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AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Preview: Match Card, Start Time, How to Watch, More

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Forbidden Door Preview

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door is LIVE TONIGHT, June 28, from the SAP Center in San Jose, California, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on HBO Max PPV. As is tradition, we will see amazing talent from AEW, NJPW, CMLL and STARDOM all on one super card. Forbidden Door is one of the most anticipated events on the wrestling calendar — and the 2026 edition has some of the biggest stakes ever.


Tonight marks the fifth annual Forbidden Door show, which began as a co-promotional event with New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 2022 and has since expanded to include CMLL and STARDOM in 2024 and 2025 respectively and is now co-promoted by all four partner promotions beginning with this year’s event. After bringing Forbidden Door to London for the first time last year, the show is back in North America this year.


In addition to five championship matches over the entire card, for the first time, Forbidden Door will feature the finals of both the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s and Women’s Tournaments. The winners will earn World Championship matches in their respective divisions at AEW All In: London, held at Wembley Stadium on August 30.


Check out the full AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door preview below to find out how we arrived at each of these matches before it all goes down tonight.

Dios Azul


AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Match Card & Preview

12-Man Steel Cage Match: Team DCMJF (AEW World Champion MJF & Don Callis Family’s TNT Champion “The Jet” Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada and Andrade El Ídolo) vs. Team Briscoe (Mark Briscoe, AEW World Trios Champions The Conglomeration’s Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly, AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita & Darby Allin)

The trajectory of the AEW World Championship will be determined in a match where the title isn’t on the line. After conferring with Mark Briscoe, Tony Khan signed off on a six-on-six steel cage match with stakes that MJF has been trying to avoid since Briscoe first called him out: If Team Briscoe wins, Mark Briscoe gets a guaranteed shot at the AEW World Title.


MJF decided to buy his team. He went to Don Callis with a briefcase full of money and was given access to the Don Callis Family. First, TNT Champion Kevin Knight stepped up to claim his spot on Team MJF, with the understanding that he’ll get an AEW World Title shot of his own for his troubles. In addition, Jake Doyle brings the power, while Kazuchika Okada and Kyle Fletcher, who have both AEW World Title and AEW International Title aspirations, bring a sizable axe to grind with AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita. And then there’s Andrade El Ídolo, who isn’t too thrilled about being part of the squad, as he keeps asking Callis when his AEW World Title shot is coming. MJF mistakenly knocked out Andrade with the Dynamite Diamond Ring this past Wednesday, and that has only added to the tense partnership.


Briscoe's side tells a different story. He had no trouble finding help from his fellow Conglomerators, but when Okada and Fletcher took out Tomohiro Ishii, Briscoe found himself in need of more help. Meanwhile, after Takeshita beat Okada at Double or Nothing to win the AEW International Championship, Fletcher lured Takeshita into a trap, embraced him, and then brutally turned on him. Takeshita quickly found new backup in The Conglomeration, and with a chance to get revenge on Okada and Fletcher, Takeshita was happy to join Team Briscoe. Darby Allin for his part said he’ll do anything it takes to win this match, because it’s Briscoe’s time. Still, he also has his own motivation, since Knight's vicious post-match attack at Double or Nothing added insult to injury after Allin lost the AEW World Title to MJF. 


While this isn’t a one-on-one match, Briscoe did beat MJF in a Tables N’ Tacks Match last year, and he continues to remind MJF that Max has never kicked out of the Jay Driller. With a host of subplots all surrounding the AEW World Title picture, this violent affair will set an interesting course headed to All In: London.

Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament Final: Will Ospreay vs. Swerve Strickland

A fractured friendship lies on the path to All In: London. When the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament began, we all knew what was at the end of it all: a guaranteed shot at an AEW World Champion at All In London in August. Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland were on opposite ends of the bracket, but before they could meet, Ospreay had to beat former two-time AEW World Champion Samoa Joe and AEW National Champion Mark Davis to get here. Swerve targeted ROH World Champion Bandido before beating him in the Quarterfinals and then took down the other half of Brodido, Brody King, in the Semifinals.


That brings us to Ospreay versus Strickland happening for the second time at Forbidden Door. It was two years ago when Ospreay was Swerve's second pay-per-view challenger for the AEW World Title. Swerve came away victorious on that night, and the two did not battle again until last year's Summer Blockbuster, where they went to a thirty-minute time limit draw. After that, they became the team that took EVP power away from the Young Bucks by defeating them at AEW All In: Texas.


