SouthernWorldwide.com – The highly anticipated Forbidden Door event in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is shaping up to be a monumental occasion, with simmering tensions between top stars Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland boiling over, and a massive 12-man tag team match officially set.
The rivalry between Ospreay and Strickland intensified as they came face-to-face. This confrontation was a precursor to the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament final, with the winner set to earn a coveted AEW World Championship shot at the upcoming All In pay-per-view in Wembley Stadium.
Will Ospreay has made his intentions clear: he aims to finally claim the top AEW title and cement his legacy. On the other hand, Swerve Strickland is on a remarkable hot streak, mirroring Ospreay’s momentum, and is eager to taste championship gold once more.
During their heated exchange, Strickland expressed his dissatisfaction with Ospreay’s recent demeanor, suggesting a change in his character. Ospreay, in turn, implied that Strickland himself had undergone a transformation.
“It’s the way you’re looking at me. Do we have a problem? Do we need to have a chat about something?” Ospreay challenged Strickland.
Strickland brought up their past encounters, specifically mentioning their battles against The Death Riders. He questioned Ospreay’s current association with the faction, implying it was a strategic move to regain his form. Strickland demanded an explanation for Ospreay surrounding himself with that group.
Ospreay countered by stating that he had neither forgiven nor forgotten the actions of The Death Riders against him. He highlighted that while individuals like Kenny Omega, The Opps, and Darby Allin were attempting to aid him during an assault by The Death Riders, Strickland was absent due to injury.
Ospreay also recalled an incident where he intended to support Adam Page in his pursuit of the AEW World Championship at All In: Texas, but was injured. He pointed out that Strickland was present and had Page’s back during that time.
“Where were you and why didn’t you help me?” Ospreay directly asked Strickland.
Before Strickland could respond, Ospreay dramatically snatched the microphone from his hand, declaring he had no need to hear any explanation. He gestured towards the Forbidden Door sign, emphasizing its significance over any words Strickland might offer.
Ospreay reiterated his lifelong dream of performing at Wembley Stadium and stated that with just one match separating him from that goal, Strickland was standing directly in his path.
Strickland, however, stood firm, asserting that he would not allow anyone, not even Ospreay, to step over him in his quest for the championship. He reminded Ospreay that he had never been able to defeat him and that this streak would continue at Forbidden Door.
The tension escalated as Ospreay delivered a forearm strike to Strickland, sending him to the mat. Strickland then retrieved a chain and began swinging it across the ring. At this point, The Death Riders emerged, seemingly in support of Ospreay.
“You’re wrong, Will. You really have changed,” Strickland declared, getting the final word in the intense segment.
Meanwhile, AEW World Champion MJF kicked off “Dynamite” with a scathing critique of potential challengers to his title, including Swerve Strickland, Will Ospreay, and Kenny Omega. He then shifted his focus to Mark Briscoe, his opponent in a highly anticipated 12-man tag team steel cage match at Forbidden Door.
“Do you know what the difference is between you and everyone I just mentioned on this list? Everyone I just mentioned is a top act, a star. You are not,” MJF proclaimed. “They love you, Mark. You wanna know what they love you? They feel bad for you because your brother died. That’s horrible man.
“To be honest, that’s not why I feel bad for you. I feel bad for you because you’re actually delusional enough to think you have a prayer at obtaining the triple B. Tonight, none of those prayers will be answered but all of ours will because we have concocted the most dangerous team that has ever existed.”
Don Callis then revealed the members of his faction who would be backing MJF in the match: Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada, and Andrade El Idolo. Notably, Andrade appeared to show signs of displeasure at being included in the lineup.
Later, Briscoe responded to MJF’s taunts.
“I heard what you said. You said I ain’t suited to be world champ. Well, I’ve heard it before, Max,” Briscoe stated. “People say, Mark Briscoe, you got a glass ceiling. Well, that gives me all the more motivation to bust right through that thing.”
Briscoe announced his team for the 12-man tag match, which includes Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, Konosuke Takeshita, and Darby Allin.
The stakes are incredibly high for Briscoe’s team; if they emerge victorious at Forbidden Door, Briscoe will earn a direct title shot against MJF.
In other news from the women’s division, Mercedes Moné made a dramatic return to AEW as a wildcard entrant in the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament. She successfully defeated Alex Windsor in the first round and went on to face Hazuki in the semifinals.
Moné continued her impressive run on Wednesday night, defeating Hazuki to become the first competitor to advance to the women’s final. While Moné is a highly accomplished wrestler, she has yet to capture the AEW Women’s World Championship.
She is the longest-reigning TBS Champion and has been a prominent star in the industry for several years. Securing the AEW Women’s World Championship would undoubtedly elevate her status to an even higher echelon among female professional wrestlers.
Moné will face the winner of the upcoming match between Maya World and Athena in the tournament final. The winner of that match will earn a shot at the women’s world title at Forbidden Door.
