The wrestling world is buzzing as AEW x NJPW (x CMLL) Forbidden Door 2024 just locked in its fifth match and first non-title contest. On Saturday’s “AEW Collision,” NJPW star Zack Sabre Jr. issued a challenge to AEW’s own Orange Cassidy. This showdown is set for June 30, and it’s going to be a match you won’t want to miss!
In a video package that aired on “AEW Collision,” Sabre Jr. laid down the gauntlet in his signature style: “AEW fans, rejoice! You are listening to the dulcet tones of Zack Sabre Jr. We are fast approaching that magical time of the bloody year, The Naughty Door, and it would not be complete without the greatest technical wrestler in the world, ZSJ. And this year I’m returning for some unfinished business. Freshly squeezed Orange Bollocks, if you’ve got the juicy bits, you’ll get your ass to New York, June 30, Forbidden Door. I’ll see you there, darling.”
Sabre Jr.’s “unfinished business” refers to last year’s Forbidden Door, where he, along with Daniel Garcia and Katsuyori Shibata, failed to snatch the AEW International Championship from Cassidy in a chaotic four-way match. Sabre Jr. wasn’t pinned or submitted, making this rematch a logical next step. Meanwhile, Orange Cassidy, already dealing with the breakup of Best Friends and the betrayal by Trent Beretta and Kris Statlander, seemed more annoyed than anything else that Sabre Jr. is adding to his headaches. But before the show wrapped up, the match was officially set.
This encounter marks the first one-on-one battle between Cassidy and Sabre Jr. Both wrestlers have been fixtures at Forbidden Door, with memorable losses in high-profile matches in 2022: Sabre Jr. to a debuting Claudio Castagnoli (subbing for an injured Bryan Danielson) and Cassidy to then-NJPW star Will Ospreay, who now holds the International title.
Prepare yourselves for an epic clash of styles and personalities as Zack Sabre Jr. and Orange Cassidy go head-to-head at Forbidden Door 2024!