AEW Forbidden Door 2025 needed to bring this supercard to a different market, the UK. A truly beneficial move to bring an adrenaline shot to the annual event. A historical record and an electric atmosphere was brought by London. A night of moments like Wardlow and Jamie Hayter returning, Cope and Cage teaming for the first time since 2011. A shock title change with Brodido getting the win after an undoubtedly messy finish. There really isn’t a dull match on this card and that's a great thing. A lot of really solid wrestling eventually building to the crazy main event that the lights out steel cage match was. The Death Riders ended the night in defeat once again but their impact remained constant as they attacked Will Ospreay leaving his status in jeopardy with Will set to go for neck surgery only a little more damaged now.
AEW Forbidden Door 2025 brings the yearly tradition of a pay per view event with the inclusion of NJPW, Stardom, and CMLL. With a star studded Lights Out Steel Cage championship match. Will Ospreay brings together Hiroshi Tanahashi, The Golden Lovers and Darby Allin to challenge The Young Bucks and The Death Riders. For the first time in a decade plus, Adam Copeland and Christian Cage team up again to face Killswitch and Kip Sabian. Kyle Fletcher defends the AEW TNT championship against a top NJPW Junior Heavyweight in Hiromu Takahashi. Mercedes Mone has three challenges with representatives from CMLL and Stardom. Hangman Adam Page ended up giving a championship match to his rival MJF, will he regret it? And that and much more.
AMAZING Cope and Christian Vs Killswitch and Kip Sabian with Mother Wayne: AEW Forbidden Door 2025 Opening Match
Fundamentals: 0.75
Atmosphere: 1
Storytelling: 0.75
Psychology: 0.75
Innovation: 0.75
There are questions on whether or not this match should have been the one to open it. On face value it wasn’t gonna be a classic, this was still a fun match altogether. With the crowd firmly cheering for Christian, asking if he would be their dad. Cope and Cage are the clear faces, so the heels were getting the heat by beating down Cope. Mother Wayne got involved on the outside with Killswitch and Kip taking advantage. The legendary team get to play the hits, an Edge O matic on the apron. Christian diving over the ring post onto Killswitch. Copeland hitting both a spear through the ropes along with a catching spear with Cage lifting up Sabian. Fun and well done match that for the novelty of being the first Cope and Cage tag match since 2011.
Results: Adam Copeland by Pinfall via Pop Up Spear on Kip
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.00 Stars
AMAZING Kyle Fletcher V Hiromu Takahashi – AEW TNT Championship:
Fundamentals: 1
Atmosphere: 1
Storytelling: 0.75
Psychology: 0.75
Innovation: 0.75
This is a really great match and it is good to see Hiromu getting the reaction he got. It’s a strong match that saw fun sequences, Hiromu getting some of his hits like the running sunset bomb to the outside. There is a fun reversal close to the end with Takahashi countering a brainbuster with a small package. Getting a nearfall before Kyle is able to get a brainbuster for the win.
Results: Kyle Fletcher by Pinfall via Sheer Drop Brainbuster
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.25 Stars
AMAZING Mercedes Mone Vs Persephone Vs Alex Windsor Vs Bozilla – AEW TBS Championship:
Fundamentals: 0.75
Atmosphere: 1
Storytelling: 0.75
Psychology: 0.75
Innovation: 0.75
A lot of people are seeing Bozilla for the first time and seeing someone with great potential. This is a very fun match that sees an importance placed on Mercedes Mone bumping for mainly everyone in the match, including a fun tower of dome spot. There is a story of Mone being the most experienced at competing at a larger stage like this. Bozilla being a powerhouse that has her moments. Persephone also got her spots as well. Windsor with a home country reaction and got good reactions. All women that lost the match played into defeat very well as Mone escaped with the victory.
Results: Mercedes Mone by Pinfall via Crucifix Rana Counter
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.00 Stars
AMAZING Zack Sabre Jr. Vs Nigel McGuinness – IWGP World Championship:
Fundamentals: 0.75
Atmosphere: 1
Storytelling: 0.75
Psychology: 1
Innovation: 0.75
There is a clear and obvious larger meaning for being able to participate in this match in front of Johnny Saint. Someone both of them grew up watching and would most definitely idolize. This was that technical match that you were gonna expect from them. There are some moments with Daniel Garcia trying to help Nigel with the rope but the ref catches up. Nigel gets his moments like the kick and lariat in the corner. Also hitting a Tower Of London. Both men trade submission and leverage and ZSJ get the win with a roll up.
Results: Zack Sabre Jr. by Pinfall via Roll Up
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.25 Stars
MUST WATCH Hurt Syndicate Vs FTR Vs Brodido – AEW World Tag Team Championship:
Fundamentals: 0.75
Atmosphere: 1
Storytelling: 1
Psychology: 1
Innovation: 0.75
There is one bad omen that is gonna result in how this match is remembered, and that sucks. This is a match with a very hot crowd, chanting we hurt people, chanting for the meat when Brody King and Bobby Lashley are competing. The teams of Brodido and FTR team up against the Hurt Syndicate and they are able to stay strong. There is some resemblance to DIY Vs Revival Vs AOP where Brodido and FTR end up doing spots together. Seeing a mixed match shatter machine. Great dives that result in Bandido hitting his moonsault fall away onto everyone on the outside. Hurt Syndicate are taken up the long ramp by Gates Of Agony and Ricochet. And
After a nasty chair shot to Brody King, FTR don’t get the win. Bandido hits a frog splash on Dax after a superplex before the assisted 450 is connected. The finish is screwed up, the ref stopped counting and making it awkward when Cash was laying in the ring prepared to break it up but didn’t. Outside of the finish this match is electric.
