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All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling’s “Forbidden Door” Pay Per View Event comes to us live this Sunday, June 26th, 2022, from the United Center in Chicago at 8 pm (Buy-In at 7 pm) on Bleacher Report. Here are the experts on the Eastern Observer’s “Essential Wrestling Podcast,” sponsored by ProWrestlingPickem.com, who are picking for this event.
Interim AEW World Championship (Title Currently Vacant)
JON MOXLEY vs. HIROSHI TANAHASHI
“From the very beginning when they announced this card, I have said it would be great if one of the major titles switched, established the event, and established the relationship. I’d love to see Tanahashi win this match. I’m not bullish enough on it, though, for him to win the match. I think Moxley will be the flag bearer for AEW for a while.” – Ryan Joy, MinutesToBellTime.com, EWP Senior AEW correspondent.
Pick: JON MOXLEY.
“Tanahashi is going to come out of here for several reasons. A, it’s good business. B, it gives Tony Kahn a way to give Tanahashi that belt for a while to say that he was a part of that organization when it probably couldn’t have gotten it done any other way. It’s a nice lineage to have and a feather in the cap. It says a lot! And I think it gives the ability to have Jon go back over there and chase after Tanahashi and bring the belt back here.” – Travis Severance, EWP correspondent.
Pick: HIROSHI TANAHASHI.
“Maybe you don’t want to make Mox the first two-time champion. And there’s going to be a lesser feel to this because it’s the interim, so maybe you don’t do that to an AEW guy. And then you get the “Oh My God’ moment at the end of the pay-per-view when the 1-2-3 happens, so I’m gonna go with Tanahashi here to be your Interim AEW Champion.” – John D’Aconti, EWP correspondent.
Pick: HIROSHI TANAHASHI.
“If the whole point of this Interim Championship is for them to have a Champion on TV, then why are you going to give it to someone who’s going to fly back to Japan and compete in a 6 or 7 week-long Tournament? Then why even bother bringing the belt back if you send it to Japan. It doesn’t make any sense to me unless it is that important for them to have the AEW Championship in the G1 Climax, and I don’t think it is.” Al Karl, EWP host.
Pick: JON MOXLEY
IWPG World Heavyweight Championship
Champion JAY WHITE vs. ADAM PAGE vs. ADAM COLE vs. KAZCHIKA OKADA
“I would like to see Hangman Page win the IWGP title and head to Japan for the next six weeks. New Japan could use the title change to have him bump somebody from the G1 Climax. I think that would make for excellent booking, and it would help solidify the importance of this Forbidden Door event.” – Ryan Joy, MinutesToBellTime.com, EWP senior AEW correspondent.
Pick: ADAM PAGE.
“It doesn’t matter who Jay White is facing to me. Jay White is not losing.” – Travis Severance, EWP correspondent.
Pick JAY WHITE.
“I think The Switchblade will retain. And again, we’ll have another Holy (Bleep) match!” – John D’Aconti, EWP correspondent.
Pick: JAY WHITE.
IWPG the United States Championship
Champion WILL OSPREY vs. ORANGE CASSIDY
“While I think a Title will change on this card, I don’t think it will be this one. I think Will Osprey is going to get through here.” – Ryan Joy, MinutesToBellTime.com, EWP senior AEW correspondent.
Pick: WILL OSPREY.
“I’d be stunned if Osprey didn’t retain. So that’s going to be my pick.” – John D’Aconti, EWP correspondent.
Pick: WILL OSPREY.
AEW Women’s Championship
Champion THUNDER ROSA vs. TONI STORM
“I’m a huge Toni Storm fan. I think she’s great! But I think Thunder Rosa is better. I’m going to go with that AEW logic again that Thunder Rosa is the better wrestler and will win.” – Al Karl, EWP host.
Pick: THUNDER ROSA.
“I’m going to pick Thunder Rosa to win. However, there have been some rumblings about some drama about Thunder Rosa. I don’t know if there’s anything there. If there’s any truth to that drama, then maybe they take the belt off her, but I see Thunder Rosa going through.” – Ryan Joy, MinutesToBellTime.com, EWP senior AEW correspondent.
Pick: THUNDER ROSA.
“(I’m picking) Toni Storm to face the heat. I’ll buy into the Internet rumors. I’ll buy into that she’s got a little bit of hubris. And I think this is a fair trade where it doesn’t hurt Rosa, and it rockets Toni Storm.” – Travis Severance, EWP correspondent.
Pick: TONI STORM.
EDDIE KINGSTON, WHEELER YUTA & SHOTA UMINO vs. CHRIS JERICHO, SAMMY GUEVARA & MINORU SUZUKI
“I’m looking at this six-man match, and this feels like the ultimate respect match. This feels like a very classic Japanese style. You got Suzuki, the senior guy, and you have to pay homage to the older guys and take your lumps. Shota is going to be on his back at the end of this one.” – Travis Severance, EWP correspondent.
