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Sunday, June 30: On The Mat Wrestling Show AEW Forbidden Door Preview
Welcome in to wrestling spotlight and the fired up network. Gerald Bentley, I'm joined by Sonny the man Eagle Kane and the editor in chief and publisher of the pro wrestling post, Mark Madison. We're here to preview the forbidden door, the AEW pay per view that combines the talent from New Japan, pro wrestling and CMLL in one all star show. Guys, just to start out, are you excited for the forbidden door? I'm very excited, looking forward to seeing the batch ups and seeing about what the guys can do. Mark? I've got a bit of a mixed vibe when it comes to it, not because the matches themselves aren't going to be exciting, I think I'm always one for continuity and I guess sometimes when things just kind of appear, some things seem a little underwhelming, and I almost see forbidden doors always being that if they're going to have the best of AEW versus the best of anywhere else, I'm a little conflicted with some of the booking of some of the matches. But hey, maybe that's just me. Yeah, well, and it is a little disjointed, right, because you're getting new match ups and you're going to match up, you're only going to really say once a year, they've been trying to build up, they've made a conscious effort to get the CMLL wrestlers involved and get them appearing just so you know them because while CMLL is the oldest professional wrestling, actually, I believe it's the oldest professional wrestling promotion continuously running in North America, AAA was the partner from Mexico for the beginning of AEW, it's a recent switch to CMLL and they're just trying to get you familiar with those talents and it is a little bit of a jar because it's not your regular AEW talent, so I think that does cause a little bit of a disconnect and then the simple fact that the stars of New Japan Pro Wrestling, the top two stars really has the top three stars, the top female star and the top two male stars are now AEW regulars and Will Ospre, Switchblade, Jay White and Mercedes Monet, so there is a little bit of a rebuild going on with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Let's get into some of the matches on this show, it's a typical AEW card you're going to have 11 matches and if you count the pre-show even more, kick it off with a six-man match up on the pre-show, New Japan guys against Penta L0 Mera, Rey Fidex and Mistico and yeah I mean there you go, Mariah Mae is taking on Saraya in the pre-show, that's kind of an interesting match up and Mariah Mae's feature prominently in the card and Saraya has come back with her newly reformed outcast and that'll be an interesting match up, I don't think I, I imagine Mariah Mae wins because she's another Japanese import came from stardom via the UK, do you guys agree, do you think Mariah Mae pulls that one off, I think so. And the most entertaining part of Mariah Mae, we'll get to a little bit later, Willa Nightingale on a path towards the TBS title I'd imagine, she teams with Tam Nakano and taking on her former best friend in rival now, Chris Statlander against Momo Watanbe. I don't know, I'd imagine Stokely and Chris Statlander will pull off some shenanigans and some hijinks and end up getting a win there because Keith Willow Jason, right? Yeah, both Tam and Molo are quite talented in their own right, so don't sleep on them and look for something special for them in that match. Okay, and I gotta think you're on a path at some point for Willow to get back and have another face off with Mercedes Monet about that TBS title. Yeah, just because you have the built-in story there. Not until they have everything settled with her and sat, but she may slide a little further down the card, it's really seeing probably Statlander's best character development since she's been in aid of you. I would agree with that. As a face, we never see out saw the depth and Stokely probably has a lot to do with how she's presented now, so I think she might be the one that they move towards. It's just about staying healthy with her. I think that's been the biggest Achilles, no pun intended, the issues that she's had, right? Yeah. So she can stay healthy. I think they've really got something special with that. Thankfully it's mostly been knee injury. He said now that she's had both knees rebuilt, she should be on a good path. And to the first match on the main card, how do you guys feel about the learning tree, Chris Jericho? I think I should say it was good, but are you okay with the learning tree? I tried in true wrestling cliche, actually something that Brian Myers used in TNA. What do you think, Mark? Are you okay with the learning tree, just the condescending jerk character? Oh my God, but it's so over the top that he actually makes it work. I'm like, no, this is going to be ridiculous. And then he just, he points out point statements, you know, you really need to be kind and consider it because, you know, this is the consequences, if you don't, you would just want to think about that. Okay. Bye guys. And then, yeah, it's just, it's funny. I find it funny. He's leaning into the criticism of him on Twitter, that he's eating up too much TV time. So his segment is called TV time. Yeah. I think it's, yeah, I do think it's great. And he's using a former central states wrestler in his group with the bounty hunter Brian Keith as the, the bad apple reminding everybody you need to respect Chris Jericho, they're going to be matching up against Samoa Joe Hook and Shabbata who have been quite entertaining, especially with Hook and Shabbata doing the walk away from the guy in the top rope move that Samoa Joe's made iconic, the nope