First Matches Made Official For AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2025

The 'Forbidden Door' is set to be kicked open once more on August 24, and the first matches have been made for the AEW x NJPW super show in London.

Two championship bouts have been rubber-stamped for the show, with the matches made official during the live AEW Collision on July 31.

The AEW Women’s World Championship will be on the line when champion ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm puts the belt on the line against Ring of Honor’s ‘eternal’ Women’s World Champion Athena. Athena won a title opportunity with victory in the women’s Casino Gauntlet match at AEW All In Texas in July and has wasted no time in using it.

Athena pinned Storm in tag action on Dynamite before announcing she was officially coming for the title at Forbidden Door. Athena’s ROH Women’s World Championship will not be on the line.

AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada will be putting his new title on the line for the first time since winning a title unification match against Kenny Omega at All In, with Okada set to wrestle Swerve Strickland for the title at Forbidden Door.

The two men have been at odds since the Dynamite after Forbidden Door, with Forbidden Door set to be their second ever singles clash (an inaugural match between the two in July 2024 ended in a DQ win for Strickland).

Updated card - AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door: August 24, 2025:

• Toni Storm (c) vs. Athena - AEW Women’s World Championship
• Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Swerve Strickland - AEW International Championship
• The Hurt Syndicate (c) vs. TBA - AEW World Tag Team Championships
• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. TBA

Cultaholic is now on WhatsApp! Follow us here. Sign up to the Cultaholic Wrestling Newsletter now.