Sporting News

AEW Forbidden Door 2024 results, match grades: Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay steal the show, Mercedes Mone now holds all the gold

By Daniel Yanofsky,

11 hours ago

UBS ARENA, NEW YORK —A generational clash between Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay left fans on Long Island wanting more. They may have to wait a while, but they got tasteful opening course at All Elite Wrestling’s Forbidden Door event.

Strickland successfully defended the AEW World Title against Ospreay following various near falls and emotional moments. The match started strong and ended with a bang, showcasing why they are the faces of AEW and pro wrestling.

Ospreay threw everything he had at Strickland, as did the champion. Oscutter’s and Stomp’s landed at various points, along with dangerous moves on the outside that looked like Ospreay may have been done for. However, Ospreay had too much heart. His heart was also put to the test when Don Callis put a screwdriver in his hand, and he almost used it against Swerve and Prince Nana.

Hate wouldn’t get the best of Ospreay, and Swerve used the distraction to land several blows to finally put Ospreay away following multiple close falls. The split crowd gave both men a standing ovation.

MORE: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese rivalry would work well in WWE, but when?

With All In in London just a few months away, will we see a rematch when all is said and done?

The rest of the card saw pro wrestling come together for the ultimate fight card. CMLL, Stardom, AEW, and New Japan Pro Wrestling represented in an event meant to break down any thoughts that collaboration isn't possible.

After losing the IWGP World Heavyweight Title against Jon Moxley about 80 days ago, Tetsuya Naito won back the belt to hold it for a second time. Though there were hiccups in the match, they eventually won the crowd. Naito now has to worry about the winner of the G1.

Mercedes Mone wanted to hold the NJPW Strong Women’s Title last year, but an injury forced plans to change. A year later, the TBS Champion got to win the belt, as she submitted a game Stephanie Vaquer to become a double champion. Vaquer looked like a megastar as the crowd showed her all the support, booing the Boston-based Mone towards the end of the match.

Vaquer was the MVP as she punished Mone, who started slow but finished with a bang. After the match, Britt Baker returned to a thunderous ovation. She hasn’t competed since September 2023 due to injury and is ready to return to the top of the mountain in a women’s division she has credited herself for making popular.

MORE: Who are The Wyatt Sicks 6? How WWE, Bray Wyatt ingeniously orchestrated it

The hard-hitting team of Samoa Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata beat Chris Jericho’s Learning Tree in a match that showcased Hook’s potential. Jericho’s team losing helped further the story of Joe, Hook, and Shibata gunning for gold and the pain of others.

Orange Cassidy, known for comedy, puts on great matches when he puts his mind to it. That is what he did when he faced Zack Sabre Jr., a technical wizard. Cassidy gave Sabre some trouble early on, using a technical style to subdue him. Following a series of reversals, Sabre forced Cassidy to quit after twisting both arms and legs back. Where does Cassidy go from here?

In a match where everyone will need ice after, Jack Perry won the vacant TNT Title. "The Scapegoat" beat Konosuke Takeshita, Mark Briscoe, Dante Martin, Lio Rush, and El Phantasmo in what could be described as a car crash.

Tables, ladders, and chairs were involved, with several wrestlers going through tables and cracking ladders in half. At one point, Briscoe dove through a table on the outside and missed his target. Everyone gave it their all, but Perry, bringing out black ladders to go with his gimmick, was the one to hold gold.

The Elite now holds almost all the gold in AEW. What other belts will they have their eyes on?

"Timeless" Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa put on a clinic for the AEW Women's World Title, with Mariah May, having a history with both, looked on concerned. It was a balanced match, with suplexes and headbutts as the main form of offense. May was a highlight, as any move would see her flinch. Storm eventually won clean.

All three celebrated in the ring in their own unique way. The story with May, who advanced in the Owen Hart Women’s Tournament earlier, enhanced Storm’s run from wrestler to movie star. It has been her best work to date.

In a candidate for Match of the Year, Bryan Danielson and Shingo Takagi put it all on the line in a first round match of the Men's Owen Hart Cup Tournament. Danielson survived a vicious onslaught from Takagi, including a spot where he landed on his shoulder and head on the outside. Danielson would later land a Busaiku Knee that didn’t get the job done.