move. Yeah. Take it on Chris Jericho, the redwood big bill and a undisclosed partner does hook get a little revenge towards the, for the world champion, get his dad's title back, or get a shot at his dad's title back again, or are we going to see the learning tree come out on top? I think it's a little revenge. Okay. Well, and maybe their mystery partner turns on him. So that would give a reason. I'll match that. I don't think anybody has any doubt which way it's going to go, although he is going up against a good wrestler, MJF against Hetchissero from CMLL. Hetchissero is good. He's a really good technical wrestler. Actually, what would be a great, yeah, it would be a great match up with him and the guy in the next match, but MJF's winning, right? Oh, yeah, I do think it'll be an entertaining match. So MJF is on his game and ready to go. He can't go with anybody. He is actually a really good professional wrestler. A guy who is a tremendous old school technical wrestler, Zach Sabre Jr., he's taken on Orange Cassidy. What do you guys feel there? Zach Jr., do you think New Japan gets a win? Yeah. Yeah, I think the Don Callis family probably plays a part, you know, Trent might just be bitter. He's not on the card and not that Zach might need any help, but I think there's another rationale for having him involved. Yeah, I could see that. Trent, former New Japan wrestler as well, back in Rapungee Vice. Then we get the elite, guilted in to having a match against the acclaimed, Kazooka Akada and the box taken on Tana Hashi and the acclaimed, Max Kaster and Anthony Bowenza. I think the acclaimed wins, the acclaimed in the ace, I think they'll be playing some air guitar as they get a win against the elite, but not for the title. Sunny, what do you think? I agree with these. I think they get the win. How do you feel about the elite, the box being the cowardly heel executives? I mean, that's a tried and true wrestling story. I like it. The stories are a good story and they're running with it, so I think they keep it going. Yeah, that's going to go for a while and Mark Akada making the most with the fewest amount of words. He's actually projecting a better character in AEW just by saying a couple of sentences than he did in his previous runs in AEW. Yeah, I think he might be like the only bright spot I find out of the elite. Probably just me, I cannot, for some reason, I'm not buying into Jack Perry and the elite. I think we've seen the Bucks kind of run their course, so I feel like, I don't know. I mean, yeah, being torpy and their size being, they can look down on everybody as they stand on a pedestal that needs to be 20 feet tall because they're not terribly tall. And I guess I get that part, but to be intimidated by them or their presence, I can't see that. I can't see others necessarily. Sunny had pointed out, you know, when you match up with somebody, somebody 5'10 should not be intimidating, somebody's 6'5", just doesn't work. So I don't know how long this is going to be in this evil elite, but we'll see. But I think if anybody, yeah, Okada's been the one bright spot saying the most by saying the least. Yeah. Well, hopefully, Hangman Adam Page is coming back soon because he definitely adds a little bit of a legitimacy, I guess you'd say, because missing something out of the elite without Kenny Omega and that Hangman Page there, Okada is legitimate, legitimate guy. Yeah, I think the Bucks as actual, hard-going fighting champions has come and gone. The way they hold on to the title is cowardly heel tricks, hitting people with the belt, outside interference. And that's a tried and true wrestling story, but, you know, I guess they're doing their jobs, right? You want to hate them and they want people to hate them and they're accomplishing that. And that's still what they'll always just be hated, so. Yeah. Well, they're doing that, item in the spirit of the learning tree. The American Dragon taking on the Japanese Dragon, Brian Danielson and another one of his dream matches, he's taking on Shingo to Gaki. How do you guys feel about that? Is Shingo going to beat Brian Danielson or is Brian Danielson advancing the Owen Hart tournament? The Japanese Dragon. Really? Ok. I'm going to go with the American Dragon and to hear some of Danielson's more recent promos and how he's, this is the end. Yeah. And if the Apex is all in, I don't think they would go to this length to have him deliver a promo just for him to get wiped out of this tournament, so that's the only reason. I'm just basing it on prior steps. Yeah. If we went straight up, then we're looking at something very different, but he's made a point of saying this is like his last full year. Yeah. I believe him. Yeah. And it's interesting, we're talking about the Owen. Both Brian Danielson and double J. Jeff Jarrett had made heartfelt promos about how important this is to him, and obviously they both can't win, and I don't think Jeff Jarrett's not main eventing all in. That's not going to happen. I have as much chance of main eventing all in as Jeff Jarrett does, and I'm not. So. But yeah, I think Brian Danielson wins because if nothing else, he's going to make it to the final of the Owen Hart Cup. But to the women's championship, yeah, the women's championship, which I think has been one of the best things going on AEW television during this build up to 4-bit indoor. Everybody wants Mina, Mina Sheerakala taken on Timeless Tony Storm for the AEW Women's Championship, and as Mina's been saying, for the custody of Mariah May, I don't think she's going to get either, but it's definitely been entertaining, and I think we are going to see a lot more of Mina on AEW television. Are you guys thinking the timeless era is coming to an end, or does she advance to all in at Wembley? I think she advances. