The Road to The Forbidden Door Part 2

New Japan wouldn't be New Japan if not for Hiroshi Tanahashi. The man who saved the company when it had been at it's lowest. He had also been in creating or elevating other stars over and over and over again. Tanahashi had more than earned the respect of his peers but he also had great respect for many others. Once such person was Chris Jericho. As 2020 started the two men were set to face off at Wrestle Kingdom 14 on the second night. By this time Jericho was AEW world champion. The match wouldn't be for the AEW title instead it was billed a win by Tanahashi would earn him a title shot. It was lead up the match that the term Forbidden Door was first used. For the match Jericho brought out the AEW belt. Jon Moxley work both nights of Wrestle Kingdom on night one regaining the US title beating Lance Archer (a long time NJPW wrestler who would soon jump to AEW) and ending his feud with Juice Robinson. In February Moxley would defend his title in a memorable brawl with Minoru Suzuki less than three weeks before beating Jericho for the AEW world title.

Just a few short weeks into Moxley's dual title reigns the COVID 19 pandemic fully took hold of the world. AEW would setup shop at Daily's Place in Jacksonville a venue owned and operated by the Khan family. New Japan like all promotions in Japan fully shut down. For both companies this was potentially devastating. NJPW primary source of revenue came from ticket sales while AEW hadn't even reached a full year of operations. The Forbidden Door now how extra locks placed on it as both the US and Japan would enact travel restrictions.

New Japan would eventually return in the summer first with empty arena shows and finally show with limited attendance. For Harold Meij this was bad news. As mentioned attendance was the biggest way New Japan made money. In October 2020 the news broke Meij was out of his role as President of NJPW. While there were attempts to spin his time as a success, at least among the fans I've seen history has cast Meij as a villain. He viewed the Elite as replaceable, he picked ROH to work with over AEW. While I do think Meij played a role at the end of the day he kept the two companies separate with the approval of his bosses in New Japan and Bushiroad. Meij was replaced by Takami Ohbari a long NJPW employee who had been running the New Japan of America project. During the pandemic the American arm had started filming crowd less shows for New Japan World. These shows would eventually evolve in New Japan Strong.

As all this was going on Jon Moxley was still IWGP US champion. During a series of tapings for Strong would hold an American New Japan Cup with the winner being named 1 contender to Moxley. The winner wound up being KENTA. For months the Bullet Club member openly asked where is Moxley? Due holding dual citizenship KENTA could appear in Japan while also appearing on Strong. Some fans including myself wondered if Strong would open the door for Moxley to wrestle KENTA there.  Reports on the internet though made it clear Moxley's deal allowed him to work for New Japan in Japan but in the states wasn't allowed. 2020 ended and New Japan kicked of 2021 with Wrestle Kingdom 15. One of the matches would be KENTA vs. Kojima with the contract for a US title shot on the line. Just before the match which KENTA won Moxley appeared via video standing in the ring used for Strong. It was clear something had changed.

This was confirmed when Moxley attacked KENTA on the January 29th episode of Strong later confirming they would wrestle for the IWGP US title on the February 26th episode. Fans were left wondering what this all meant? Was Moxley able to this  just to drop the belt do someone who could get to Japan? Had Tony Khan made a deal to allow Moxley to work for New Japan in the states? 

Than came the February 3rd AEW Dynamite. Moxley was in a trios tag for the main event. Towards the end of the show Moxley was alone in the ring with his than rival Kenny Omega when suddenly a figure in black from head to toe that attacked him. It was than it became clear the door was now open. The attacked pulled off his hat and mask showing KENTA was standing in the ring. A New Japan contracted talent in an AEW ring. A New Japan wrestler had just played a role in an AEW storyline. Watching this I was amazed. I think most people felt it was coming at some point. The general feeling has been with Meij gone along with issues in ROH that NJPW would be more open to a deal with AEW. There had been the small steps and signs. Plus this is pro wrestling and you never say never when there is money to be made.

Still actually seeing it was mind blowing like knowing a movie of your favorite superhero is being made and than actually seeing it on the screen. And like any great wrestling moment I was left wondering what came next? I and many others didn't have long to wait. A post show video by AEW showed Omega meeting with KENTA with Omega being shocked as "Switch Blade never mentioned this..." and the very next week on Dynamite KENTA teamed with Omega to take on Moxley and Lance Archer in a falls count anywhere match. It was official after all this the two sides had struck a formal deal for a working arrangement. 