Following a hard-hitting affair, Danielson won by forcing Takagi to surrender after a flurry of shots to the neck and an arm crank. If this is Danielson’s last year in the ring, he is making the most of it.

Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada renewed their rivalry when they competed in tag team action. Okada and the Young Bucks beat Tanahashi and The Acclaimed in a match that saw callbacks and plenty of emotion, especially on the part of Okada. With the win, who can stop The Elite?

Opening the show was MJF, Long Island’s favorite son. He faced CMLL’s Hechicero, a technical wizard. While there were questions about why Hechicero was involved in MJF’s return from injury, he played his part well. In the end, MJF used his cockiness, as well as former best friend Adam Cole’s Panama Sunrise, for the win.

The Sporting News provided results and match grades from the Forbidden Door event.

AEW Forbidden Door 2024 live results, highlights

Hello everyone, and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of AEW Forbidden Door!

House of Black stand tall

Malakai Black and Brody King won a four-way match that saw Private Party get pinned. To get people interested in the card, all men involved (HOB, Tomohiro Ishii and Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong and Gabriel Kidd, and Private Party) did exactly what they needed to do.

Grade: B-

Willow Nightingale and Tam Nakano overpower Kris Statlander and Momo Watanabe

The UBS Arena/Long Island crowd loved Willow Nightingale. Willow and Statlander were kept separate initially, while Watanabe and Nakano used Strong Style to tear the house down. Statlander dominated Nakano while drawing the ire of Willow. Statlander avoided a pounce attempt. The rivals finally faced off, and Statlander tried to take advantage of a beatdown.

Statlander and Willow came to blows, with Willow getting the better end of the action. The former forced Willow to spear her partner. Willow almost won the match, and a piledriver by Watanabe almost won it. A pounce by Willow, and she moved Statlander away from the action. Bridging Suplex by Nakano for the win.

Grade: B-

Mariah May advances in the Women's Owen Hart Tournament

Mariah May was one of the most over wrestlers and she will pull double duty tonight. Toni Storm, as expected, was the star of the show. May used a form of her own and Storm’s offense. Hip Attack. Storm tried to help May by getting rid of Harley Cameron but got distracted. Luckily, it did not mean a finish. Submission attempt but May got out of it. May with a rollup for the win to advance.

Grade: B

Penta, Fenix, and Mistico beat LIJ

Wrestlers from AEW, CMLL, and NJPW were all in the ring together, what a world. Titan and Fenix electrified the crowd to start things off. Penta and Tsuji squared off and the crowd was enamored by them. Tsuji has an aura about him.

Takahashi played teammate in peril until Los Ingobernables de Japon woke up. Mistico was in trouble throughout the contest but managed to catch fire. All six men got dropped down to the delight of the crowd. Lucha Brothers double team Takahashi, who was not legal. Titan and Mistico were the last ones left standing, and Mistico landed an armbar for the win.

Grade: A

Hometown hero MJF takes down Hechicero

Hechicero and hometown favorite MJF opened the show. MJF went crowd surfing, shook Hechicero's hand and blindsided him. Wearing Islander colors, MJF played for the crowd. Hechicero used his technical side to subdue MJF. tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by the masked wrestler. High knee to the face and Hechicero was mocking MJF. With a hurt arm, MJF fought back. A transition to an armbar had the crowd in shock.

MJF's arm was going through it. He eventually fought back and landed a Canadian Destroyer, or Panama Sunrise, a la his former partner Adam Cole. He earned the win to the roar of the crowd.

MJF opened the PPV portion of the show to get the crowd going. Back from injury, he appears back in the zone. Hechicero proved why he was a worthy opponent.

Grade: A-

Kazuchika Okada, Young Bucks too much for Hiroshi Tanahashi, The Acclaimed

The Acclaimed teamed up with Hiroshi Tanahashi to face Kazuchika Okada and The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson). Max Caster had his best rap down to the ring in quite some time. Okada and Tanahashi faced off first, teasing the fans of their old rivalry. Bowens landed a double leg drop to the Bucks. Caster played face in peril while Okada mocked him with dancing.

Bowens got into the ring. The Bucks tried using Sting's moves but to no avail. Okada and Tanahashi back in the ring. Tanahashi with a top rope rolling senton. Sweeping Okada's leg, Tanahashi tried a submission, but every man in the ring got involved to stop it. Rainmaker attempted turned into a Tanahashi splash attempt but the Bucks blocked it. Splash blocked by knees. Superkicks everywhere.

Back to Tanahashi and Okada. Elbow drop by Okada, who flipped off the crowd. Rainmaker attempt turned into a rollup. Dropkick by Okada followed by a Rainmaker for the three.

A solid match featuring two top tag teams and two legends from Japan. Tanahashi can still go, and his rivalry with Okada is still something that gets fans going.

Grade: A

'The American Dragon' slays 'The Dragon' as Bryan Danielson advances in the Owen Hart Tournament

It was dragon vs. dragon when Bryan Danielson and Shingo Takagi faced off in an Owen Hart Tournament first round match. They locked arms until Danielson took over with a leg hold. He held a tarantula in the center of the ring. Danielson continued to focus on the leg. Takagi used his power to halt Danielson's momentum. Danielson tried for a dive, but Tagaki dropped him on his head.

The doctor looked at Danielson, who appeared fine, and got in the ring. Tagaki took advantage, chopping away at Danielson. Danielson, in pain, got the crowd back into it. They traded chops, and Danielson went for knees in the corner. On top, Danielson elbows Tagaki's neck and landed a top rope sideslam suplex. "Yes" kicks and a slap, which transitioned to a Danielson armbar. Deadlift by Tagaki, who hit a package piledriver. Top Rope suplex by Tagaki.

Tagaki with a hard-hitting that lariat followed by a Falcon Arrow for two. Danielson fought back, but dropped to his knees. Elbow to the neck of Danielson. Armbar by Danielson, cranking it back. Punch by Tagaki and a headbutt. Danielson with a back suplex. "Yes" chants and a Busaiku Knee by Danielson but only for two. Wow! Danielson kicked the neck of Tagaki off, then elbowed him. Tagaki lifted him up but Danielson cranked the arm back and Tagaki couldn't continue.

On a night where House of the Dragon was on, two dragons put on a performance wrestling fans will never forget. Danielson and Tagaki with a candidate for Match of the Year.

Grade: A+

Toni Storm beats Mina Shirakawa while conflicted Mariah May looks on

"Timeless" Toni Storm vs. Mina Shirakawa for the AEW Women's World Title is next. Mariah May will be on both sides, as she has a history with both. Storm was dressed as Lady Liberty.

May is conflicted. Shirakawa showed off her dance moves, including slick counters. She attacked the legs of Storm, from in the ring to the floor. While injured, Storm landed a backstabber, a fisherman suplex, and a hip attack. May looked concerned for both. Storm missed a hip attack on the stares, and Shirakawa landed a big fly from up top. A Figure Four in the middle of the ring by Shirakawa and they trade slaps.

On top, they trade punches. Top rope DDT by Shirakawa for two. Snap suplex by Storm. Hip attack connected for two. Unique pinfall attempt by Shirakawa. Reverse Falcon Arrow by Shirakawa and a high kick. May is up and doesn't know what to do. Headbutts by Storm and a suplex. Piledriver for the win.

A clean win for Storm, which was surprising. It was solid, with eyes on May the entire time to see her reaction.

Grade: A

Zack Sabre Jr. beats Orange Cassidy in a technical classic

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Orange Cassidy is next. Sabre used his unique offense to troll Cassidy, displaying his skills early. He took control of the arm of Cassidy, who went out of the ring to recover. Sabre invited him into the ring, and Cassidy did, ever so lazily. Cassidy got out of arm locks by dancing, and they both put their hands in pockets. Pro wrestling, folks.

Against a submission specialist, Cassidy could not stop Sabre from controlling his arm. He did manage to keep his arm in place while trying to submit Sabre. They traded rollups until Sabre twisted Cassidy's neck. Sabre mocked Cassidy's lazy kicks before landing a vicious one of his own. Cassidy, upset, targeted Sabre's legs. He landed a bit DDT for two. Orange Punch reversed and Sabre stomped on the elbow.

Sabre twisted the elbow and then held that arm and cranked back the other. He slapped Cassidy, who got mad. Sharpshooter by Cassidy, and he dropped Sabre with an Orange Punch. Sabre came back with a knee. They traded pins in very creative ways. Sabre made up his own move, holding both arms and the legs of Cassidy, forcing him to submit.

Cassidy the technical wrestler going back and forth with someone of Sabre's talent was something to watch. Another solid match.

Grade: A+

Samoa Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata chop down The Learning Tree

The Learning Tree (Chris Jericho and Big Bill) and Jeff Cobb vs. Samoa Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata is next. Jericho trolled fans who said "please retire." Shibata and Bill traded chops and big boots. Jericho chopped Shibata, who wasn't having it. Cobb and Joe in the middle of the ring, with "Meat" chants taking over. Joe got the best of Cobb, who came in from NJPW.

Bill took over and hurt Joe before Jericho came in. Hook got teamed up by Bill and Jericho and took care of them until Cobb got back in the ring. The heels cheated against Hook while the referee wasn't looking. Shibata and Cobb finally get a chance to compete without interference and they land hard chops and submission holds. Lionsault misses from Jericho and Hook chopped Bill down from the outside. Jericho low blowed Shibata.

Bill chokeslammed Joe. Tour of the Islands from Cobb. Suplex from Hook. Codebreaker from Jericho. Sleeper by Hook, Shibata submitted Bill. Back elbow by Hook to Jericho for the win. It was an entertaining match, and Hook shined. It had a lot of moving parts, making it a mixed bag of good and bad.

Grade: C+

The ladder match for the TNT Title is next. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mark Briscoe vs. Jack Perry vs. Dante Martin vs. Lio Rush vs. El Phantasmo.

Jack Perry stands tall, wins AEW TNT Title

Perry tried to escape the ring but everyone went after him. The everyone went after Takeshita. Tables started coming out and chairs. Perry with a black ladder to separate himself. El Phantasmo almost crippled Lio Rush with a ladder spot. Takeshita hurt himself with a ladder spot. Briscoe landed on a ladder on top of Takeshita. Perry tried winning the match. Phantasmo gave him a double twister.

Takeshita and Briscoe fight for the ladder. Briscoe with a ladder on the end of the apron. Rush with a suicide dive. Briscoe jumped to Perry, but missed the table. Rush and Martin fought for the title, and Takeshita took out both. Meanwhile, Phantasmo put two tables together on the outside. Phantasmo and Takeshita are on the apron and Takeshita landed a Blue Thunder Bomb through both tables. Takeshita on the ladder now but Briscoe stopped him.

Piledriver to Takeshita from Briscoe to the ladder. Perry stopped Briscoe's momentum. Perry won the title.

Jack Perry continues his arc and momentum by winning gold. What a match, like a car crash. Everyone will be hurting in the morning. The right call was for Perry to win.

Grade: A

Mercedes Mone vs. Stephanie Vaquer for the AEW TBS and NJPW Strong Women's Titles is next. The NJPW Strong Women's Title is a belt Mone has longed for.

Stephanie Vaquer steals the show, Mercedes Mone leaves Long Island with two belts

Vaquer hit a headbutt to start. Mone did not like that, and tried to submit Vaquer. They both used Strong Style to try and outmuscle the other. Mone tried to hold onto her arm, but Vaquer wasn't having it. The former did have an edge following knees on the inside and outside of the ring. Vaquer with a massive dive to the outside.

In the ring, Vaquer controlled the neck of Mone. She brushed Mone with knees to the face. Mone tried the Three Amigos, but Vaquer locked in a unique octopus submission. Vaquer forced Mone's head to the floor with knees. Mone with a flying dropkick to halt Vaquer's momentum. Mone with multiple knees in the corner and a DDT.

DDT by Vaquer as Mone went for the Mone Maker. Double clothesline. They traded punches. Crossface by Vaquer. Mone reversed. The crowd started booing Mone and cheering Vaquer. Backstabber, another by Mone as the crowd boos her. Frog Splash missed. Vaquer twisted the leg of Mone. Front leg splash.

