AEW FORBIDDEN DOOR PPV PREVIEW: Machado’s overview and predictions for each match including Ospreay vs. MJF, Strickland vs. Danielson

All In returns to Wembley Stadium in London England on the 25th of August 2024.

Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Bryan Danielson, AEW World Championship Career vs. Title match

Story in a nutshell: After getting a title shot for winning the 2024 Men’s Owen Hart Cup, Bryan Danielson vowed to no longer wrestle if he couldn’t defeat Swerve Strickland for Swerve’s AEW World Championship.

Bryan Danielson announced last year that his time as a full-time wrestler was coming to a close. Following that, he suffered a series of high-profile losses while accumulating injuries. Danielson was the first to declare his participation in the 2024 Owen Cup, vowing to go out on top since the winner received a shot at the AEW World Championship. Danielson defeated Shingo Takagi, Pac, and Adam Page to win the tournament for the right to face the current champion, Swerve Strickland.

Several people, including Swerve, questioned Danielson’s resolve since it seemed he already had a foot out the door. After words of encouragement from those in Danielson’s orbit including some “tough love” from Jeff Jarrett, Danielson decided to put his career on the line to prove he was “all in”. Swerve, for his part, has vowed to make sure Danielson never wrestles again by crippling him in front of his family at All In.

Prediction: Unless his doctors have legitimately told him that he MUST retire, I expect Danielson to win since stipulation is not a loser leaves town but a career ending match. I also expect Danielson to fake some sort seizure or the like during the match.

MJF (c) vs. Will Ospreay, AEW American Championship match

Story in a nutshell: MJF defeated Will Ospreay to win the AEW International Championship which he renamed the AEW American Championship, and now, Ospreay gets his rematch in the hopes of undoing the change. MJF, returned from injury as a babyface but soon after turned heel because (as he later let slip) Will Ospreay was getting a better reaction from the fans than him. MJF defeated Ospreay for the AEW International Championship by cheating.

MJF discarded the International title belt and unveiled a new belt, semi-officially renaming it the AEW American Championship. Ospreay was granted a rematch, and he promised to change the American title back to the International title when he wins. Also, Ospreay has been afraid to use the Tiger Driver 91, a move in his repertoire, because it almost badly injured Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson. His hesitation to use it led to him losing the International championship.

Prediction: The hometown boy William Ospreay wins back the title using the Tiger Driver 91, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Ricochet makes an appearance for a holy *bleep* moment. There is a chance for some interference from the Don Callis family which Ospreay was once a part of.

For a bit of fantasy booking on my part, Ricochet (at All In or Dynamite) shows up but attacks Ospreay declaring his allegiance to the Don Callis family. Kyle Fletcher sides with Ospreay and together they need to deal with Konosuke Takeshita and Ricochet.

Toni Storm (c) vs. Mariah May, AEW Women’s World Championship match

Story in a nutshell: After Mariah May won the 2024 Women’s Owen Hart Cup for a shot at Toni Storm’s AEW Women’s World Championship, May turned on her benefactor, blooding Toni Storm. Toni Storm had fallen into a delusion of being a Hollywood Golden Age era starlet. Later, Mariah May signed with AEW and attached herself to her idol, Toni Storm.

Storm took her in as an understudy and eventually came to care for May. May was entered into the 2024 Owen Hart Cup whose winner would earn a shot at the AEW Women’s World Championship, currently in the possession of Toni Storm. May defeated Saraya, Hikaru Shida, and Willow Nightingale, to win the tournament. Right after, May brutally attacked Storm, blooding Storm up and using the heel of a shoe repeatedly (as a play on Toni Storm’s catchphrase, “Chin up, tits out, and watch for the shoe”).

Prediction: I think Toni Storm has done plenty so I wouldn’t be surprised if the title goes to May.

Story in a nutshell: After successfully retaining the AEW TBS Championship at Forbidden Door, Mercedes Mone was confronted by Britt Baker who made her surprise return from illness to challenge for the TBS Championship.

At Forbidden Door, Mercedes Mone successfully defended the AEW TBS Championship (simultaneously winning the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship).

Her celebration was cut short by Britt Baker who returned after a long layoff while dealing with health issues. Baker challenged Mercedes for the title which Mercedes initially refused. The two became physical in the following weeks. Mercedes brought in Kamille as back up. A title match was set for All In. Baker has portrayed Mercedes as an outsider and herself as an AEW original in the lead up to the match.

Prediction: I think Mercedes retains but Jamie Hayter appears to either help counter Kamille’s presence or to save Baker from a post-match beatdown.

Story in a nutshell: The EVPs Mathew and Nicholas Jackson granted Darby Allin a shot at the AEW TNT Championship when Darby doused Jack Perry in fuel and threatened to set Jack on fire during a Blood and Guts match.During Anarchy in the Arena at Double or Nothing, Darby Allin, member of Team AEW, set Jack Perry, member of Team Elite, on fire with a flamethrower.

