Gabe Kidd Had Significant Forbidden Door Role Planned Before Injury Derailed It

Gabe Kidd was set to play a major role at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door before an injury forced a change of course, according to information that has emerged in recent days. The extent of what was planned for the British star at the crossover event remains unclear, but the implication is that his absence left a notable gap in the card’s booking.

Kidd has been one of NJPW’s most compelling acts in recent years, establishing himself as a genuinely menacing presence and one of the promotion’s most talked-about performers. His blend of technical ability and unhinged intensity had made him a natural fit for the kind of high-profile, cross-promotional showcase that Forbidden Door represents — a show that has historically spotlighted talent from both NJPW’s roster and AEW’s, often producing some of the year’s most memorable matches.

The injury that sidelined him clearly disrupted whatever creative vision had been mapped out around him for the event. Since his return to NJPW, no subsequent plans regarding his involvement with Forbidden Door have surfaced, leaving his status for the show uncertain going forward.

Forbidden Door has become one of the most anticipated events on the annual wrestling calendar, consistently delivering a card that pulls from the best of both promotions. Whether the original concept built around Kidd can be revisited — or whether new plans will be drawn up given how much time has passed — remains to be seen. For now, wrestling fans can only wonder what might have been had he stayed healthy.