AEW Trademarks ‘Death’s Door’ Match Type Debuted at Forbidden Door

AEW has filed a trademark application for “Death’s Door,” the new match type that made its debut at Forbidden Door on June 28. The filing was submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office on June 29, 2026, under Serial Number 99911991.

The application falls under the Goods and Services category IC 041, covering “Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services in the nature of live professional wrestling performances; Entertainment services in the nature of production of professional wrestling programs and events.”

The Death’s Door match, which features a circular steel cage, served as the main attraction at Forbidden Door, pitting Team Briscoe against Team DCMJF. Mark Briscoe’s side — consisting of Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, Konosuke Takeshita, and Darby Allin — came out on top over the squad of MJF, Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada, and Andrade El Idolo. The victory earned Briscoe an AEW World Championship match.

Forbidden Door also produced Owen Hart Cup finalists Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone, both of whom are now headed to All In.

By filing the trademark, AEW is clearly positioning Death’s Door as a signature match concept — much in the way WWE has built recognizable brand equity around Hell in a Cell, the Elimination Chamber, and WarGames. Locking down the intellectual property suggests the company views the circular cage as a recurring feature rather than a one-off spectacle, potentially making it a marquee attraction at major events going forward.