The scramble for card space at Forbidden Door

As we approach the June 30th date for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, the card is beginning to take shape through a series of rapid-fire announcements on Dynamite. The booking cycle has shifted into high gear, with the promotion prioritizing massive multi-man spectacles to cram as much star power into the event as possible.

Don Callis led the charge this week by announcing his cohort for the 12-man steel cage match. MJF is officially locked in for what will likely define the energy of the show, flanked by the Don Callis Family. The presence of MJF in this environment is a clear attempt by AEW management to keep him anchored at the top of the card while juggling a bloated roster.

Mark Briscoe responded almost immediately by unveiling his own squad to counter the Callis-MJF alignment. Seeing Briscoe lead an opposing unit in such a high-stakes stipulation match indicates that AEW wants a chaotic, high-impact brawl to balance out the technical showcases. It is a necessary move to drive buy rates, but the reliance on 12-man cage matches reeks of a creative team struggling to find individual direction for its mid-card veterans.

The thin reality of title defenses

Behind the smoke and mirrors of the 12-man chaos, the championship scene remains somewhat volatile. Jon Moxley has formally accepted a challenge for his AEW Continental Championship. While Moxley remains a reliable engine for the company, the lack of a clear, long-term story heading into the match suggests this is a stop-gap defense.

Further reports from F4WOnline suggest additional title matches are currently being hammered out backstage. The World Tag Team titles are the next priority on the docket. If AEW cannot secure strong challengers from the NJPW side of the aisle, these matches risk feeling like glorified house show presentations rather than international dream bouts.

The critical flaw here is the dependency on "forbidden door" tropes that have lost their novelty. While cross-promotional interactions were fresh three years ago, watching the same pool of talent oscillate between stables in these cage matches is becoming repetitive. There is a palpable lack of genuine character evolution for anyone involved in these multi-man scenarios.

Evaluating the booking trajectory

The decision to put MJF in a 12-man cage match serves a dual purpose. It protects him from a clean singles loss while ensuring his heat remains high. However, it also stunts the growth of the performers assigned to his team. MJF is an engine, but even engines overheat when they are pulling too many bodies across the finish line.

The probability of these matches delivering high-intensity sequences is high. The roster involved in the cage match — inclusive of Briscoe's squad and the Callis group — is stacked with technicians who know how to work a cage. Expect at least one high-risk spot near the 25-minute mark that will dominate the highlight reels for the following week.

Ultimately, this approach to Forbidden Door signals a promotion leaning on its greatest hits to stabilize its current television window. The impact will be measured in buy rates and social media traffic immediately following the event. If the storytelling doesn't pivot away from these clustered stable wars by mid-July, the audience investment may shift toward the more focused, long-term builds expected for the late summer season.