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Swerve Strickland Beats Will Ospreay, Retains AEW World Title At AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2024

Wrestling
Colin Tessier Jul 1, 2024 12:12AM

Swerve Strickland faced big pressure at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, and he emerged victorious.

In the main event of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Swerve Strickland defended the AEW World Championship against AEW International Champion Will Ospreay. Jim Jones of The Diplomats introduced Strickland ahead of his entrance, while Ospreay paid tribute to Hayabusa with his gear.

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From start to finish, Ospreay and Strickland threw everything they had at each other. They had clearly scouted each other well, as they traded counters throughout the bout. Strickland took a big swing when he hit a Swerve Stomp onto the broadcast table.

Later in the match, Strickland kicked out of the Stormbreaker. Ospreay accidentally took out referee Paul Turner with a Hidden Blade. Don Callis gave Ospreay a screwdriver, and when Prince Nana tried to stop him, Ospreay grabbed the fan-favorite manager. He opted against hitting Nana, but the distraction gave Strickland the chance to hit the challenger with a kick.

In the closing moments, Strickland hit a Swerve Stomp and a House Call. Ospreay kicked out, but he was clearly out of it. Strickland then hit another House Call and the JML Driver for the win.

This marked Ospreay's first loss in a singles match in AEW, dating back to when he crossed over to the company as a representative of NJPW in 2022 and 2023.

Kyle Fletcher came out and consoled Ospreay after the bell as other officials checked on him. Meanwhile, Strickland celebrated with Flash Garments.

Click here to catch up on our coverage of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door. For a full review, check out the post-show podcast on our YouTube channel.

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