July 3, 2023 Observer Newsletter: AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door recap, WWE Money in the Bank preview

The consensus after the Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega match on 1/4 at the Tokyo Dome, was that for the next 361 days of 2023, when it comes to match of the year, people will be fighting for second place as their match.

After AEW/New Japan Forbidden Door on 6/25 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the race has tightened up, and one could argue the field is fighting for third place, or perhaps fourth place when you factor in the Revolution Iron Man match with MJF and Bryan Danielson.

While the creativity, intensity, athleticism, and crowd reactions for the nearly 40:00 match were spectacular, the other feeling of watching these types of matches is one of concern.

Omega and Ospreay are so driven to put on classic matches that they’ve taken themselves to a dangerous place in attempting to top the levels they’ve already reached. We are long past the days when Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat could have one of the best matches anyone had ever seen, and then come back the next day and pretty much do it all again. Omega and Ospreay are working matches that have career-shortening consequences.

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