Talent such as Yugi Nagata, Rocky Romero, Minoru Suzuki and more began to appear on AEW programming. Meanwhile wrestlers like Moxley, Archer, and Lance Archer began to appear on New Japan shows in the states. Moxley even began defending the US title on AEW dropping it to Archer who dropped it to Tanahashi on a NJPW show in LA. Still though fans were left wondering when we would see the big crossover show like New Japan had done in the past with various companies. And well given I'm writing this you should know all the details. On April 20th Tonky Khan made a rare on camera appearance and would introduce Takami Ohbari there segment would be interrupted by Adam Cole and Jay White. 

If there one thing I hope I have gotten across it's what a long crazy road to the Forbidden Door. What looked to be a lock for before one company even began with a cold war. At times it seemed like it would never happen. Maybe that's why we should just enjoy what happens this Sunday. Because we are finally getting this show

The Road to Forbidden Door Part 1

It was December 31, 2018. I was working a job I hated at a gym chain I was growing to hate even more. And being very slow to adapt I still used a flip phone. As a result, I brought my laptop into work all for one reason the video. At that point everyone had an idea what that video would be. Months of teasing on Being The Elite plus numerous of reports had all but confirmed what would become All Elite Wrestling would be announced in this video. So just it reached 2:00 on the now January 1 I looked at the now empty gym and than ducked into the break room. By the time the video was over I was in full on mark out mode. Even as I returned the laptop to my bag and went back to work visions of what AEW could be danced in my head. And I just knew in a just few days at at Wrestle Kingdom more were to come. After all AEW and New Japan were going to work together. And than they didn't. With Forbidden now just days away I wanted to take a look back. At the road it took to get to this point. Because what seemed so straight foreword took a long and winding road. 

Odd are if you are reading this you know the general back story Kenny Omega finding his way to Japan and eventually debuting in New Japan with Kota Ibushi. The Bullet Club forming in 2013, The Young Bucks coming to New Japan. All three joining the Bullet Club and forming the first version The Elite, Omega vs. Okada and Jericho. But out story truly begins in the summer of 2018. In May it was announced Harold Meij was the new president of New Japan. It marked the first time a non Japanese would hold that role. On June 9th Meij appeared at Dominion and addressed fans that same night Kenny Omega's New Japan peaked as he won the IWG Heavyweight Championship. That Dominion show was also notable as Michael Elgin won the NEVER Openweight  title, Chris Jericho became IWGP Intercontinental, The Young Bucks already 2/3 of the NEVER six man champion became IWGP Heavyweight tag champs Jay Whtie meanwhile remained IWGP United States champion. For a brief moment with the exception of the two Junior Heavyweight titles every champion in NJPW was a English speaking non Japanese wrestler. 

By 2018 New Japan had been pushing more and more into America. The success of The Bullet Club and later the Elite, the AXS TV Show, making NJPW World available outside of Japan and adding English commentary, pushing talent like Omega and bringing in WWE legend Chris Jericho, opening the LA Dojo, creating the US title, and of course running more and more show in the states were all part of this. June had also seen the new that New Japan along with Ring of Honor would do show in Madison Square Garden at 2019's WrestleMania weekend. That is one factor we should keep in mind as we look back. New Japan had set it sights on America even creating a new sub brand New Japan of America to over see that expansion. So any new American based company would be competition. It was even reported Meij was hired due to his connections that parent company Bushiroad thought would help with the expansion.  

September would see All In and New Japan was have a big presences on that card. Besides the Elite/Bullet Club several New Japan regular/semi regulars appeared. Most notably  was Kazuchika Okada the top star in NJPW. In the wake of All In many fans speculated on a follow up it was also in the weeks reports about a than largely (at least in wrestling) Tony Khan wanting to start a new company began to really pick up steam. And looming over all of this was the fact The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, and Cody Rhodes would become free agents in January. It also might be where our first real hints of trouble.

