Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Bodeen Green and Robert DeFelice discuss the 'Forbidden Door' in wrestling.
Wrestling in 20221 and 2022 has so far embraced the concept of opening the so called 'Forbidden Door' in wrestling - but what does it actually mean for the industry?
Question 1: Should WWE consider opening the ‘Forbidden Door’? Do you think they would actually do so in 2022?
ALLSOPP: The fan in my says yes, but I cannot subscribe to WWE embracing it. Why? Because the WCW / ECW Invasion was booked so poorly, and I have no confidence that they will actually agree to book such a scenario in the best possible manner. Will it happen in 2022? No. Not whilst Vince McMahon maintains an iron grip over the product. I am surprised though, however, that Mickie James appeared at the Royal Rumbke.
GREEN: If done right, opening the 'Forbidden Door' would be amazing for WWE. Unfortunately, it will be a dream that probably will never come true. Whilst we have seen Chris Jericho on the Stone Cold Steve Austin Podcast, with Jericho mentioning AEW, and Mickie James at the 2022 Royal Rumble, in addition to Jon Moxley being named, matches between AEW or NJPW stars against WWE stars, will end up in WWE only looking out for themselves.
I cannot see it happening anytime soon, especially in 2022 as WWE continues to make huge profits and somewhat consistent ratings. Maybe one day in the future we will see the door open, but for now in WWE, it will stay closed.
DeFELICE: No. I don't think they should. What makes the “Forbidden Door” concept work currently is that it exists in spite of WWE not playing well with others. If WWE opens the door on a regular basis, the concept of the 'Forbidden Door' loses its forbidden nature.
They already have opened the door in 2022 thanks to Mickie James making history at the Royal Rumble, but I don't think they should do it again. Not for a while, at least.
Question 2: Tony Khan regularly references the ‘Forbidden Door’, having previously worked with Impact Wrestling, AAA, and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Which promotion would AEW benefit the most from having a long term relationship with?
GREEN: Whilst I don’t watch much wrestling outside of AEW and WWE, it seems that New Japan does not have the same level of hype that it once had due to Covid-19 restrictions, and NJPW stars defecting to AEW. Tony Khan working with NJPW could be beneficial to both companies. NJPW has amazing talent that could easily put on classics with the members of the AEW roster. On the other side, it would help NJPW a lot as they are still trying to rebuild the company.
DeFELICE: New Japan. I think in many ways, the promotion was born to be an American equivalent to New Japan after the rapid rise in popularity for the promotion because of Bullet Club and the group’s success. IMPACT garnered more notoriety from working with AEW as opposed to vice versa, and I don't know if AAA has a 'Forbidden Door' of any kind, but I do know that talent always enjoys working in Mexico, and I think that that promotion can stay open to all relationships.
ALLSOPP: As Robert and Bodeen say, it has to be New Japan. The product is similar, and features more athletic dream matches. Both companies would benefit from featuring each other’s stars, with a better possibility for each company to book the wrestlers in a mutually beneficial fashion.
Question 3: Why do you think wrestling promotions over the past few years have been more open to working together in more than just talent sharing terms? Does the future of professional wrestling need these arrangements in order to survive?
DeFELICE: The nature of the beast has changed. I think smaller groups know that they can team up and gain a sense of popularity due to breaking down barriers, but every promotion in the world can make themselves seem somewhat marketable because of the technology that they have at their disposal now.
AEW wants to prove that you can change the game at the highest of levels, but I think even they will have to, at some point, retain some exclusivity over specific names and lose a little bit of the Wild West nature that has helped them throughout the pandemic and beyond.
ALLSOPP: Wrestling always needs to evolve, and this is the name of the game at the moment. AEW, primarily thanks to Tony Khan, loves to create a sense of excitement for such moves, which is perfect for the Twitter generation. Wrestling will always survive in some form or another, but I do like the sense of intrigue surrounding such developments at the moment.
GREEN: AEW has used the 'Forbidden Door' as a tactic to draw viewers from various promotions such as IMPACT, AAA, ROH and NJPW to watch their product. Whilst I don’t think wrestling will die if these arrangments are made, I do think wrestling will always be hurt with the limitations of company restrictions.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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