Darby was then strung up like a piece of beef from a cable that was lowered from the ceiling by Mathew and Nicholas Jackson. They super-kicked Darby with thumbtack-laden shoes before Team Elite won the match. Eventually Darby Allin returned and began to hunt down the Elite. Darby joined another version of Team AEW for Blood and Guts.

Jack Perry, who had won the AEW TNT Championship, was handcuffed to the cage during the match. Darby found some accelerant, doused Perry with it and threatened to set Perry on fire again. The Elite surrendered but Darby forced them to grant him a shot at Perry’s title. In the following weeks the two had physical altercations with Perry eventually calling for things to be settled in a coffin match where the winner needs to place his opponent in a coffin and shut the lid.

Prediction and analysis: I have Perry winning this one.

Story in a nutshell: Hook tries to regain the FTW Championship he lost to Chris Jericho in their long running feud.

Chris Jericho has been presenting himself as the wizened old veteran, magnanimously willing to give back to the younger generation of wrestlers, which is actually a transparent bid to try and remain relevant.

As a result, all his demeanor has been blatantly inauthentic. Jericho sought to tie his fading star power to some rising star so he could leech off of him. Eventually, Jericho set his eyes on Hook. Hook, however, saw right through Jericho and rebuffed him which led to an FTW Championship match that Jericho won.

Hook was prevented from recklessly retaliating by Samoa Joe who taught Hook to focus his aggression. Hook listened to Joe thus Joe became Hook’s defacto mentor (along with Shibata who was having his own issues with Jericho). Jericho did find some dupes to join him creating the Learning Tree and they helped him take out Samoa Joe, Shibata, and Hook, the latter of which was blinded by a Jericho fireball to the face.

Hook eventually returned despite still being blinded in one eye and challenged Jericho. Jericho agreed to a match at All In under the stipulation that if Jericho won, Hook could never challenge for the FTW Championship again.

Prediction: Hook wins this, likely with help from a returning Samoa Joe and/or Shibata.

Story in a nutshell: After ducking defending their title, the Young Bucks (and EVPs) Mathew and Nicholas Jackson were finally forced to defend the AEW World Tag Team Championship against the Acclaimed, Anthony Bowens and Max Caster, but interference by FTR, Dax Hardwood and Cash Wheeler, scuppered the match, leading to this three-way match.

Anthony Bowens and Max Caster had won the right to challenge Mathew and Nicholas Jackson for the AEW World Tag Team Championship. The two teams began to feud as part of the greater Elite vs. the rest of AEW feud. Finally, after 115 days without defending the title, the two teams faced off.

During the match, the referee went down, and the Young Bucks tried to cheat using the title belt. FTR, Dax Hardwood and Cash Wheeler, who are rivals to the Bucks and have had chilly interactions with the Acclaimed, rushed the ring to prevent the cheating. After getting spit on by the Bucks, FTR attacked with the belt which the referee saw so stopped the match. This match was then announced.

Prediction: Young Bucks retain.

Story in a nutshell: Two wrestlers start a match and after a set time interval, another opponent joins the match and the first to score a pinfall or submission wins an AEW World Championship title shot.

Not all entrants are guaranteed to appear since the match ends the moment there is a pinfall of submission. The confirmed entrants are Orange Cassidy who is coming in at the number one spot. Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett are in the same faction and have issues with Cassidy.

Cassidy has some back up with Kyle O’Reilly. “Hangman” Adam Page and Evil Uno used to be friends, Dustin Rhodes, and Mark Briscoe round out the announced entrants as of now. The winner gets a shot at the AEW World Championship.

Prediction: Adam Page has been out of control since his return saying he has unfinished business with someone. While it is assumed that he is referring to Swerve Strickland who he has a blood feud with, the coyness of Page not saying his name makes me think its likely Danielson Page is referring to.

Story in a nutshell: The best way to get a bunch of people on the card.

Jay White, Austin Gunn, and Colt Gunn were forced to relinquish the AEW World Trios Championship as a result of Jay White being injured. Christian Cage, Killswitch, and Nick Wayne won the vacant title. In a vain attempt to not defend the title, Cage’s group pulled some shenanigans ruining any attempt to determine a number one contender. That never works and here we are.

Prediction: Claudio has a date with Okada in the future, plus his is a makeshift team with Pac so they’re out. Malakai Black likely has a date with WWE (totally a guess on my part) so I doubt his group wins. With Jay White likely back soon and I hope (likely I vain) that he is earmarked for something better, having his posse hold gold would help elevate him as he goes for bigger gold. Plus this frees up Cage to do something on the main roster on Dynamite.

Kris Statlander turned on Willow Nightingale and the two have been feuding since. The winner of this mix tag team match gets to decide the stipulation for their match at ALL Out. I expect the heel Statlander to win but Willow will get some satisfaction from Stokely Hathaway.