Young Bucks originally planned to win IWGP tag titles at Forbidden Door

The original plan for the Young Bucks at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door involved them winning the IWGP Tag Team Championships. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that initial plans were for the AEW Tag Team Champions to face the heavyweight tag champions from NJPW at the pay-per-view. 

“Gedo’s original idea was for the Young Bucks to win the IWGP tag titles on the show and make it AEW vs. IWGP tag titles,” Meltzer wrote. “It was changed, and the Young Bucks were on board with that change.”

The decision was later made that it would be an interesting story for FTR to hold the IWGP, ROH, and AAA tag titles. It also sets up a match between FTR and the Young Bucks with four sets of titles on the line. 

“While belts mean less because there are so many of them, there is now a natural push for Young Bucks vs. FTR with four sets of belts at stake and being pushed as a unique match in wrestling history, and could logically be billed as the biggest tag team championship match in history, for that reason,” Meltzer continued. 

Matt & Nick Jackson have won the heavyweight IWGP tag titles once previously. They defeated Evil & SANADA for the belts at Dominion in 2018 and then dropped them to the Guerillas of Destiny at Fighting Spirit Unleashed that September. The Bucks are also seven-time former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.