Tony Khan On Forbidden Door: “It’s Gonna Be One of the Greatest Shows in Our History”

All Elite Wrestling CEO and President Tony Khan appeared on a special episode of AEW Unrestricted this week to preview the upcoming Forbidden Door pay-per-view — and he did not hold back in his praise for what fans can expect this Sunday afternoon.

“This Forbidden Door is gonna be fantastic,” Khan said. “It’s very emblematic of the kind of great 2025 that AEW is having. It’s just been fantastic TV and pay-per-view, and of course, this Sunday afternoon, it’s gonna be one of the greatest shows, I think, in our history.”

The event marks AEW’s first-ever show at the O2 Arena in London, England, and features inter-promotional dream matches and championship bouts between AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, with additional participation from STARDOM and CMLL.

🗓 Forbidden Door airs live this Sunday, August 24

📍 O2 Arena, London

⏰ 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT / 6 PM BST

📺 Available on PPV.com, YouTube, Triller, traditional PPV, and Prime Video

🎟️ Limited tickets available at AEWTix.com

Highlights from Tony Khan's Forbidden Door Preview Appearance on "AEW Unrestricted"

Watch the full episode here!

“So Much to Look Forward To” on a Historic Card

Khan hyped a number of high-stakes matches throughout the episode, calling out a loaded lineup that reflects the promotion’s biggest year yet.

“There’s so much to look forward to on this show,” he said. “Huge championship matches. AEW World Champion ‘Hangman’ Adam Page defending the title against MJF. AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm facing ROH Women’s World Champion Athena. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defending his title against Nigel McGuinness. That’s the kind of dream match that Forbidden Door was made for.”

He also emphasized how important London has been to AEW’s history, noting the company’s world record attendance at Wembley Stadium in 2023. “Now we’re going to the O2 for the first time ever. It’s gonna be nearly sold out. Limited tickets remaining,” Khan said.

Lights Out Steel Cage Match Feels the Love

A marquee bout on the card is the Lights Out Steel Cage Match pitting a star-studded AEW & NJPW alliance -- Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Will Ospreay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Darby Allin -- against The Death Riders' Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli, The Young Bucks, and Gabe Kidd.

“To have the Golden Lovers, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi, teaming up in this lights out cage match — joining fan favorites like Tanahashi, Darby, and England’s own Will Ospreay — it’s incredible,” Khan said. “And to see them going up against the men who took them out… It’s very emotional, it’s very personal, and it’s very exciting.”

AEW Unified Championship: Kazuchika Okada vs. Swerve Strickland

Khan also shared his excitement over Kazuchika Okada defending the AEW Unified Championship against Swerve Strickland in what he called a massive showdown.

“Kazuchika Okada… now the AEW Unified Champion… will be defending the title against someone who has a lot to prove this Sunday afternoon: Swerve Strickland,” Khan said. “So many great championship matches across so many companies, so many high stakes. I’m so excited for this pay-per-view.”

Women’s TBS Title 4-Way: Mercedes Moné, Alex Windsor, Persephone, and Bozilla

While the Unrestricted episode was taped before the final participant from STARDOM was confirmed, Khan made clear how excited he was about the cross-promotional TBS Championship bout.

“Alex Windsor is going to be the challenger representing AEW against one of the most dominant, one of the greatest, and certainly the most decorated champion in pro wrestling, Mercedes Moné and the TBS champion will have a lot to prove coming off one of the greatest matches in AEW history and one of the most important matches ever," her AEW Women's World Title match against "Timeless" Toni Storm at AEW All In: Texas.

Tag Team Title Stakes Rise: Brodido vs. FTR Ends in Draw

Khan also previewed the AEW World Tag Team Title Eliminator Tournament Final between FTR and Brodido (Brody King & Bandido), as the show was recorded before that match on this week's Dynamite. We now know both teams will advance to Forbidden Door, where they’ll face The Hurt Syndicate in a 3-Way Elimination Match.

Khan sang the praises of Brodido, particularly Bandido: "Bandido, one of the top stars in America, all around the world, and in Mexico. I think Bandido is somebody who has been one of the MVPs of pro wrestling this year.

"It's part of a fantastic run of matches that Bandido has been on in ROH, in AEW and in CMLL. So many fantastic matches against Máscara Dorada, Místico, teaming with hologram against Máscara Dorada and Místico. Against Takeshita, teaming with Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly against Takeshita and the Young Bucks, and of course, the classic match a couple of weeks ago in the semi-finals against the Young Bucks. And of course FTR having an absolutely fantastic year. They're involved in a very heated situation with Adam Copeland, the Rated-R Superstar and Christian Cage."

“One of the Greatest Years in AEW History”

Throughout the podcast, Khan returned repeatedly to the idea that 2025 has been a transformative year for AEW, citing growth on cable and streaming, major international milestones, and industry-defining matches.

“I’m enjoying it. I’m having a lot of fun, and it’s all thanks to the wrestlers, the great company staff, and all of you watching the shows. We hope to see you this Sunday afternoon.”

Don’t miss Forbidden Door live this Sunday, August 24, from the O2 Arena in London, available on pay-per-view worldwide.