Results: Brodido by Pinfall via Assisted 450 Splash on Dax
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.50 Stars
AMAZING Kazuchika Okada Vs Swerve Strickland – AEW Unified Championship:
Fundamentals: 1
Atmosphere: 1
Storytelling: 0.75
Psychology: 0.75
Innovation: 0.75
This is a solid match with Okada and Swerve. Whose House? Swerve’s House. The crowd is firmly supportive of the challenger. The wrestling part of this match is really well done, along with enjoyable sequences. There is a DDT on the steel steps and the match’s pace is controlled by the rainmaker. Swerve got a great house call but as he went for another, Okada countered and got a rainmaker for the final time.
After the match Okada attacks Swerve, putting his leg in the steps and post. Nana ends up chasing Okada off with a lead pipe. Wardlow would return and take out security and Nana before being embraced by the Don Callis Family.
Results: Kazuchika Okada by Pinfall via Rainmaker
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.25 Stars
MUST WATCH Toni Storm Vs Athena – AEW Women’s World Championship:
Fundamentals: 1
Atmosphere: 1
Storytelling: 0.75
Psychology: 1
Innovation: 0.75
This is a really good match and is one of the cleanest matches of the night. It’s well done with Athena being able to be the aggressor. After being hit with a piledriver on the outside, Billie recovers and is about to get involved by Mina makes the save. There really isn’t any overuse of finishers in this match. We got a couple storm zeros, the small package but Athena still couldn’t get it. Toni countered an O Face with a Chicken Wing and Athena ends up tapping out. A shocking method in what the finish gave us but not a surprising result.
Results: Toni Storm by Submission via Chicken Wing
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.50 Stars
MUST WATCH Hangman Adam Page Vs MJF – AEW World Championship: AEW Forbidden Door 2025 Semi Main Event
Fundamentals: 1
Atmosphere: 1
Storytelling: 0.75
Psychology: 1
Innovation: 1
This is a really well done match, two of the best wrestlers in the company having a great match. There is the tension and there is the hatred. We get a couple table spots which deliver the first inconsistency for the match. Along with MJF taunting Hangman to try to get him to use the diamond ring. When they did two table spots in the match. There are stipulations that need to be followed, title can change hands on DQ and count out along with MJF not officially cashing in the contract now. The crowd ate the finish up, but the ref continued to be treated like an idiot.
After the ref is hit and is now hurt, he counts to 3 but doesn’t ring the bell. Mark Briscoe tried to come down to the ring but was an utter waste of time as security ended up stopping up. MJF realizes Hangman’s boot was still on the rope but the ref pops up and is like WHAT?!?! There is a foot on the rope and the match isn’t over. In what world can a ref wake up and determine a foot was on the rope during a pinfall attempt minutes earlier? This was dumb. An overbooked finish sees the contract being used as a weapon by Page, a dead eye and a buckshot for the win.
Results: Hangman Adam Page by Pinfall via Buckshot Lariat
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.75 Stars
PERFECT Team Death Rider Vs Team Will Ospreay – Lights Out Steel Cage Match: AEW Forbidden Door 2025 Main Event
Fundamentals: 1
Atmosphere: 1
Storytelling: 1
Psychology: 1
Innovation: 1
Electricity is the best way to describe this match. It’s a car crash in the best way possible. Production workers swapping thumb tacks for gummy bears to troll the bucks again. There are so many great spots that are high risk but also very cool. Great psychology dealing with Darby doing crazy stuff and being tossed into the cage from the ring, Ospreay selling his neck. Brilliant nearfalls that ultimately lead to Moxley and Darby escaping the cage. Gabe and Darby going from the top of the cage and through 4 tables. An emotional way to end the match with brilliant hidden blades, a one winged angel and hidden blade combo along with Tanahashi getting the high fly flow for the win. It’s a magical finish to an insane match.
Results: Hiroshi Tanahashi by Pinfall via High Fly Flow
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 5.00 Stars
AEW Forbidden Door 2025 Overall…
AEW Forbidden Door 2025 needed to bring this supercard to a different market, the UK. A truly beneficial move to bring an adrenaline shot to the annual event. A historical record and an electric atmosphere was brought by London. A night of moments like Wardlow and Jamie Hayter returning, Cope and Cage teaming for the first time since 2011. A shock title change with Brodido getting the win after an undoubtedly messy finish. There really isn’t a dull match on this card and that’s a great thing. A lot of really solid wrestling eventually building to the crazy main event that the lights out steel cage match was. The Death Riders ended the night in defeat once again but their impact remained constant as they attacked Will Ospreay leaving his status in jeopardy with Will set to go for neck surgery only a little more damaged now.
Matches: 1/1 Stars
Show Structure: 0.75/1 Stars
Atmosphere…: 1/1 Stars
Storytelling: 1/1 Stars
Production/Theme: 1/1 Stars
Overall Rating. 4.75/5 Stars
Photo Credit: AEW – August 24 2025
For inquiries about the rating criteria check out the article announcing the new system here:
