AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 has ended and it was a spectacular show. But it wasn’t the happiest of endings. The main event saw Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Darby Allin, and Will Ospreay defeat Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, The Young Bucks, and Gabe Kidd in the Lights Out Steel Cage match. Before the night ended, Ospreay was sent to the nether realm when Moxley and Castagnoli attacked him, effectively writing him off television for an extended period, confirming the reports of his serious neck injuries.
In the run up to Forbidden Door, Ospreay talked openly about the neck issues that were plaguing his current run. While he did not outright confirm it, he insinuated that the situation would lead to surgery. Fightful Select reported on the situation and pointed out the like.
“The move [performing on Forbidden Door] is also against the better judgement of many in All Elite Wrestling and even some on the roster.” Fightful Select reported on August 23. “Even people on the roster we spoke to didn’t say that they’ve outright been told that he’s getting surgery, but that they don’t expect him to be around for a while after Forbidden Door.”
Seeing Ospreay get attacked by Moxley and Castagnoli makes sense for a write off angle. Ospreay has been one of the most important performers on the AEW roster since joining the company in 2023.
The injury bug has hit AEW hard in recent weeks. Not only is Ospreay dealing with his issues, but former AEW World Champion, Swerve Strickland is also dealing with an injury. He competed against Kazuchika Okada at Forbidden Door, losing in a bid to capture the AEW Unified Championship.
Yet, Strickland’s situation is a bit different. According to Fightful Select, he is dealing with a torn meniscus, which has been a problem since 2019. The report mentions that he may need some time off for surgery to fix the problem, but he’s also been working with the Jacksonville Jaguars' medical team.
With both Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland dealing with serious injuries, it will be interesting to see who AEW leans on to further boost the company’s main event scene.