Mone switched to the crossface as the crowd didn't like the fact she was from Boston. Mone Maker attempt, and Mone got it the second time. She submitted Vaquer after for the win. Mone is now a double champion.

It took a while for Mone to get things going. But once she was on, and embraced the heel role with the crowd turning on her, she was unstoppable. Stephanie Vaquer got a standing ovation after. She was the true MVP of the match.

Grade: A-

Britt Baker returned for the first time since September 2023 and the crowd went wild.

Jon Moxley defends the IWGP World Heavyweight Title against former champion Tetsuya Naito.

Tetsuya Naito beats Jon Moxley to once again hold the IWGP World Heavyweight Title

They trade hard shots to start as the crowd fully supported Moxley. Naito slapped Moxley, and told him to take it easy. They brought chairs into the ring, but the referee took them out fast. Moxley put Naito on top an announce table. In the ring, Naito spat on Moxley. In return, Moxley attacked the knee. He elbowed the head of Naito and followed it up with a hard suplex.

They traded slaps. Scratching the back, Moxley got pushed to the outside. Naito shoved Moxley to the outside and attacked Moxley with a piece of the barricade. Moxley with a few elbows, and Naito landed some of his own. Moxley with a mid-rope powerbomb. Naito with a DDT. Reverse slam by Naito. Destino by Naito. A second attempt got reversed into a DDT by Moxley.

Moxley with a Death Rider, but only for two. Red Shoes took away a chair and Moxley was upset. Another Death Rider but it got blocked it seems. Naito dropped Moxley on his head, and landed a Destino for the win. Naito is the champion again.

That was a rough outing. Moxley and Naito gave it their all but there was a lot of missed calls. New Japan is going to need younger talent as champion soon.

Grade: D+

Swerve Strickland vs. Will Ospreay for the AEW World Title is last. Two of the top stars in AEW, competing for gold.

Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay tear the roof off the UBS Arena, Swerve retains

The crowd were on their feet from the opening bell. They traded shots as the crowd was split. Ospreay and Swerve switched hurricanrana's, showcasing their speed. Swerve used power against Ospreay, so Ospreay returned to the favor. Ospreay used flips to avoid anything Swerve wanted to do from the top rope. High splash from the top to the outside and Ospreay has all the momentum.

A hard Ospreay chop had Swerve in trouble, until Swerve put him on his neck and landed a hard elbow to the back of Ospreay. Neckbreaker. Swerve focused on the neck of Ospreay. After a while, Ospreay fought back. He jumped over the barricade and tried to trick Swerve into attacking, but Swerve had it scouted. On top of the barricade, Ospreay landed a sweet hurricanrana and a chop to Swerve's throat. Swerve landed a backbreaker.

Swerve with a video game-like armbar. He kicked Ospreay multiple times, who got pissed at a certain point. Several moves missed, and Ospreay finally landed a Style Clash for two. They tried a move that hurt each other. Daniel Garcia was watching from up top. Swerve tried a flip that Ospreay reversed, and as he was on the top, Swerve hit a top rope fallaway slam for two. Sleeper by Ospreay, and he missed an Oscutter on the apron. Swerve Stomp, but Ospreay moved.

Swerve landed a stomp on Ospreay on top of the announce table. Piledriver on the barricade. After all that, Ospreay kicked out. Ospreay with a top rope Oscutter and then another Oscutter. Hidden Blade missed, but multiple kicks landed. An Oscutter got reversed into a submission. Oscutter connected, followed by a Storm Breaker for two. Ospreay with a headbutt. Tiger Driver attempt, but Swerve reversed and missed the Stomp. Hidden Blade to the referee. Hidden Blade and Don Callis came out.

Callis had a screwdriver for Ospreay. Prince Nana pushed Callis. Ospreay almost attacked Nana but knew better. Kick by Swerve and the Stomp, but only for two. Swerve snapped his arm, another kick but again for two. Ospreay is barely on his feet and went into Swerve's arms. Swerve dropped him. Another kick by Swerve and a driver for the win.

What a match. There didn't need to be any interference, but it didn't affect the outcome. Swerve and Ospreay proved why they are on another level. Rematch in London?

Grade: A+