Kazuchika Okada retains the Unified Championship at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2025

This evening, AEW and NJPW held the 2025 edition of Forbidden Door, a show that featured great championship matches and memorable moments. In his first defense as Unified Champion, Kazuchika Okada retained his title against the dangerous Swerve Strickland.

The match started with Swerve Strickland taking the initiative, using his agility to dodge Okada's attacks. The challenger focused on a methodical neck attack on the champion, with a series of Neckbreakers that seemed to disorient Okada. However, the "Rainmaker" responded by taking advantage of Swerve's knee pain to hit him with a devastating DDT on the metal steps.

The pace of the match escalated with a high-impact exchange of attacks, including a Superplex from Swerve from the top rope and a Piledriver from Okada on ringside. Both wrestlers punished each other mercilessly, exchanging their signature moves. Swerve dodged the Rainmaker to hit his House Call, but in the final stretch, Okada managed to avoid a Stomp and, after a series of maneuvers, ultimately caught Strickland with a decisive Rainmaker.

But the story didn't end with the bell. After the match, Okada continued ruthlessly attacking Swerve's knee. When Prince Nana rushed in with a metal pipe to defend his client, the arena was shocked by the return of Wardlow, who surprised everyone by attacking Nana. With Swerve unable to stand, Wardlow embraced Don Callis and greeted Okada on the ramp, sealing his new alliance with the Don Callis Family.