The path to Forbidden Door is paved with broken ribs

We finally have the matchup that justifies the existence of a pay-per-view. Swerve Strickland punching his ticket to the Men's Owen Hart Tournament finals to face Will Ospreay at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2026 is the kind of high-stakes theater that makes you forgive a bad promo segment or two. It’s pure, liquid adrenaline served on a platinum platter.

As Wrestling Inc recently reported, Strickland is officially in. We are talking about two guys who have been carrying the promotion on their backs for months now. Ospreay brings the aerial madness that makes you forget physics is a thing, while Swerve has that measured, sociopathic intensity that turns a simple headlock into a near-death experience.

Jericho finds his inner grumpy old man

In a world where everyone is obsessed with hitting double rotation moonsaults just to get a pop on Twitter, Chris Jericho is playing the hits. He recently dropped some knowledge, telling young wrestlers that they need to focus on audience connection rather than just stringing together high spots. It’s the kind of advice that sounds like a cranky uncle at a barbecue, but look at the stats. He’s right.

If you aren't doing what Jericho suggests, you’re just two gymnasts playing with glow sticks. The athleticism in modern wrestling is insane, but a 450-splash means nothing if the crowd thinks you’re a charisma vacuum. My biggest gripe? It’s ironic coming from a guy who has spent the last three years in four different factions, but the logic holds up regardless of the delivery.

The ticket office is burning—in a good way

While the wrestlers are working off their paychecks in the ring, the bean counters are having a field day. WWE is heading to London for Raw at the O2 Arena, and reports suggest it's going to comfortably clear the year-to-date average for attendance. It turns out that putting on shows where people actually want to be pays off.

AEW isn't just watching from the sidelines, either. Their upcoming Grand Slam Mexico show is already pacing well above the annual average for ticket sales, and the event is still months away. It’s a $1.5 million gate prospect in the making, assuming they don't overcomplicate the card with 12-man scrums that last forty minutes. Maybe they should listen to Jericho after all and keep the main event focused on the story that draws the eyes.

The reality check

Is everything perfect? Absolutely not. We are hitting a point where tournaments are becoming the default setting for every third pay-per-view. It feels like we are living in a cyclical purgatory of brackets instead of organic rivalries sometimes. When every match is a tournament qualifier, the stakes become diluted. You want a massive grudge match? Fine. But don’t hand me a belt or a trophy at the end of it just to give me a reason to care. If the wrestling is as crisp as Ospreay and Strickland will likely provide, nobody cares about the trophy anyway. Just give us the match of the year and stop overthinking the hardware.