AEW Forbidden Door 2026 predictions, preview and more

Forbidden Door is one of the more unique events on the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) calendar.

The show brings in wrestlers from AEW, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Stardom all on one card. To heighten the stakes even further, finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s and Women’s Tournaments will also conclude.

The card for 2026’s iteration of Forbidden Door features five championship matches. The event begins at 7 p.m. ET with the Buy In and the main card begins at 8 p.m. ET at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.

Read below for previews and predictions of each match.

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Skye Blue and Stardom’s Maika will compete on the Buy-In portion of Forbidden Door with a spot in the TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest match on the line. The winner will advance for a shot at the TBS Championship, which was vacated by Willow Nightingale due to an injury. Blue has been aligned with Thekla, who has vowed to destroy Stardom and New Japan. Blue will give the Triangle of Madness’ first hit at Stardom.

Prediction: Skye Blue wins this one.

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Megan Bayne and Lena Kross, the Divine Dominion, have been on a tear since winning the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship. The duo has dispatched every challenger in their way. On Sunday, they will meet Thunder Rosa and CMLL’s Olympia. The Divine Dominion’s prowess cannot be overlooked here.

Prediction: Megan Bayne and Lena Kross retain.

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David Finlay and Clark Connors have targeted Adam Copeland and Christian Cage since Double or Nothing ended. Copeland and Cage couldn’t even have their moment for flash photography with AEW fans. They’ve had to look over their shoulders at almost every AEW TV appearance. But the veteran tag team duo have lived up their impressionable careers where it has mattered the most – in the ring.

Prediction: Cope and Cage keep the tag titles around their waists.

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A triple-threat tag team match puts the best of pro wrestling on display. The Young Bucks take on Místico and Máscara Dorada and Shingo Takagi and Titán. AEW, CMLL and NJPW will be on display in this match in what should be a fun one.

Prediction: Matt and Nick Jackson take home the victory here.

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Jon Moxley has held the AEW Continental Championship since Worlds End in December and has defended the title every step of the way. Bandido offers a unique challenge for Moxley, who likes to keep his opponents grounded for the most part. Bandido could pull off the upset here at Forbidden Door and take a title off a member of The Death Riders.

Prediction: Bandido wins AEW gold

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New Japan’s Shota Umino will return to an AEW ring to defend the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship against Pac. He won the title off AEW’s Andrade in a three-way match at Dominion earlier this month. It is a major title defense as he goes up against the hard-hitting Pac. Should Pac and Moxley lose, The Death Riders will be without any titles in the faction.

Prediction: Umino retains the title

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Thekla’s war against New Japan and Stardom started almost immediately after Double or Nothing. She put three challengers away at the last pay-per-view and begged the Japanese pro wrestling promotions to send their best. They obliged. Starlight Kid is a former Stardom champion and while Thekla has the Triangle of Madness behind her, Starlight Kid has Neo Genesis in her corner. Thekla has proven to be one of the fiercest women’s wrestlers in the world and she will prove it again on Sunday night.

Prediction: Thekla retains in a hard-hitting match.

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It all comes down to this. The Owen Hart Cup women’s final between Mercedes Moné and Maya World with a shot at the AEW Women’s World Championship on the line at All In. Moné is the CEO and one of the best in the ring. She returned to AEW as a wild card entrant in the tournament and has been on a tear since then. World is an up-and-comer who is riding a wave of momentum going into the final. World has proven more than capable to knock down any opponent that stepped to her. It all culminates in Sunday’s match.

Prediction: Mercedes Moné wins and goes to All In.

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Sometimes, a match that is not in the main event can steal the show. Pro wrestling fans saw that at Double or Nothing between Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada. Sunday may be no different when Kenny Omega and Zack Sabre Jr. step in between the ropes for their likely classic that they will put on. Omega and Sabre are two of the best in the world and what they will bring to the ring doesn’t necessarily need to be explained. Sit back and watch this one intently.

Prediction: Kenny Omega takes care of Zack Sabre Jr.

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Will Ospreay has vowed, with all his being, that he is going to main event All In at Wembley Stadium. He has kept his promise so far, but faces a familiar foe in Swerve Strickland in the finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament. There’s a lot of emotion behind the final here and it will be expressed during the match. Ospreay and Strickland both want to be on top of AEW and have proven to be more than capable of taking on that challenge.

Prediction: Will Ospreay will see his dream realized and defeat Swerve Strickland.

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AEW world champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman is putting Mark Briscoe through the wringer as Briscoe tries to challenge for his title. MJF has a laundry list of reasons why Briscoe shouldn’t be able to make the challenge but he’s left off a few things – Briscoe’s grit and heart. Briscoe and his team will have to beat MJF and his team in a steel cage match for him to get that shot. Briscoe’s team includes Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, Konosuke Takeshita and Darby Allin. MJF’s team includes Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada and Andrade El Idolo.

Prediction: Team Briscoe wins in a brutal match.