Moxley stomped on the chair to incapacitate Ospreay. They spoke about the possible end of Will Ospreay’s career as Samoa Joe and Doc Samson screamed for the cage to be raised.
The broadcast ended with Will Ospreay laid out on the mat, looking up at the lights as AEW’s top babyfaces and officials surrounded him. This may be the last time we see him for a while. He was then shown getting taken off in a neck brace.
We will have to see how AEW tops this match. It was certainly a brutal and bloody way to end Forbidden Door this year. Will Ospreay’s situation is another story completely.
What’s your take on how the Lights Out match turned out at Forbidden Door? Do you think that it should have gone another way? Let us know what you think in the comments section!
