The John Report: AEW Forbidden Door 2026 Review

This is AEW Forbidden Door, featuring Swerve Strickland facing Will Ospreay, Mercedes Mone against Maya World, a 6-on-6 Steel Cage Tag Team Match, and more.

This is the 5th time AEW will present the Forbidden Door PPV. It was a much bigger deal in past years when the New Japan roster was stronger, and it led to some legitimately great “dream matches” like Jon Moxley vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada, and Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay, to name a few. Since then, AEW has signed a lot of the top NJPW talent, so the AEW-NJPW matchups are less interesting. With that said, I still think the AEW roster is as strong as ever and featuring some wrestlers from NJPW, Stardom, and CMLL is certainly fine with me. Do I think some of the stories could be better? Of course, but it’s AEW. They care about the matches more than anything, and those usually deliver.

The pre-show Buy-In matches took place before the main show. I don’t watch the pre-show matches because the main shows are long enough. I’ll put the pre-show match results here.

* Dan Moloney defeated Daniel Garcia by pinfall.

* Maika defeated Skye Blue by pinfall in a TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match.

* AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships: Divine Dominion (Megan Bayne and Lena Kross) (c) defeated Thunder Rosa and Olympia by pinfall.

I ordered this show from AEW’s YouTube channel for $64.40 Canadian, including tax. Do I wish it were cheaper? Yes, but I enjoy AEW’s product, and they do produce great PPVs. Let’s get to it.

AEW Forbidden Door
From SAP Center in San Jose, California
Sunday, June 28, 2026

There was an impressive pyro display to start the show. It’s Sunday, and you know what that means. The commentary team started as Excalibur, Walker Stewart from NJPW, and Nigel McGuinness.

The Young Bucks made their entrance first for a three-way tag team match.

The Young Bucks – Matt & Nick Jackson vs. El Sky Team – Místico & Máscara Dorada vs. Unbound Co. – Shingo Takagi & Titán

I missed the first few minutes of this match. Takagi got in there and hit a spinebuster on Dorada, but Dorada came back with a hurricanrana. Takagi hit a shoulder tackle on Dorada. The masked Titan tripped up Dorada, followed by a suplex by Takagi and a springboard splash by Titan. Mistico tagged in with a springboard hurricanrana on Takagi and a flipping armdrag on Titan. The Bucks went into the ring illegally for some double team moves on Mistico. Nick gave Dorada a hurricanrana off the top rope. Titan hit a double hurricanrana on the Bucks. They did a combo spot where Dorada hit a hurricanrana on Titan onto three guys on the floor. It was a bit sloppy, but they got through it okay. Dorada hit a body slam on Titan and Mistico hit a springboard senton splash for two. Matt tagged himself in and did his Northern Lights Suplex spot that he does in every match. Takagi went in illegally and DDT’d Matt. Takagi tagged Dorada to become legal. Titan hit a leg drop off the turnbuckle for two, even though Takagi was legal. The referee has lost control as usual. Matt hit a neckbreaker and a DDT to break free.

Nick Jackson got the tag and was on fire with kicks, a headscissors and an armdrag. Mistico wasn’t near the turnbuckle, but still tagged in because it’s AEW. Anyway, Mistico and Dorada hit 619 kicks that Excalibur called Area Code Shots. I guess that’s a way of saying it. Mistico hit a springboard cross body block. Dorada hit an impressive Shooting Star Press onto the other dudes on the floor. Dorada was in the ring with Titan, so then Nick went into the ring with superkicks and Takagi hit a double clothesline. Takagi hit clotheslines on Matt and Mistico. The four babyfaces all hit superkicks on Takagi and Titan. There were three Canadian Destroyers in a row, and then all six guys decided to sell, so the fans cheered. Takagi hit running splashes and clotheslines. Mistico kick Takagi and hit a Spanish Fly for two. Matt jumped off the top and hit an elbow drop on Mistico, Titan hit a double foot stomp on Matt. Nick hit a 450 Splash and had to lay there like a dumbass, so Dorada hit a Shooting Star Press on two guys. Mistico went for his armbar La Mistica on Takagi, but others in the match broke it up. Takagi and Titan worked over Mistico, with Takagi hitting a clothesline. Titan tagged in (as if that matters) and hit a DDT on Mistico. Takagi hit a sitout powerslam and Titan jumped off the top with a diving foot stomp for two because Nick made the save. Nick tagged in and both Bucks were in the ring (of course) hitting superkicks on everybody. The Bucks hit a double superkick on Takagi. Titan jumped off the top with a cross body block, Matt caught Titan, Nick kicked two guys and Nick jumped off the ropes with the Bucks hitting a TK Driver. Both Bucks covered Titan for the win. It’s illegal to have both guys cover in a regular tag, but it’s AEW, so of course nobody cares. It went about 18 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: The Young Bucks – Matt & Nick Jackson

Analysis: ***3/4 It was full of action and chaos. It was also a match with no story. The Young Bucks got the win because they are being built up for an AEW Tag Team Title match (likely at All In London), so of course, they were going to win over two teams who are not regulars in AEW. Mistico and Dorada are great, while Takagi filled his role as the power guy, and Titan was there to lose. My issue with the match is that it had way too many guys in the ring. The problem with a match like this is that there are guys illegally in the ring throughout the match, and it’s annoying.

A video package aired about the Kenny Omega-Zack Sabre Jr. match that is up next.