AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Match Ratings Revealed - Dave Meltzer

Dave Meltzer, the veteran wrestling journalist and editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, has revealed his match ratings for the latest cross-promotional event between New Japan Pro-Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling, Forbidden Door 2023.

The show, which took place on June 25, 2023 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, featured a number of high-profile matches, including a dream match between Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada, and a rematch between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Championship.



In his Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer gave the Omega vs. Ospreay match **** stars, his highest rating of the night. He described the match as "a classic" and "one of the best matches of the year."

The match was a back-and-forth affair, with both men giving it their all. Omega and Ospreay pulled out all the stops, hitting each other with a variety of high-flying moves and signature maneuvers. The crowd in Chicago was on the edge of their seats throughout the match, and they erupted in cheers when Ospreay finally scored the victory.

Meltzer also gave **** stars to the Danielson vs. Okada match, as well as the match between Orange Cassidy, Zack Sabre Jr., Daniel Garcia, and Katsuyori Shibata for the International Championship. He gave ***1/2 stars to the match between Sanada and Jungle Boy for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, and ***3/4 stars to the match between The Elite and The Blackpool Combat Club.



The only match that Meltzer did not give at least *** stars was the match between Tom Lawlor and Serpentico, which he did not rate.

Overall, Meltzer gave Forbidden Door 2023 a positive review, calling it "a great show" and "one of the best wrestling events of the year." He also praised the crowd in Chicago for their enthusiasm and support.

The full match ratings for Forbidden Door 2023 are as follows:



Tom Lawlor vs. Serpentico - NO RATING

Mogul Embassy vs. Chaos - ***1/4

Athena vs. Billie Starkz – Owen Hart Tournament **1/4

El Phantasmo vs. Stu Grayson ***1/4

Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. United Empire ***1/2

MJF (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – AEW World Championship ***1/4

CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima – Owen Hart Tournament ****

Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Daniel Garcia vs. Katsuyori Shibata – International Championship ****

Sanada (c) vs. Jungle Boy Jack Perry – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship ***3/4

The Elite & Eddie Kingston, Tomohiro Ishii vs. The Blackpool Combat Club ****3/4

Toni Storm (c) vs. Willow Nightingale – AEW Women’s Championship ***1/4

Kenny Omega (c) vs. Will Ospreay – IWGP United States Title ******

Sting, Darby Allin & Tetsuya Naito vs. Les Suzuki Gods ***

Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada ****3/4

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