A tense face-off between the two on Dynamite revealed that any semblance of a friendship was long in the past. Swerve beat Daniel Garcia on Dynamite this past week and tried to inflict further damage, only for Ospreay to save a man he’s seemingly grown closer to during his time training with the Death Riders. But then, Garcia ate a Vertebreaker meant for Ospreay. On Collision, Jon Moxley made it clear that Ospreay had to take out Swerve, and Ospreay said he had no worries about pulling the trigger to send himself into the main event of All In: London. 


For Ospreay, it’s all about a dream to become the first British wrestler to win a world championship in his home country at All In: London. For Swerve, this is redemption for a title he lost two years ago in Wembley Stadium – and a quest for power. Will Swerve find his way back to the AEW World Title match at All In: London? Or can Ospreay take the next step towards his ultimate goal of becoming the AEW World Champion in Wembley Stadium? We'll find out tonight in the Finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament! 

Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament Final: Mercedes Moné vs. Maya World

When the tournament brackets were announced, neither of these women was listed. Mercedes Moné ended up being the Wild Card and defeated Alex Windsor and Hazuki to get back to the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Finals for the second straight year with a chance to go back-to-back. Maya World replaced the injured Sareee in a last-minute change, during what was a very emotional week following the sudden, tragic passing of her brother. She first upset Skye Blue, and last week on Collision, she beat her mentor and trainer, ROH Women’s World Champion Athena, in arguably the biggest upset in Owen Cup history. The glow of victory didn’t last long, as a hug from Moné turned into a two-on-one attack, which left World in a beaten heap.


Five months away from AEW didn't slow Moné down, as we saw against Windsor and especially against Hazuki, which will go down as one of the great matches in Dynamite history. It’s become apparent that Moné is dead-set on becoming the first two-time and back-to-back winner of the Owen Cup and will do anything to defend the only title she has left.


World, conversely, fully and proudly admits how much Moné has inspired her. Last week, she had to beat her mentor in the biggest match of her life. She has the next biggest match of her life tonight in San Jose, and she’ll need to beat her hero to complete this incredible run. Will Moné shut down World’s dream and become a two-time, back-to-back Owen Cup winner? Or will “It Girl” magic carry World all the way to London?

AEW Women's World Championship Match: “The Toxic Spider” Thekla (c) of Triangle of Madness vs. Starlight Kid

Thekla recently declared death to STARDOM to begin this road to Forbidden Door, but history will tell you that war has been going on for years. STARDOM President Taro Okada fired Thekla after she attacked him in April 2025, and a month later, Thekla made her AEW debut. Since then, she’s become AEW Women’s World Champion in less than a year and continues to lead the dominant and dangerous Triangle of Madness. 


However, the hatred Thekla has for STARDOM has bubbled back to the surface, so she decided to take the first shot by declaring war ahead of Forbidden Door. Thekla told STARDOM to send her an opponent to challenge for her AEW Women’s World Championship. STARDOM answered with Starlight Kid, who represents a different kind of threat: a STARDOM competitor who already knows what it takes to put Thekla down, as she’s 2-0 against Thekla. And when Thekla showed up and attacked Okada last weekend in Japan, it was Starlight Kid who ran her off. Now, Starlight Kid has a chance to defend STARDOM and give Thekla the ultimate loss on the biggest international stage. 

AEW Continental Championship Match: Jon Moxley (c) of the Death Riders vs. ROH World Champion Bandido

After Brodido beat Daniel Garcia and Moxley on Dynamite 11 days ago, Bandido wasted no time in calling out Moxley for a shot at the AEW Continental Championship at Forbidden Door, a challenge which Moxley immediately accepted. The Death Riders struck back this past Wednesday on Dynamite by beating Brodido and Místico after Claudio Castagnoli knocked out Brody King with the AEW Continental Title. 


Bandido is the most wanted for a reason, as you’ll hear from the fans in San Jose, but tonight, Bandido considers Moxley his most wanted. For Moxley, every defense is a war, and he emphasized that message to the Death Riders on Dynamite. 


This match is a clash of styles with championship stakes and two of the very best in the entire world. The AEW Continental Championship will either remain in the death grip of Moxley or make Bandido a double champion once again. Either way, this could be the match that steals the show.

Kenny Omega vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Last year at Forbidden Door, ZSJ earned a statement win over Nigel McGuinness in defense of his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. This year, he wanted to face a man he hasn't faced in over eight years, a man he's never faced in the United States. He wanted Omega at Forbidden Door and declared himself the best technical wrestler in the world while questioning whether Omega is still the best. But Omega is treating this as part of his redemption on the way back to the AEW World Championship. 