Pick: JERICHO, GUEVARA, SUZUKI.
“Minoru Suzuki is a bad, bad, scary man! I’m scared, though, because Jericho has been on a touch of a winning streak here and is due for (a loss). I’m not going to pick that here, though.” – Al Karl, EWP host.
Pick: JERICHO, GUEVARA, SUZUKI.
“Because Jericho has had issues with Moxley and Tanahashi in the past. I feel the whole point of this is to get a title shot with Jericho. That could be your All-Out match in September is Jericho challenging for the Championship. I’m picking the Jericho team, but man if Wheeler Yuta could pick up the win (for his team)? That’d be a big deal!” – Ryan Joy, MinutesToBellTime.com, EWP senior AEW correspondent.
Pick: JERICHO, GUEVARA, SUZUKI.
IWGP & RoH Tag Team Championships
IWGP Champions JEFF COBB & GREAT-O-KAHN vs. RoH Champions FTR vs. ROPPONGI VICE
“I’m going to go with FTR because this is a Winner Take All match. That way, they can go over to Japan, wave the flag for RoH, eventually drop them (IWGP Tag Titles) to someone over there, come back home, then whatever happens with RoH, happens.” – John D’Aconti, EWP correspondent.
Pick: FTR.
“I think that FTR is on a roll. I think if you’re going to make Super Champions out of FTR, then you gotta give them the IWGP Titles.” – Ryan Joy, MinutesToBellTime.com, EWP senior AEW correspondent.
Pick: FTR.
“This doesn’t feel like, to me, it’s a question. This is FTR running away with it. The momentum those two have right now is something I’ve not seen from a tag team in a long time. I think it’s FTR, and I wouldn’t even bat an eyelash about it.” – Travis Severance, EWP correspondent.
Pick: FTR.
AEW All-Atlantic Championship Tournament – Final
PAC vs MIRO vs MALAKAI BLACK vs TOMOHIRO ISHII
“I think this belt was built for PAC to carry.” – Travis Severance, EWP correspondent.
Pick: PAC.
“Miro was my original thought. He’s just unbeatable. He even wants to beat up God! But he just had that huge run with the TNT Title, so there’s no reason to give him another belt now that he just returned. So I’m going to go with Malakai Black. I think he is a complete wrestler.” – Al Karl, EWP host.
Pick: MALAKAI BLACK.
ZACK SABRE, JR vs. Opponent of Bryan Danielson’s Choosing
“I think Zack Sabre needs to win this match no matter who they bring in for him to face. The big match is still Sabre v. Danielson, so this match should be a showcase for Sabre to build a giant match between Zack and Bryan down the road.” – Ryan Joy, MinutesToBellTime.com, EWP Senior AEW correspondent.
Pick: ZACK SABRE, JR.
“If it’s not Danielson against Sabre, it could end up being O’Reilly given his recent push and style. I would also be okay if it were Samoa Joe, Gresham, or Lethal. But the Danielson promo (from Wednesday Night) tells me it’s Cesaro.” – Travis Severance, EWP correspondent.
Pick: ZACK SABRE, JR.
“Bryan Danielson promised a high-quality substitution for himself in this match. Someone that will be held to the high standard of professional wrestling Danielson brings to the table every week. The only person out there at the moment I believe can be held to that is Willie Mack! Get ready for the greatest pro wrestling match of all time!” – Al Karl, EWP host.
Pick: ZACK SABRE, JR
STING, DARBY ALLIN, HIROMU TAKAHASHI & SHINGO TAKAGI vs. THE YOUNG BUCKS, EL PHANTASMO & HIKULEO
“As if fighting Sting isn’t bad enough, you team him with guys from LIJ? This is a Lock!” – Al Karl, EWP host.
Pick: STING, DARBY ALLIN, HIROMU TAKAHASHI & SHINGO TAKAGI
“The classic New Japan eight-man tag. Anybody’s ballgame. I like the idea of Darby or Sting pinning Hikuleo. That sets up a tag match between Sting/Darby and the Young Bucks.” – Ryan Joy, MinutesToBellTime.com, EWP Senior AEW correspondent.
Pick: STING, DARBY ALLIN, HIROMU TAKAHASHI & SHINGO TAKAGI.
MAX CASTER & GUNN CLUB vs. THE NJPW DOJO
“Max Caster and The Gunn Club get a pretty easy win here. The Dojo guys coming in haven’t earned their stripes yet.” – Ryan Joy, MinutesToBellTime.com, EWP senior AEW correspondent.
Pick: MAX CASTER & GUNN CLUB.
Be sure to catch the “Essential Wrestling Podcast” on Tuesday evenings at 5 pm on the Eastern Observer, and join the EWP public pool on ProWrestlingPickem.com to play against our team of experts!
