AEW Forbidden Door 2026 Draws Rave Reviews, Called One of Best Shows in Company History

AEW Forbidden Door 2026 is being hailed as one of the greatest shows the promotion has ever produced, with observers placing it firmly in the conversation for either the first or second best AEW pay-per-view of all time.

The event’s main event is already generating serious match-of-the-year buzz, with reviewers pointing to it as a genuine candidate for the best singles bout in professional wrestling this calendar year. That level of praise puts it in rare company and underscores just how well the collaborative Forbidden Door concept — which brings together AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling talent on a shared stage — continues to deliver when it comes together at its highest level.

Forbidden Door has become one of the most anticipated events on the annual wrestling calendar precisely because of the dream-match potential it unlocks. The cross-promotional format allows for matchups that simply cannot happen anywhere else, and when the card delivers on that promise, the results tend to resonate loudly with fans and critics alike. Based on the immediate response to this year’s edition, it appears the 2026 instalment did exactly that.

Whether the main event ultimately claims match-of-the-year honours will depend on what the rest of 2026 produces, but the early momentum is undeniable. For AEW, a show earning this kind of across-the-board acclaim is a significant statement — and one the promotion will be looking to build on heading into the second half of the year.