To that point everything seemed to be going along like normal. A New Japan show in San Franciso sow the long built up Omega vs. Cody match. It also saw GOD and Bad Luck Fale turn on the cast of BTE. Omega was booked strong in the G1 and Hangman was given several big wins. Yet post G1 Omega's title reign seemed to take a backseat. His post G1 title defense was against Tomohiro Ishii a talented and popular wrestler but also a man fans joke will never be IWGP champ. After that it was a three way with Cody and Kota Ibushi. Now it wasn't a bad match but it jsut felt so unimportant. The feud with Omega and Cody had ended. The real focus for New Japan fell onto Jay White.

Post G1 White would fully turn on Okada and the CHAOS faction, he would have Okada's manger Gedo join him eventually becoming the new leader of Bullet Club. Later on Kenny Omega would voice in his view New Japan wanted to make Jay White the next Kenny Omega. After October's King of Pro Wrestling the build would begin. Omega would main event facing Hiroshi Tanahashi. On screen it was a battle for the future of New Japan and it's in ring style. Tanahashi was the classic New Japan wrestler influenced by Tatsumi Fujinami and Keiji Muto. The classic white hat who on screen and off was the savior of NJPW. Omega was the outsider from DDT willing to break wrestling tradition in every way. He could be a hero he could also be a villain. He was also the face of New Japan's world wide expansion.

At this stage AEW was still just rumors and speculation. Of all the member of the Elite Omega seemed the least likely to join it given his place in New Japan and his open love of Japan. On BTE it was notabole Omega wasn't one of the cast to have a timer appearing on his phone. Just before Wrestle Kingdom though a video called Kenny's Quest appeared on the BTE You Tube Channel. Omega made it to say this video would not appear on official New Japan channel due to factors out of his control. The story would eventually come up. New Japan had rejected the video at least in part due the fact Kenny had made his choice he was going to what would be AEW.

So January 1st came and AEW was now official. Three days later I watched as The Elite lost every single match there were in. According to The Young Bucks and Omega they wanted to say goodbye to the New Japan fans but weren't given the chance. Over the years the blame has been laid at Meij's feet. The word being he felt The Elite and anyone who wound up joining them had become stars due to the platform New Japan had afforded them. And to a point he was right. But there was also no denying Kenny Omega and his amazing in ring brought new attention to New Japan. There is no denying The hard work of the Young Bucks created new fans. As I pointed out earlier New Japan had been expanding into America for a while by this point. It seem Meij had decided those that's weren't with him were now against him.

New Year's Dash was all about the new direction of New Japan. AEW began to takes shape.  Now were the Elite minus Marty Scrull all joining but so were several New Japan alumni all joining the roster. April and New Japan/ROH MSG card came and went no sign of AEW talent. The card for Double or Nothing started to take shape there was talent from Japan in the form of the women's division. At the end of Double or Nothing Jon Moxley arrived to lay out Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho and it gave fans a bit of hope for the crossover.

Before his AEW debut a series of videos had been airing on New Japan broadcasts to promote Moxley's arrival in that company. At the 2019 Best of Super Juniors Finals, Moxley would win the IWGP US title. He would also enter the G1 Climax tournament. Jericho would also appear for New Japan in the time between Double or Nothing and the start of Dynamite. At Dominion Jericho challenged Okada for the IWGP title and had a post match brawl with Tanahashi. For various reasons New Japan was still willing to book Moxley and Jericho while AEW wasn't making any moves to stop them from taking those bookings. Maybe just maybe the two sides could reach a deal of some kind.

November the relationship took another huge hit while what exatcly happened hasn't been made full clear it was a caser of where there is smoke there is fire. Kenny Omega was booked to return to DDT the company he first became a start in Japan for. As Omega attempted to travel to Japan something in the immigration system was trigged there tried to stop him. And the issuse could of kept Omega out of Japan for years. Dave Meltzer reported it happened to Omega two other times since he left NJPW. Omega didn't go into full details but tweeted 2019 would have some interesting stories when he finally wrote his book. Fellow AEW EVP Nick Jason also commented implying New Japan was behind it. Meij would eventually deny it. Still many felt this was either New Japan trying to hurt DDT's show or seeking payback on a former employee.

For both promotions 2019 could be viewed as overall success. New Japan had racked in some major houses and critically acclaimed shows. AEW had three pay per views under it's belt and Dynamite was a hit. Frankly fans of either company should be happy. As 2020 loomed fans weren't sure if would ever see a crossover and soon enough fans were even wondering if we would see wrestling as we knew it again...