AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door II Notes: CM Punk & Athena Advances in Owen Hart Cups, New IWGP US Champion Crowned

Athena Advances in 2023 Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament

Sunday’s AEW and NJPW Forbidden Door II event in Toronto, Canada featured a 2023 Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament First Round match of Athena vs. Billie Starkz.

The finish to this match involved Starkz nailing Athena with a thrust kick countering Athena’s top rope attack leading to Stark’s hitting a Death Valley Bomb for the near fall. Starkz went up to the top rope for her own high flying move only to get crotched onto the ropes by Athena which led to a slugfest exchange on the top rope. Athena then hit a hurricanrana and pop-up powerbomb off the top rope. After some more back-and-forth action, Athena dodge Starkz’ Swanton onto the apron and hit her with a piledriver onto her knees for the pinfall victory and advancing to the next round of this year’s Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Cup tournament.

Athena will face Willow Nightingale in the Semifinals Round of this year’s Women’s Owen Hart Cup tournament.

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CM Punk Advances in 2023 Men’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament

Sunday’s AEW and NJPW Forbidden Door II event in Toronto also featured a 2023 Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament First Round match of CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima.

The finish to this match involved CM Punk nailing Kojima with a series of Tenzan style chops and tried to hoist up Kojima for a GTS only for Kojima to escape and hit Punk with his own series of Tenzan style chops and a Koji Cutter. Punk countered Kojima’s lariat into a neckbreaker and tried to hit his GTS again only for Kojima to counter it with a brainbuster. Kojima tried to hit a lariat again only for Punk to nail him with a high kick and a GTS for the pinfall victory and advancing to the next round of this year’s Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Cup tournament.

Punk will face off against the winner of the Roderick Strong vs. Samoa Joe match, which takes place on the June 29th AEW Collision show, for the Semifinals Round of this year’s Men’s Owen Hart Cup tournament.

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Will Ospreay Defeats Kenny Omega for IWGP US Heavyweight Title at Forbidden Door II

Sunday’s AEW and NJPW Forbidden Door II event in Toronto also featured an IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship match between Will Ospreay and champion Kenny Omega.

The finish to this very physical and action packed battle involved Don Callis running to the ringside after being initially ejected and engaged in a tug-of-war with Omega over Ospreay. The match referee stepped in to stop the shenanigans only to not notice that Callis had handed Ospreay a screwdriver to use as a weapon. Omega then setup a One Winged Angel but Ospreay fought off and struck by the screwdriver while the ref was distracted with Callis on the outside. Ospreay then hit a Hidden Blade and Stormbreaker for the near fall and followed it with a V-Trigger and a One Winged Angel for another near fall. Following a slugfest and exchange of moves between both guys, Ospreay hit Omega with a combo of a ripcord Hidden Blade, a Tiger Driver ’91 spiking Omega’s head, a regular Hidden Blade, and a Stormbreaker for the pinfall victory to be crowned the new IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion.

#AndNEW
IWGP US Heavyweight Champion once again, Will Ospreay.

Order #AEWxNJPW #ForbiddenDoor on PPV right now!
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— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 26, 2023