AEW Forbidden Door 2025 Fallout: Shifting Alliances, New Champions, and What’s Next

Carlos Astorga
3 hours ago
4 min read

London’s O2 was loud; the aftermath is louder. AEW x NJPW’s Forbidden Door didn’t just deliver dream matches—it reorganized the chessboard for the next stretch of AEW TV. Below is a clear, storyline-first breakdown of what actually changed, why it matters, and where the smartest next moves are.

The headline: Ospreay’s team wins…then Moxley ends the celebration

In the Lights Out steel cage main event, Will Ospreay captained Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Darby Allin, and Hiroshi Tanahashi to victory over Jon Moxley’s Death Riders plus The Young Bucks—only for Moxley & Claudio to brutalize Ospreay after the bell. The angle functioned as a write-off for Ospreay, who has publicly said he’s heading for neck surgery; he’s expected to be away indefinitely.

What’s next

Omega vs. Moxley V (or trios permutations): With Ospreay off TV, Omega taking point in a revenge arc against Moxley is the cleanest pivot. Keep Darby/Tanahashi around Omega as rotating partners to stretch the feud through TV and a PPV blow-off.
Death Riders + Bucks vs. “Golden Lovers & Friends”: The cage match chemistry makes for natural multi-man rematches to bridge Dynamite/Collision weeks.

World Title: Hangman endures MJF’s traps—and the contract still looms

Hangman Page retained the AEW World Championship over MJF despite loaded stipulations and MJF’s bag of tricks. Mark Briscoe foiled MJF late; crucially, MJF still holds the Casino Gauntlet contract. Expect him to stalk Hangman through fall season.

What’s next

MJF teases cash-in during a high-workrate Hangman defense (e.g., vs. a top contender from Collision). Hangman’s on-screen openness to a rematch gives AEW an easy TV main event while keeping the contract threat alive.

Unified Championship: Okada retains—and gets muscle

Kazuchika Okada outfoxed a hobbled Swerve Strickland to keep the AEW Unified Championship. Afterward, Wardlow returned, destroying Swerve and revealing allegiance to The Don Callis Family, which already includes Okada and TNT champ Kyle Fletcher. That’s a statement: Callis just leveled up into AEW’s most powerful faction.

What’s next

Okada’s challengers: With Swerve likely out (see Injuries), Okada can pivot to a fresh babyface—PAC in the UK, Copeland after his reunion win, or a TV gauntlet where the Callis Family corrupts outcomes.
Faction warfare: Callis Family (Okada/Fletcher/Wardlow, with Takeshita circling) vs. any combination of Elite-adjacent babyfaces creates weeks of TV and multiple PPV lanes. (Note: Takeshita just won NJPW’s G1 and is slotted for an IWGP title shot in Japan—use him sparingly in AEW matches to keep that aura.)

Women’s World Title: Timeless endures, new pieces enter the board

Toni Storm forced Athena to submit after Mina Shirakawa neutralized Billie Starkz. That finish protects Athena and sneaks Mina into the title orbit without pinning a top contender.

What’s next

Storm vs. Mina (TV or PPV) feels earned after the save.
Athena rematch with Starkz barred or in a three-way with Mina elevates all three and keeps the ROH–AEW crossover hot.

Also notable: Jamie Hayter returned (huge UK pop), saving Queen Aminata from Thekla/Julia Hart/Skye Blue—likely setting Hayter vs. Thekla and positioning Hayter as a future Storm opponent once that feud cooks.

TBS Championship: Moné keeps steamrolling

Mercedes Moné survived Alex Windsor, Persephone, and Bozilla in a four-way. Expect a “prove-it” singles defense—Windsor is the tidy post-PPV program given the UK setting and her eliminator cred.

IWGP World Heavyweight Title: ZSJ beats Nigel in a British dream match

Zack Sabre Jr. retained against Nigel McGuinness in a technical showcase. With Konosuke Takeshita winning the G1, circle ZSJ vs. Takeshita for NJPW’s next mega-match, while AEW can replay ZSJ’s win to burnish his aura on Dynamite.

AEW World Tag Titles: A shocker resets the division

Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) upset The Hurt Syndicate (Lashley/Benjamin) and FTR to win the belts. That instantly opens up fresh first defenses (Hurt Syndicate rematch; FTR rubber; Copeland & Christian nostalgia chase down the road).

TNT Title: Fletcher guts it out (and bleeds)

Kyle Fletcher retained vs. Hiromu Takahashi in a stiff, buzz-building defense; reports indicate he needed stitches afterward. With Fletcher now a central pillar of the Callis Family, expect opportunistic title defenses aided by Wardlow/Takeshita shadows.

Quick results (for context)

Hangman Page def. MJF (AEW World)
Okada def. Swerve (AEW Unified)
Toni Storm def. Athena (AEW Women’s)
Brodido def. Hurt Syndicate & FTR (Tag Titles)
ZSJ def. Nigel McGuinness (IWGP World)
Mercedes Moné retained TBS (4-Way)
Kyle Fletcher def. Hiromu (TNT)
Copeland & Christian def. Killswitch & Kip Sabian
Team Ospreay/Omega/Ibushi/Darby/Tanahashi def. Moxley/Bucks/Gabe Kidd/Claudio (Lights Out cage)

Reported injuries & returns (what we know today)

Will Ospreay: Confirmed heading for neck surgery; angle closed the show to write him off AEW TV. Expect a significant absence.
Swerve Strickland: Has been working through a long-standing knee issue; post-match attack by Wardlow likely writes him off to address it.
Kyle Fletcher: Required stitches for a cut after the TNT title match; no major injury reported.
Jamie Hayter: Returned from a layoff; immediately slotted into business with Thekla/Triangle of Madness.

The big picture: Who actually got hotter?

Heels with heat: Callis Family—adding Wardlow made them a true end-boss faction. Book them as match-enders and segment disrupters for the next month.
Babyfaces with momentum: Hangman, Omega, Darby, Brodido, and Jamie Hayter all leave London with tailwinds. Put them in meaningful TV main events immediately to capitalize on the crowd afterglow.
Champions stabilized: Storm, Moné, Okada, ZSJ, Fletcher all defended—AEW/NJPW can now select challengers deliberately instead of scrambling.

Programming ideas you can expect (or pitch)

Hangman vs. “Contract Threat” arc: MJF stalks, teases cash-ins; Hangman fights fighting-champion defenses weekly.
Omega & Friends vs. Death Riders/Bucks series—ladder to one last Omega/Moxley singles.
Storm–Mina–Athena triangle through early fall.
Brodido’s first defenses vs. Hurt Syndicate (rematch) → FTR TV classic.
ZSJ showcases on AEW TV while NJPW builds ZSJ vs. Takeshita for the IWGP World title.