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Forbidden Door 2025
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Nigel McGuinness with Daniel Garcia versus Zack Sabre Jr. (c)
I want to first talk about what this match should have been.
I don’t know what happened with Hirooki Goto in losing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. First it was said he got injured, then not a real injury, and then he was cast as E. Honda for the Street Fighter movie? Which also has Roman Reigns as Akuma and Cody Rhodes as Guile? I have no idea if that’s related to his fake injury, but it came out right after he lost the championship to Zack Sabre Jr.
It’s sad because for months I was excited for the possibility of Goto facing his old friend Katsuyori Shibata at Forbidden Door, a match that at least felt like it was happening back in March.
I don’t know what happened in between March and June, if the elbow injury was real, if it was always the plan, or what. It would be a real shame if Goto’s excellent run that felt like it was just getting started got cut due to New Japan Pro Wrestling wanting a British wrestler to heading the Royal Quest and Forbidden Door shows as champion in London, England. I really hope that wasn’t the case.
Either way, here we are. The match between Nigel and Zack does feel like a dream match for those who love their British wrestling stars, though I wish it came together in a better way. Nigel winning a four way against Daniel Garcia, Hechicero, and Lee Moriarty would have made sense in earning a shot for say the TNT Championship, but it really wasn’t AEW putting their best together for a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Having Lee Moriarty and Daniel Garcia didn’t make it feel like it’s for the biggest prize in New Japan Pro Wrestling. I was okay with Hechicero in the match. He’s so cool.
I honestly would have preferred if Nigel McGuinness just showed up to New Japan Pro Wrestling and challenged Zack Sabre Jr. for the title in London, England than a qualifying match. It may seem detrimental to AEW supposed to being a sports company but Forbidden Door is more exhibition dream matches than a part of any rankings system. And the people who were in that match? They never would have been qualifying for it.
Either way, it looks like AEW is planning on a storyline between Daniel Garcia and Nigel McGuinness as the AEW angle to this all. Garcia did start the year as TNT Champion but he also lost a Casino Gauntlet, a trios match against Undisputed Kingdom, a trio three way against the Kingdom, a trios match against Death Riders, a trios match against Undisputed Kingdom teaming with FTR, went to two draws with Adam Cole then lost the TNT Championship, went no contest with Dax Harwood, lost with Paragon (formerly Undisputed Kingdom) to the Don Callis Family, lost an eight wrestler tag to FTR and Don Callis Family, lost a TNT Championship number one contender to Kyle Fletcher, lost the TNT four way, and has now lost the IWGP contender four way.
Oh, I forgot, he also lost a match at Double or Nothing against FTR and teamed with Nigel McGuinness. In other words, Daniel Garcia just keeps losing. And now, after losing his chance to fight ZSJ for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, Nigel has asked Daniel Garcia to be in his corner for the match.
This actually has me thinking of another IWGP World Heavyweight Championship bout at Forbidden Door when Jack Perry faced SANADA. Perry lost the match and took it out on HOOK turning him heel. I think this is what’s in Garcia’s future, only instead of losing this match? He’s going to take his disappointment out on Nigel McGuinness whether he wins or loses.
It should be a nice moment for Nigel to get this sort of high profile match as he’s in the twilight of his career, but I hope we see a little more of a mean streak in him against Zack Sabre Jr. instead of just going hold for hold. Give us some desperation. Give us some risk.
