The good thing about the show this weekend is that both Bill and I will be there to witness Forbidden Door Three! Compared to the other two years this card is not as impressive, but it should still be a fun night in New York, so with that being said let’s predict!
Zero Hour:
Owen Hart Quarterfinal: Mariah May vs Saraya:
Kimmy: For the first time in AEW pay-per-view history, there will be four women’s matches on the show! I do not have high hopes for this match, but this is the start of a long night for May. I think she gets the win here and moves on to win the full tournament.
Winner: Mariah May
Bill: Mariah May has been one of AEW’s most consistent signings in recent memory, and she definitely will pull out the biggest W in her AEW run over Saraya. However, a lot of this match will be overshadowed by Toni and Mina neutralizing Anna Jay and Harley Cameron, and fueling the “which girl will she pick” storyline for Toni, Mariah and Mina.
Winner: Mariah May
Yota Tsuji, Titan, and Hiromu Takahashi vs Mistico and The Lucha Brothers (Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo):
Kimmy: This is going to be a fun match. Anything the Lucha Brothers do is always good and their tagging with Mistico is almost historic. I think The Lucha Brothers and Mistico win this one in a fun match to get the crowd going into this show.
Winners: Mistico and The Lucha Brothers (Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo)
Bill: Mistico doesn’t lose, brother. This is going to be a really awesome match because Titan and Hiromu are absolute aces and hopefully Tsuji gets to show out. Mistico teaming with The Lucha Brothers was something you could’ve never dreamed of, but here we are. This deserves to be on the main show, and not Zero Hour, but I don’t book things.
Winners: Mistico and The Lucha Brothers (Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo)
Kris Statlander and Momo Watanabe vs Willow Nightingale and Tam Nakano:
Kimmy: I think it is great that both Long Island Galz are on the card, even if this match is going to be on the Buy-In. I think the faces win this one as this will lead to the Statlander Nightingale match in the Owen Hart Tournament. I do not think this will be the last we see of these two, as I feel they will get their big payoff match in Wembley.
Winners: Willow Nightingale and Tam Nakano
Bill: I agree with Kimmy — Willow and Tam get the W, with Willow getting the hometown pop — but Kris takes the W on Dynamite for The Owen. This is going to be a sneaky good match as Willow and Stat have been low key Zero Hour MVPs over the past year and both Momo and Tam are terrific talents not enough people have seen.
Main Show:
AEW TNT Championship Ladder Match: Konosuke Takeshita, Mark Briscoe, Jack Perry, Dante Martin, Lio Rush, and TBD:
Kimmy: This match should open the show as it will be a great way to get the crowd going. Regarding the TBD, it will likely be someone in CMLL as that is the only company not represented in this match. Also, I need to know why our ROH Champion was in this match when he has not been mentioned in ROH in two months! Since he is the only person in the EVP faction not to have a title, Jack Perry will win the belt here and become TNT Champion.
Winner: “And New” Jack Perry
Bill: If you watch Rampage tonight, you’ll find out that New Japan will be represented in the ladder match. Now, could we see someone like Dante Martin or Lio Rush taken out before the match for someone like Dominic Dijak or Gabe Kidd to insert himself into the match? Don’t rule it out! Jack Perry is the money pick here. Takeshita is going to the G1. Mark Briscoe is the ROH champ. Lio is going to be a regular guest, but not a full-time guy for AEW. Dante should eventually hold a belt, but he’ll be better in the chase. So unless TBD is someone they’re gonna push to the moon, they need to strap up the “Scapegoat.”
Winner: “And New” Jack Perry
The Elite (Kazuchika Okada, Mathew, and Nicholas Jackson) vs Scissor Ace (Hiroshi Tanahashi, Max Caster, and Anthony Bowens):
Kimmy: Glad to see the New Japan President is making his appearance on the card! Since he is the New Japan President I think he and The Acclaimed win this one. Tanahashi will pin one of the Jackson brothers and then they will celebrate later on when Perry wins the TNT Title.
Winners: (Hiroshi Tanahashi, Max Caster, and Anthony Bowens)
Bill: Like Kimmy, I was wondering how “The Ace” would get onto the show. I do not, however, think his team will win. The Acclaimed beat The Bucks in an Eliminator Match and Okada has yet to be on the losing side here, and I just don’t see that happening right now. The Elite get the W here to even the series up at 1-1.
Winners: The Elite (Kazuchika Okada, Mathew, and Nicholas Jackson)
Winner Takes All: Mercedes Mone vs Stephanie Vaquer:
Kimmy: I wish they did not do the title for title here, I would have loved to see Vaquer win. This match is a sleeper of the night as this match has the potential to steal the show. Given that Mone just won the TBS title, there is no way she is losing it this quickly, she will win this one.
