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Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland met face-to-face ahead of the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament final at All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) Forbidden Door pay-per-view on June 28.
The winner will earn an AEW World Championship shot at All In at Wembley Stadium. Ospreay has vowed to finally wrap the top AEW title around his waist. Strickland is hoping to get the taste of gold once more as he’s been on as big of a hot streak as Ospreay.
Strickland said he hadn’t been liking what he’s seeing from Ospreay, adding that Ospreay has changed. Ospreay said that something changed in Strickland.
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Will Ospreay competes in the ring during AEW Dynamite at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Oct. 2, 2024. (Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)
“It’s the way you’re looking at me. Do we have a problem? Do we need to have a chat about something” Ospreay asked.
Strickland recalled him and Ospreay fighting against The Death Riders and now Ospreay is loosely aligning himself with the faction to get back in shape. He demanded an explanation about why Ospreay was surrounding himself with that team.
Ospreay maintained he hasn’t forgiven or forgotten what The Death Riders did to him. Ospreay said people like Kenny Omega, The Opps and Darby Allin were trying to get him out of the cage as The Death Riders levied their assault on him but Strickland was hurt and nowhere to be found.
Ospreay said he was going to help Adam Page get the AEW World Championship at All In: Texas before he was injured. But he saw Strickland have Page’s back.
“Where were you and why didn’t you help me?” Ospreay asked Strickland.
Before Strickland could answer, Ospreay slapped the mic out of his hand and said he didn’t need to hear what Strickland had to say. He pointed to the Forbidden Door sign and said that was bigger than any explanation that Strickland could offer.
Referee Aubrey Edwards raises the hand of Swerve Strickland after he defeated Shelton Benjamin during AEW Dynamite at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio, on Oct. 30, 2024. Prince Nana celebrates nearby. (Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)
He reminded Strickland of his dream to perform at Wembley Stadium and he was one match away from being able to achieve his dream and that Strickland was standing in his way.
Strickland said he wasn’t going to let anyone step over him to get the championship – not even Ospreay. He said Ospreay has never been able to beat him and things weren’t going to change at Forbidden Door.
Ospreay hit Strickland with a forearm, sending him to the mat. Strickland was handed a chain and he started to whip it across the ring. Then, The Death Riders came out and appeared to have Ospreay’s back.
“You’re wrong, Will. You really have changed,” Strickland said, getting the last word.
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MJF, Mark Briscoe choose their teams
Maxwell Jacob Friedman prepares for a fight at AEW Revolution on March 15, 2026. (AEW)
AEW world champion MJF opened “Dynamite” ripping the potential challengers to his title, including Swerve Strickland, Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega. He then turned his attention to Mark Brisoe, who he will lead a team against in a 12-man tag team steel cage match at Forbidden Door.
“Do you know what the difference is between you and everyone I just mentioned on this list? Everyone I just mentioned is a top act, a star. You are not,” MJF said. “They love you, Mark. You wanna know what they love you? They feel bad for you because your brother died. That’s horrible man.
“To be honest, that’s not why I feel bad for you. I feel bad for you because you’re actually delusional enough to think you have a prayer at obtaining the triple B. Tonight, none of those prayers will be answered but all of ours will because we have concocted the most dangerous team that has ever existed.”
Don Callis then named the members of his faction who will be in support of MJF for the match: Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada and Andrade El Idolo.
Andrade appeared to be upset he was chosen to be included.
Later, Briscoe responded
“I heard what you said. You said I ain’t suited to be world champ. Well, I’ve heard it before, Max,” Briscoe said. “People say, Mark Briscoe, you got a glass ceiling. Well, that gives me all the more motivation to bust right through that thing.”
Briscoe said he will team with Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, Konosuke Takeshita and Darby Allin.
If Briscoe’s team wins at Forbidden Door, he will earn a title shot against MJF.
Mercedes Moné punches her ticket to Owen Cup final
Mercedes Mone Varnado wrestles in the first match of AEW at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 16, 2025. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
Mercedes Moné burst back onto the AEW scene as a wildcard entry into the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament. She defeated Alex Windsor in the first round and faced Hazuki in the semifinals.
On Wednesday night, Moné topped Hazuki to become the first person in the women’s final. Moné is an accomplished wrestler but has never held the AEW Women’s World Championship.
She’s the longest reigning TBS champion and been one of the biggest stars in the industry for several years. Adding the AEW Women’s World Championship to her list of accomplishments would put her in a different stratosphere among women’s professional wrestlers.
Moné will face the winner of the Maya World and Athena in the final. The winner gets a shot at the women’s world title at Forbidden Door.
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“Dynamite” match results:
- Kenny Omega def. Tony Nese
- Bandido and Brody King def. Daniel Garcia and Jon Moxley.
- MJF, Kazuchika Okada, Jake Doyle, Kyle Fletcher, Andrade El Idolo and Kevin Knight def. Roderick Strong, Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly, Konosuke Takeshita, Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin.