LIVE 1 LIVE 2 LIVE 3 LIVE 4 LIVE 5
The Door Swings Open Once More: A Night of Destiny Awaits
The air is electric. A palpable sense of history-in-the-making crackles from the rafters of the storied United Center in Chicago to the sacred halls of the New Japan Dojo in Tokyo. On Sunday, August 24th, 2025, the wrestling world will once again hold its collective breath as the Forbidden Door swings open for its fourth monumental chapter.
This isn’t just another pay-per-view. This is the event. AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door is the grandest stage where dream matches are born, where legacies are forged in the fire of international competition, and where the very definitions of “best in the world” are challenged and rewritten. It’s the one night a year where tribalistic loyalties are set aside, and we all become simply fans of professional wrestling at its absolute pinnacle.
Last year’s event in the Tokyo Dome set an impossibly high bar. The emotional coronation of Jack Perry as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, the brutal war between Jon Moxley and Shingo Takagi, and the jaw-dropping junior heavyweight classic are already the stuff of legend. But 2025 promises something different. This year feels less like a celebration and more like a collision. The stakes have never been higher, the animosities more personal, and the potential matches more dream-worthy.
So, let’s step through the door together. This is your ultimate, comprehensive preview for every confirmed and potential clash at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2025.
The Main Event Spectacle: A Clash of Kingdoms
Confirmed: “The Redeemer” Maxwell Jacob Friedman (c) vs. “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada for the AEW World Championship
This isn’t just a main event; it’s a cultural reset. On one side, MJF, the self-proclaimed “Devil” of AEW, who has, against all odds, morphed into its most complex and beloved champion. His “Reformed Devil” persona is a masterclass in psychological manipulation, blending a twisted sense of honor with the same egotistical brilliance that made him a star. He’s the present and future of American wrestling.
Standing across from him is the living embodiment of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s golden era: Kazuchika Okada. The Rainmaker. The man who main-evented the Tokyo Dome a record-setting number of times. His presence alone commands a reverence that few in history have ever achieved. After a period of exploring the world, Okada has returned to NJPW with a renewed, deadly focus. He doesn’t just want to win; he wants to reclaim his spot atop the entire industry and prove that the “King of Sports” still reigns supreme.
The Story: This feud ignited not with a physical attack, but with words. MJF, during a scathing promo, claimed that while Okada had a great “act” with the money and the robe, he was nothing more than a “glorified nostalgia act” living off past glories. Okada’s response was a single, devastating Rainmaker to a returning Jay White on NJPW Strong, followed by a pointed finger at the AEW camera. The contract signing, brokered by Tony Khan and Hiroshi Tanahashi, was a tense, silent affair, with both men knowing words are meaningless now. All that’s left is the match.
The Stakes: Beyond the obvious—the richest prize in AEW—this is about legacy. For MJF, a win over Okada on a global stage cements him as an all-time great, not just a generational talent. For Okada, capturing the AEW Title would be the final, undeniable jewel in his crown, making him the true transnational champion of the world.
Prediction: This will be a 40-minute epic. Expect mind games, breathtaking counters, and a closing sequence that will be debated for years. In the end, MJF finds a way, perhaps by exposing a sliver of his old devilish self, to eke out a tainted victory, setting up a rematch for the ages at Wrestle Kingdom 20.
The Dream Match: A Clash of Styles and Generations
Confirmed: Bryan Danielson vs. Shota “The Shooter” Umino
If the main event is about spectacle, this match is about pure, unadulterated wrestling art. Bryan Danielson, in what he has announced will be his final full-time year as an active competitor, is on his “Farewell Tour.” But this isn’t a victory lap; it’s a brutal gauntlet where he seeks to test the future of the industry he loves. He specifically requested this match.
His chosen opponent is the heart and soul of NJPW’s new generation: Shota Umino. No longer just “Shooter,” Umino has shed the protégé label and emerged as a fiery, technically sublime star in his own right. Trained by Jon Moxley and inspired by Hiroshi Tanahashi, Umino represents the perfect fusion of strong-style toughness and passionate, never-say-die spirit.
The Story: Simple and beautiful. The master wishing to test the pupil of his greatest rival. Danielson has spoken endlessly about his respect for Umino’s fire and technical foundation. He wants to leave a piece of his knowledge with the next ace of New Japan, but he intends to do it by pushing Umino to a limit he has never experienced.
The Stakes: For Danielson, it’s about legacy and passing the torch. For Umino, this is the single biggest opportunity of his young career. A strong showing, let alone a victory, over the “American Dragon” instantly elevates him to the top tier of global stars.
Prediction: A wrestling clinic. This will be a violent, submission-heavy chess match. Umino will earn Danielson’s full respect, surviving everything from Cattle Mutilation to the LeBell Lock. But experience will prevail. Bryan Danielson wins via a sudden, roll-up reversal, immediately afterward raising Umino’s hand to a thunderous ovation.
The War of Violence: A Clash of Chaos
Confirmed: The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks) vs. The United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan) in an Anarchy in the Arena Match
If there is a match that guarantees absolute, unhinged chaos, this is it. The bitter, years-long rivalry between The Elite and Will Ospreay’s United Empire transcends promotions and borders. Their battles have stolen shows across the globe, but they’ve never been let completely off the leash. Until now.
The “Anarchy in the Arena” match is a no-disqualification, falls-count-anywhere war that often spills into the crowd and backstage areas. There are no rules. There is only survival.
The Story: The hatred is real and deeply personal. It stems from Ospreay’s feeling that The Elite abandoned the “change the world” mentality for corporate success in AEW. The United Empire sees themselves as the true revolutionaries. This feud has involved title theft, brutal attacks, and verbal venom on both AEW Dynamite and NJPW programming. This match was made not by officials, but by a backstage brawl so violent that it was the only logical conclusion.
The Stakes: Bragging rights as the most dominant faction in all of professional wrestling. This is for pride, for history, and for the right to claim the mantle of true global icons.
Prediction: Absolute, beautiful carnage. Expect insane spots, incredible displays of athleticism from Omega and Ospreay, sheer power from Cobb, and bizarre antics from O-Khan and The Bucks. In the end, the experience of The Elite in this specific, violent environment gives them the edge. The Elite win after a One-Winged Angel from Omega onto a pile of chairs on Ospreay, but this war is far from over.