Winner: “And New” Mercedes Mone
Bill: This match is going to be real fun. Mercedes is on a global quest to win the gold, and this will be no different as Mercedes will be draped in gold by night’s end.
Winner: “And New” Mercedes Mone
AEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm vs Mina Shirakawa:
Kimmy: Mariah May must pick a side in this match! After Storm wins the match Shirakawa will be upset and May will comfort her. As Storm yells at her for doing so May will push Storm leading to the split of May and Storm. This will then lead to May winning the Owen Hart Tournament and then defeating Storm at All In in August.
Winner: “And Still” Toni Storm
Bill: The Timeless One will retain in a match that will definitely start as a bunch of laughs and devolve into an absolute slugfest. These two are going to beat each other from pillar to post, and it’s going to be a sight to see. Mariah will chose Toni, but my thought here is that Mina and Toni shake hands and become allies after the match. Minah, Toni and Mariah as a group is great stuff and I look forward to it continuing … until Mariah and Toni’s clash at All In.
Winner: “And Still” Toni Storm
Zack Sabre Jr. vs Orange Cassidy:
Kimmy: A showcase match! Unfortunately, when it comes to this show, the outside talent never wins and I expect the same thing to remain in this match. The match should be fine, but Cassidy will win this one as he continues to feud with the Don Callis family.
Winner: Orange Cassidy
Bill: Outside talent IS going to win here. Zack Sabre Jr. is the future of New Japan Pro Wrestling and it would not shock me if he wins the G1 and takes the world title. But more on that later. So, I see him defeating Orange Bollocks here in the sleeper match of the night.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Jon Moxley vs Tetsuya Naito:
Kimmy: As Moxley made history by winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, he will sadly lose this one. With Moxley not being in Japan, New Japan has nothing for their top stars to fight over while he is here in the US. Also with him being champion, you have to book him constantly to win on AEW TV just for it to make sense. This is a must-win for Naito.
Winner: “And New” Tetsuya Naito
Bill: I don’t see Moxley dropping the belt back to Naito here as I think his time has finally past him as a world champion. I think what happens and this is pure fantasy booking nonsense is, that Zack Sabre Jr. wins the G1 and decides to challenge Moxley for the IWGP Title at Wembley Stadium — where he wins it all.
Winner: “And Still” Jon Moxley
MJF vs Hechicero:
Kimmy: The problem I have with this match is because of the promo MJF cut a couple of weeks ago. As he was promoting that this show was in his hometown he had said he was going to face someone random from either New Japan or CMLL. Essentially saying this show doesn’t mean anything because a lot of the matches are randomly put together. Since we are in MJF town this weekend he will get the win.
Winner: MJF
Bill: This match is going to rule so much. Hechicero is awesome, and let’s stop forgetting how good of a wrestler MJF is. It’s going to be an awesome night at the fights. Daniel Garcia is going to get involved to chase off Cage of Agony, furthering fueling the angle from Dynamite.
Winner: MJF
Men’s Owen Hart First Round: Bryan Danielson vs Shingo Takagi:
Kimmy: Dragon vs Dragon! I am not familiar with Takagi so this match is for the sickos, I guess. Danielson is going to take the win in this one as I believe he will be winning the entire tournament.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
Bill: This is going to be incredible. We’re the winners here.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
The Learning Tree (Chris Jericho, Big Bill, and A Mystery Partner) vs Samoa Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata:
Kimmy: This match should be on Collision or Rampage, not this show. Team Towels will get the win and do not be surprised if Taz finally gets to take a swing at Jericho.
Winners: Team Towels (Samoa Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata)
Bill: Agreed, this match should not be on the card. We’re the losers here.
Winners: Team Towels (Samoa Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata)
AEW World Championship: Swerve Strickland vs Will Ospreay:
Kimmy: In my opinion, this was not the original idea for Strickland going into this show. I believe whatever the plan was supposed to be was scrapped due to injury, visa issues, or whatever else. Since they are both champions neither should lose here so I do not believe the finish will be clean. However, whatever way we get there Swerve will win and retain his title.
Winner: “And Still” Swerve Strickland
Bill: Ospreay is the undeniable hot hand in AEW, but Swerve needs more time as champion because he is putting in the work to promote AEW, put on great matches, and build his feuds up.
Winner: “And Still” Swerve Strickland
The current record in Bill vs Kimmy is 4-2-4
