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Dave Meltzer Reveals AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2024 Match Ratings

By James Holder • Published 5th July 2024
Mercedes Mone at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Dave Meltzer has published his match ratings for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2024.

For 2024 the annual super-show created by AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling got even bigger. For the first time ever the event also featured talent from CMLL and Stardom, which helped create a stacked 14-match match card.

In the main event, Swerve Strickland defeated Will Ospreay to retain the AEW World Championship. The champion will now go on to face the winner of the Owen Hart Cup at All In, should he remain in possession of the gold. It’s since been reported that not only did Will Ospreay pitch the match against Strickland, he asked to lose in an effort to help solidify the World Champion.

Elsewhere, Mercedes Mone defeated Stephanie Vaquer to take home the NJPW Strong Women’s Title — adding it to the TBS Title she already holds. After the match, Mone was confronted by Britt Baker who was making her first AEW appearance in nine months.

Earlier in the night, Jack Perry emerged victorious from a wild six-man Ladder Match to win the vacant TNT Title.

Dave Meltzer Match Ratings – AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer gave his thoughts on the action.

PRE-SHOW:

  • Kyle Fletcher vs. Serpentico *
  • Kings of the Black Throne vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Roderick Strong & Gabe Kidd vs. Private Party ***1/4
  • Willow Nightingale & Tam Nakano vs. Kris Statlander & Momo Watanabe ***1/2
  • Mariah May vs. Saraya **
  • Lucha Bros & Mistico vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon ****1/4

MAIN CARD:

  • MJF vs. Hechicero ***1/4
  • The Elite vs. The Acclaimed & Hiroshi Tanahashi ***3/4
  • Bryan Danielson vs. Shingo Takagi ****3/4
  • “Timeless” Toni Storm (c) vs. Mina Shirakawa – AEW Women’s World Title ****
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Orange Cassidy ****1/2
  • Samoa Joe, Hook & Katsuyori Shibata vs. The Learning Tree ***1/4
  • Jack Perry vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mark Briscoe vs. Dante Martin vs. Lio Rush vs. El Phantasmo – Ladder Match (TNT Title) ****1/2
  • Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Stephanie Vaquer (c) – TBS Title/IWGP Strong Women’s Title, Winner Take All ****
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Jon Moxley (c) – IWGP World Heavyweight Title ***
  • Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Will Ospreay – AEW World Title *****1/2