This is one of the most anticipated matches on the Forbidden Door card, and it may very well determine what’s next for Omega, at least as he sees it. For Sabre Jr., it would be the elusive victory he’s been looking for since they first met in 2008 and crack the foundation of Omega’s World Championship stepping stone.

IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship Match: Shota Umino (c) vs. PAC of the Death Riders

Did PAC smell blood in the water when he delivered a challenge for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship just days after Umino won the title for the first time in Japan at NJPW Dominion 6.14? Perhaps it was because of Gabe Kidd’s vicious attack on Umino right after he won the title. Umino didn't back down and accepted PAC's challenge to fight for his honor and title at Forbidden Door. The interesting elephant in the room is Umino’s past association with Moxley in NJPW. PAC is a Death Rider, and Umino is not, so he will stop at nothing to take the IWGP Global Heavyweight Title.

AEW World Tag Team Championship: Adam Copeland & Christian Cage (c) vs. The Dogs (David Finlay and "100 Proof" Clark Connors)

Copeland and Cage saved their tag team careers at Double or Nothing, surviving the violent street fight "I Quit" match to beat FTR and win the AEW World Tag Team Championship. The Dogs attacked Cage and Cope just days later to ruin their championship celebration and 5-second pose. Ever since, Connors and Finlay have scoffed at the idea that experience is needed to get to the top. When they see something, they take it, and they want the AEW World Tag Team Titles. First, they beat former champions, the Gunns, and followed that with a win over the three-time champions, the Young Bucks, to make sure there was no doubt who the #1 contenders should be. They’ve been brawling with Cage and Cope for weeks, but after nearly choking out the champs on Dynamite, are Finlay and Connors just the ruthless duo to bring a premature end to a reign of awesomeness?

3-Way Tag Team Non-Title Match: ROH World Tag Team Champions Sky Team and CMLL Trios Champions (Máscara Dorada and CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion & IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Místico) vs. Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs. Unbound Co. (Shingo Takagi and Titán)

This is the type of international spectacle that only Forbidden Door can produce. El Sky Team was already two-thirds of the CMLL Trios Champions, but on Friday night, they added the ROH World Tag Team Championship to their trophy case by beating Sammy Guevara and The Beast Mortos at Arena México in CMLL. Now, the new champs will be on full display against the Young Bucks and Unbound Co.’s Shingo Takagi and Titán from NJPW and CMLL. 


The Bucks still have their eyes on the AEW World Tag Team Titles, but tonight, they could earn an impressive victory to help their cause. They’ll have to deal with an old rival in Takagi and one of the most awe-inspiring tag teams in the entire world in El Sky Team. You will not want to miss a second of this international super tag match!

The Buy-In: AEW Women's World Tag Team Championship Match: Divine Dominion (“Megasus” Megan Bayne and “Colossal” Lena Kross) (c) vs. Thunder Rosa & Olympia

Divine Dominion issued an open challenge, and Thunder Rosa decided to answer. She’ll bring CMLL’s Olympia to San Jose tonight with not an ounce of intimidation in their eyes. Bayne and Rosa have history going back to Bayne’s earliest AEW matches in 2021, and Bayne and Kross have been begging for a team to give them a fight for their lives. They won’t have to ask Thunder Rosa and Olympia twice!

The Buy-In: TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Skye Blue of Triangle of Madness vs. Maika

With just one slot remaining in the TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest this Wednesday on Dynamite, tonight we’ll find out who’ll join Hikaru Shida, Kris Statlander, CMLL World Women’s Champion Persephone, Harley Cameron and Queen Aminata in the field of six. 


Blue has been knocking on the doorstep of championship gold for quite some time, and now she gets to take Triangle of Madness’ war against STARDOM outside of Starlight Kid. In fact, it was Maika who handed Thekla one of her last losses before President Taro Okada fired her. It could be a big night for Triangle of Madness if Blue can strike the first blow and set herself up for coveted championship gold.


How to Watch AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door & Start Time

  • Date: Sunday, June 28, 2026

  • Start Time: 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT (The Buy-In starts at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on HBO Max and AEW digital platforms and runs for one hour before Forbidden Door)

  • Location: SAP Center, San Jose, California

  • How to Watch: Forbidden Door is available to order on HBO Max in the United States! For more, including how to order, click here! Double or Nothing is also available on Amazon Prime, MyAEW, YouTube (Buy-In only), and other streaming and pay-per-view platforms.

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