Columnist Rob Pasbani offers a full preview of all the wrestling this weekend, including the latest card for Forbidden Door, key moments from WWE NXT and Edge’s 25th WWE anniversary.
Earlier this week, I recorded a Squared Circle Pit special edition with guest Eddy Torres previewing the announced card, as of Wednesday, for the show.
Since this episode was recorded, a bunch of new matches have been announced. Here is the preview of what looks to be the full card with some predictions from me.
IWGP United States Championship: Kenny Omega defends against Will Ospreay
After my interview with Will Ospreay, and seeing the comments made by Kenny Omega that he might not return to Japan if Will loses, I have a feeling they’re teasing a Will win here. I hope this match main events.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson
This is a dream match I didn’t know I wanted until it was announced. It’s going to be so good and it really doesn’t matter who wins, but I think Okada will take it, because Okada rules.
AEW World Championship: MJF defends against Hiroshi Tanahashi
This is a very unique match. I have never seen a bad Tanahashi main event, especially not for a world title. This will deliver, it will be great and MJF will retain.
IWGP World Heavyweight title: SANADA defends against Jungle Boy
I feel like with such low expectations, this match has a chance to steal the show. No way SANADA loses here.
AEW Women’s Championship: Toni Storm defends against Willow Nightingale
These two women know how to fight. I hope they get enough time to tell a cool story. I expect Toni to retain.
AEW International title: Orange Cassidy defends against Daniel Garcia, NJPW World Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr., and Katsyuori Shibata
This match is going to be a wild match and as much as I want Shibata to win, I can see Orange Cassidy sneaking in a win.
Eddie Kingston, Tomohiro Ishii, The Young Bucks, and Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Shota Umino, and Konosuke Takeshita
Okay, no this match will be insane! This is going to be such a fun fight. Ishii and the Young Bucks on the same team? Ishii and Claudio on opposite sides?! Eddie and Mox going at it!! This is going to rule.
Sting, Darby Allin, and ??? vs. Chris Jericho, Minoru Suzuki, and Sammy Guevara
Damn, this match is going to be insane too, isn’t it? Who could be the special guest? I can’t even begin to assume.
Owen Hart Foundation tournament: CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima
Will this match open the event? CM Punk is likely winning, but this will be a great match. It’s extra funny when you consider this old clip.
Adam Cole vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor
This was a late addition and should be a fun one. Adam Cole takes it.
Zero Hour, Owen Hart Foundation tournament: Athena vs. Billie Starks
Billie Starks is getting big breaks! I expect Athena to advance.
I can see one more match added. Andrade teased bringing in friends, could he be bringing Naito and friend to help him with the House of Black? I would love it!
Catch Forbidden Door on PPV this Sunday or at your local movie theater or Dave & Busters.
WWE Smackdown tonight at 8pm on Fox has a big unification match.
AEW Rampage sets up some more things for Forbidden Door this Sunday. It airs Friday at 10pm on TNT. Spoilers here.
AEW Collision airs on TNT on Saturday at 8pm
AEW Forbidden Door is Sunday night at 8pm eastern on PPV
Here’s a cool video of Edge reacting to the greatest moments from his 25 years in WWE. He recently celebrated that anniversary.
Seth Rollins’ title defense against Bronn Breaker on WWE NXT is worth going out of your way to see.
This was another cool moment:
Don Callis hinted on Talk is Jericho that he will be adding more members to his “family,” which already includes Konuske Takeshita. “The Elite have left me no choice but to build up a family that can protect Takeshita, to protect this asset because The Elite are all about four-on-one. I’ve heard the plans to attack Takeshita and to try and bury us, it’s not going to happen. There’s a lot of people who want what Don Callis provides to wrestlers and you’re going to see that in the next few weeks.” He added “I’m going to have multiple family members. They are not just going to be anybody. They’re going to be the types of athletes, like [Takeshita], that are on the same level or higher than Kenny Omega and we’re going to take care of business.”
LA Knight revealed to Daily Mail that because he’s 40, he was originally pitched as a manager. “I come up for a dark match, I get the attention of the right people; “hey, who is this guy?” but then the age thing comes up – [whispers] “oh no, he’s 40, danger’. But I’m not the average 40-year-old. I haven’t gone through the ringer. I haven’t had a bunch of surgeries or injuries, knock on that wood. I’ve lived a good, youthful life in a certain sense and I’ve taken care of myself in a way I would say most don’t.” Knight removed himself from Maximum Male Models and shortly after, Vince McMahon coincidentally retired. Knight pitched Triple H on returning to being a wrestling character. “I was kinda pushing for it but didn’t know if it was really a possibility at that point because we just established this thing to this larger audience. The NXT audience is what it is, just under a million or whatever, and now you’re looking at over two million for Smackdown. So there’s a bunch of people who had never even seen LA Knight before and they’d only seen this other thing. So now, can we just change gears? So now, I think it’s a testament to his trust and a testament to my abilities to be able to turn that corner in such short order and have people not even barely remember there was another.'”
Ricochet spoke to SPORF and noted that Vince McMahon still has his hands in creative. “Vince is still involved and Vince is still talked to. He’s still someone that everyone looks to, especially with creative. So he’s got his fingers in everything too. I think Triple H and everybody in creative is just trying to do the best they can in bringing out the best in who they have. They’re trying to work to everyone’s strengths. I think that’s something that Triple H has always done. They want to grow the brand as much as possible. Whether it’s Raw or SmackDown or NXT. They’re trying to highlight the strengths of everybody. I think it’s been great so far. Everybody sees the popularity of the brand now, so they just want to expand it as much as possible. I think what they’ve been doing recently with everybody has been great. Everybody’s been going out there and giving it their all.”
AEW’s Fuego Del Sol revealed he’s no longer under contract to AEW and will be taking Indy dates.
There is a new Cyndi Lauper documentary, Let The Canary Sing, which features a big chunk dedicated to her time in WWF. Here is a review of a recent screening at the Tribeca Film Festival.
PWInsider Elite is reporting Carlito is penciled to return to WWE at Smackdown in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on July 7th.
The former John Morrison has signed a deal with AEW according to PWInsider.
Tommy Dreamer revealed he had surgery to remove a third scare of skin cancer. He blames the cancer on years of using tanning beds.
Do you enjoy pro wrestling? Knotfest Wrestling has a bi-weekly column filled with wrestling news. Read previous editions of this column here. You can always follow me @robinjection on Instagram and Twitter and @Squaredcirclpit.
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