Will Ospreay and company stood tall after a bloody, unsanctioned cage match to close out this year’s NJPW x AEW Forbidden Door card, although their celebration didn’t last long.
Ospreay, alongside Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Darby Allin, and Hiroshi Tanahashi won a five-on-five Lights Out Steel Cage match on Sunday night against Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Gabe Kidd, and The Young Bucks.
The 32-minute battle headlined the pay-per-view card from The O2 in London, England.
Tanahashi, who it was announced was making his final appearance in the UK as part of his ongoing retirement tour, earned the pinfall win for his team, scoring a High Fly Flow to end the violent bout, which was full of high spots and weapons.
A major focus was put on England’s own Ospreay, who noted in the lead-up to the match that he was likely to undergo neck surgery afterward. He helped play a part in the finishing sequence of the bout, working alongside Omega for a double-team Storm Breaker into a One-Winged Angle. He had big moments earlier as well, coming flying off the top of the cage with a moonsault onto the heel team at one point.
Ospreay was seemingly written off TV in the post-match festivities, getting further attacked by the Death Riders as the rest of the babyface team was locked outside of the cage. Moxley stomped the head of Ospreay as a steel chair was wrapped around him, playing into the English wrestler’s comments about neck issues and a likely surgery.
The pay-per-view ended on a sombre note, as Ospreay was loaded onto a gurney while his team, celebrating just minutes prior, no longer looked happy.
As is usually the case for a match involving Allin, he was featured in some of the more notable risk-taking moments. After getting stabbed in the ear with a fork by Moxley and suplexed while duct-taped to a chair, Allin provided the most death-defying moment of the night, flying off the top of the cage and through four tables at ringside, taking Kidd down with him.
The bout also featured numerous exchanges between Kidd and Omega, who notably faced off as part of NJPW and AEW’s Wrestle Dynasty show at the Tokyo Dome in January.
The Young Bucks, who continue to be disrespected since losing their status as EVPs within the company, had their titantron display “Slick Nick” and “Mr. Instant Replay,” as they walked out to Hanson’s “MMMBop,” aliases and a theme that dates back to the start of their career.
The duo were seen during the pre-show asking an AEW staffer to supply them with weapons for the match. It was revealed during the bout that the bag of weapons they were given was only full of gummy bears.
The five-on-five bout was billed as “unsanctioned,” a grudge match Ospreay proposed earlier this month. A large ring without a roof was utilized for the performance, allowing for fighting at ringside while remaining within the structure.
Zero Hour results
- Yuya Uemura, El Desperado, Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong def. Action Andretti, Lio Rush, Hechicero & Josh Alexander (12:13)
- Ricochet, Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona def. Michael Oku, Mike Bailey & Kevin Knight (9:56)
- Megan Bayne, Julia Hart, Skye Blue & Thekla def. Harley Cameron, Kris Statlander, Queen Aminata & Willow Nightingale (11:15)
- Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata & Powerhouse Hobbs def. Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney & Robbie X (AEW World Trios Championships) (10:00)
Forbidden Door Main Card results
- Adam Copeland & Christian Cage def. Killswitch & Kip Sabian (13:46)
- Kyle Fletcher def. Hiromu Takahashi (TNT Championship) (15:27)
- Mercedes Moné def. Persephone, Alex Windsor & Bozilla (TBS Championship) (Four-Way) (15:30)
- Zack Sabre Jr. def. Nigel McGuinness (IWGP World Heavyweight Championship) (17:00)
- Bandido & Brody King def. Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood, Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin (AEW World Tag Team Championships) (Three-Way) (16:04)
- Kazuchika Okada def. Swerve Strickland (AEW Unified Championship) (16:38)
- Toni Storm def. Athena (AEW Women’s World Championship) (15:15)
- Hangman Adam Page def. MJF (AEW World Championship) (31:38)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi & Darby Allin def. Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Gabe Kidd, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (32:26) (Lights Out Steel Cage Match)
