A wrestling supershow breaks records at London's O2 Arena
In short: Professional wrestling transcends borders with the 2025 Forbidden Door. Co-produced by AEW and NJPW, this landmark event moved beyond North America to London, bringing together stars from Japan, Mexico, and the UK for a high-stakes night of international competition.
Held on August 24, 2025, during the United Kingdom's August Bank Holiday weekend, Forbidden Door 2025 marked a significant shift for the annual series. While the first three events took place in June, this fourth edition was the first to be held in August. It also represented the first time the event was hosted outside of North America, making it the fifth AEW event to take place on the continent.
The event, held at The O2 Arena, set an attendance record for a professional wrestling event at that venue with an announced crowd of 18,992. The card featured thirteen matches, including a high-stakes Lights Out Steel Cage main event. During that bout, the squad comprising Will Ospreay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Darby Allin, and the Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi) beat the side of The Young Bucks (Nick Jackson and Matt Jackson), Gabe Kidd, and the Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley).
The supershow drew talent from several international partners, including NJPW's sister promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom, Mexico's Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and the British promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro). Beyond the main event, the card featured several title defenses, such as "Hangman" Adam Page retaining the AEW World Championship against MJF and Kazuchika Okada retaining the AEW Unified Championship against Swerve Strickland.
Intricate narratives woven through weekly shows like AEW's Collision and Dynamite, alongside CMLL, Stardom, and NJPW broadcasts, underpinned the event's framework. This interconnected storytelling allowed for diverse matchups, such as the TBS Championship match involving representatives from AEW, CMLL, and Stardom.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Forbidden Door (2025)
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/culture-forbidden-door-2025.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Traditions & customs · More in Cultures · Latest · A–Z · All topics
