Lio Rush, Stephanie Vaquer among surprise appearances on AEW Dynamite

Stephanie Vaquer and Lio Rush were among the surprise appearances on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.

The NJPW Strong Women’s Champion appeared after Mercedes Mone successfully defended the TBS Championship against Skye Blue in an impromptu match. Vaquer and Mone had a staredown, hinting at a match for Forbidden Door. The two previously met at last year’s NJPW Resurgence event, where Mone defeated Vaquer to advance to the finals of the tournament to crown the first-ever Strong Women’s Champion.

In the main event od Dynamite, Lio Rush and Shota Umino of NJPW as well as Hechicero and Mistico of CMLL appeared in the Casino Gauntlet match that would determine the next challenger for Swerve Strickland’s AEW World Championship. However, it was AEW’s own Will Ospreay that defeated Orange Cassidy to win the match, earning himself the title match for Forbidden Door.

Rush had previously been with AEW, making apperances in 2021 before ultimately leaving the promotion in 2022.

Forbidden Door will take place on June 30 at the UBS Arena in New York. As with previous years, it will be a collaborative event between AEW and NJPW.