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, defending her title at home, I can't see them taking that away much like Paul and Cleveland, right? Sorry, he's going to write himself, we'd be surprised if we don't see, we'll all spray main eventing at all in as well, so. I'd agree with that. The ladder match for the TNT title, the alpha, Knowskate Tukaska, your ring of honor, heavyweight champion Mark Briscoe, the former jungle boy, the new scapegoat Jack Perry, Dante Martin, Leo Rosh, and one more combatant, who do you feel is going to come away as the face of TNT? Well, I'm a Mark Brisco fan, so I'm going to say Mark Briscoe. Mark, it definitely makes for a feel-good story, Sonny, if it is Mark, of everything he's gone through, but I feel like if they have a way now to still use unscriptulous measures to have Jack Perry win, I think now they're still going to pull it out some way by hook or biker, but there is an unnamed person, part of this as well, right? Maybe this is where we see Adam Page make his return. Yeah, or Adam Page just shows up and in the way that the box won the tag title, Adam Page is the guy that comes in and clears the field and lets Jack Perry get the belt and then he becomes the wild card in the Owen Hart tournament. Maybe the box for teasing, so I could see it either way, but I do think that Jack Perry gets the win with an outside chance because they've said he's going to be a regular on AEW now, the man of the hour, Leo Rush, who is an incredibly entertaining wrestler, but if you want to talk about guys that you've got to be careful about who you put him in there with, they said that Leo is 175 pounds, I don't think he's under 75 pounds, but he could go. He is very entertaining, it's got to be the right matchup. He's the guy who needs a junior heavyweight title. A match that I don't think anyone, including Stephanie Vakor thinks she has a chance of winning. The TBS championship is on the line, Mercedes Monet going up against your new Japan strong women's champion, Stephanie Vakor, the winner gets both titles. That's going to be money, money, money. I think the one promising thing Stephanie Vakor has going for her is she's a Kat Denning's doppelganger, and if you've ever watched the show, two broke girls, I swear they look identical. It's true. It is insane. Yeah. You put a pair of horns on Kat Denning, yeah, and then Sonny, can you do the CEO? See? Yeah. You're gone with Mercedes Monet, right? Okay, down to only two matches as we're wrapping it up here. You're watching wrestling spotlight preview in the Forbidden Door on wrestling spotlight and on the fired up network joined here by Sonny, the man, Eagle Kane and Mark Madison just resetting the stage as we get to the final two matches that are going to be combated Sunday at the UBS arena, John Moxley, your IWGP heavyweight champion, the top belt in New Japan wrestling. He's going up against Los Angeles, Japan's Naito. I think Naito wins. I think he gets it and New Japan gets a W. Sonny, what do you feel here? I agree with you. I think the Naito wins too. I think she's put out a good work right now and she's going to continue to do so. Well, Mark, Naito, can you explain a little bit the Los Angeles tie and how New Japan is Los Angeles and his tie to Rouge and kind of his history for people just watching? So for Naito, he did an excursion trip to Mexico. And about the Luchador style was tied to Rouge, was tied to who's now known as Andrade right now and they were all working together. And so he branched off, took from that and expanded it almost like a bullet club. Yeah. And how it's had branches and did that and took it over to Japan and created his own semblance. And so when you see the posing, the tranquil, almost the not caring nonchalant, it's very reflective of the take it easy, let's be easy, let's be calm. And so that can rub people almost like a, in some ways, like a orange can Cassidy where it's nonchalant. Yeah. That's very much how Naito's, my only concern with him is he's not as young as he used to be. And his body has not been as cooperative. And so that's if the idea is for him to win it, to bring it back to Japan, to help to elevate somebody that's homegrown into new Japan, that's different. If they don't have the faith that he's his body can't hold up to it, then they're going to probably just have Mox lose the title in Japan. So this one is, it really depends on where their confidence lies when it comes to, comes to Moxley and Naito and this particular title. I know the title should be valued, it shouldn't just be a throwaway match. So him facing Takesh that when they did, just for Takesh to lose, it's served no purpose. So I'm really conflicted with this. I unfortunately have to kind of plead the fifth and say, I don't have a winner because there's so many different scenarios that could play out. I think this is where you see the thing that people say is always a risk with inter-promotional shows. Hey, where the politics come involved and how it factors out? Because I don't know, who would you think is the best person on the new Japan roster to be the IWGP champion? Is it Gabe Kidd, is it Zack Sabre, Jr.? It might be if that's the direction that they want ahead, but I don't know that they're going to have the new Japan title, the IWGP, not one in Japan. It feels like it takes away from it a little bit, I don't know if that makes sense. It always felt like a title that amongst the new Japan faithful is where it's valued as not that it's not of importance, but I just don't see the celebrated on the same night that your AEW title is the main of the film. I mean, it's almost like becomes the lesser title on this show. It is a little weird because realistically, it's probably the third most prestigious championship in wrestling today. And you can argue, right? I mean, AEW fans are going to say the AEW champions the best. AEW fans are going to say the undisputed championship that Cody has is the best one, but the IWGP title, it's right up there. It's at least equal to the TNA title. I'd say it's probably a little bit above it. Yeah. So if anything mostly retains, in order for neither to win it, I think he wins it in Japan as opposed to winning it in North America. So I guess you forced me, if you have to chat, gable me and put a gun to my head, I would say, yeah, Mox routines should be a good match though. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. People people who haven't seen made a wrestle a lot, he is a good, he's a good storyteller. It's going to be a good match. In the championship match, we get Swerve, Strickland taken on the AEW international champion. Will Osprey for the AEW world title does the Billy Goat continue his winning ways and knock off Swerve on a short run as the champion? What do you guys think? We're coming up towards All-In and Wembley. It would be nice to have Will Osprey carry the AEW title into Wembley Stadium. Sunny? I like Swerve Strickland, but I think it's going to be Osprey. Okay. Another tough one, I mean, it could go either way. Okay. I think AEW booked themselves into a corner with this match. Speaking in the podcast that we run myself and my partner, now, well, no, but with All-In, how do they make it work? Because just like we were talking about, shouldn't he be made eventant and then you're going to take the title off of Swerve right away? I don't know. It feels unfair in some respects because he worked so hard, right? Yeah. I think it's a conundrum that they're kind of facing here with the both of them unless there's a false finish and they re-face each other maybe at All-In. I don't know. I don't know. Yeah. I could see that, but you can't really do that because you already said whoever wins the All-In Cup has that main event match for the championship. Then maybe they make it a triple threat. Yeah. That could be. That's a possibility and, you know, I think it's good either way. Actually, I was just thinking about this. They may regret not having the World Championship that CM Punk was defending on Collision because then you could have two World Championships because, I mean, honestly, do you really need the international title and the continental championship? Yeah. Wouldn't it be a little bit better to bring back the Real World Championship and that's your Collision title and the AEW World title is your dynamite title and you're run with it that way? I mean, it may be better because the continental title, the international title, make no sense and you don't need a buff. I find the continentals more just to have given Ocata a title. It's almost like he looks naked without having some sort of gold stuff. Yeah. Whereas felt like any Kingston really worked towards getting that triple crown. It feels like, OK, well, no, he's here. We need to celebrate him and all of his accomplishments, but still a title on him that isn't defended really doesn't serve a purpose, sadly, exactly. Yeah. And it's not a triple crown anymore because it's already been broken up. It stayed unified for a few months. Now, I know they are going to do that tournament again this year, so they're coming back in at the end of the year and they'll do another continental classic. So it's good for that. It's in the spirit of like the O&R, I guess it's, but I don't know. So I'm going to say who's house, Swerve's house, he holds on and I think you're a right market, some sort of convoluted finish and will Osprey ends up in that main event anyways in Britain because he's eventually going to be the top guy. I mean, he's the best thing going. It's, quote, Rick Flair, the best thing going to town today. Will Osprey and he's doing a good job talking to. So there you go. That is Forbidden Door. So go ahead and mark off six hours off your calendar on Sunday because you're going to get 11 or 12 matches and it's going every bit of six hours. If you watch the zero one and a half hour entire card, but the good thing is I go to work late on Monday, so I'm all set. Sunny, any last words on the Forbidden Door coming up this week? I just think it's going to be a fantastic night of professional wrestling. They've built this up and I think we're in for a couple of surprises during the car. Yeah. Yeah. AEW always, always hits big on their pay per views and they're always well worth it. Any final thoughts on Forbidden Door? Definitely should be fun. I think we're going to see some sort of, we've seen teasers of MJF and we'll Osprey. I'm sure there'd be empty seats for something further. So, much like Sunny, I think we'll see some surprises, but like I said, six hours, I mean, people will criticize the critics will criticize because that's what they do, as Shawn Michaels once said. But when it comes to, if you're going to pay $50 for an event, is it really a bad thing that it's six hours? I don't know. No, and you can go get it on Bleacher Report, you can go back and watch it over and over again. I've got all of them on my Bleacher Report, so I'm all set and you can rewatch it. There's nothing wrong with rewatching a great match, you can always go back. Yep. Well, hey, we'll wrap it up here on wrestling spotlight on the fired up network for Sunny, the Man Eagle Kane, for Mark Madison, for Pro Wrestling Post. I'm Gerald Bentley, thanks for joining us here tonight and have a good night and enjoy the Forbidden Door. Good night. Good.