[6.0] "fun match, it was great seeing Edge and Christian back together, the winners were never in doubt, looking forward to what's next for E & C. (3.0*)"
[6.0] "I enjoyed this for what it was, but I found it to be a weird choice to open the show. Honestly, this really didn't even need to be on the PPV. I'm pretty sure the only reason it was included was to give Copeland an entrance in the O2. Anyways, yeah, this was perfectly fine."
[6.0] "Perfectly fine opener with a nice mix of nostalgia and modern movesets. Nice way to get the crowd going for the rest of the show. Nice storytelling along the way from both teams as the E/C reunion looks to have a goal behind it as well. By no means did this have to blow the roof off the O2, and all four wrestlers did great opening up the show."
[6.0] "A good match to kick off Forbidden Door. The reunion of the legendary team of Edge & Christian was fun to see. Aside from that nothing outstanding in the ring and the match has nothing to be remebered of."
[7.0] "(6.6) Really fun match to kick off the show. Some cool moments between Cope and Cage, Killswitch was great and Sabian held up his own too. The main talking point was the reunion and in that sense it overdeilvered imo."
[7.0] "It was cool to see Cope and Cage as a team again, especially since I saw them early in their careers before they were in WWE. They did a nice job of telling a story in the match with Cage being reluctant to fight Killswitch, but once Cage got back in there and showed babyface courage, the fans got behind him. I would have had Mother Wayne interfere more to give the heels some nearfalls. Kip and Killswitch didn't get along in the match, and of course, Kip got pinned, so Killswitch was protected. I expect to see Cope & Cage against FTR soon. ***"
[7.0] "Good storytelling match. Not everything needs to be a banger. Christian avoiding Killswitch & Killswitch getting fed up with Kip kept things interesting. 2 minor gripes are the diving headbutt from Christian didn't make sense considering Killswitch's mask and they could've been more subtle with him being fed up with Kip (specifically when he held him on his shoulders to eat the diving move). I give it 3.75*"
[7.0] "The in ring work from everyone wasn't really the best, but it's still a solid tag match between both teams with some nice storytelling, and a really hot crowd behind Copeland and Christian teaming up for the first time in more than a decade."
[6.0] "Smart move to start the PPV with Adam Copeland's entrance, the O2 was electric, everyone singing along, and it set the mood perfectly. From entrance to finish, Cope looked like he was genuinely having fun, and that energy carried into the match. The double-team pop-up spear with Christian was a cool finish. The problem was the heat dipped as it went on, the crowd wasn't really invested in Kip Sabian, and Killswitch has lost so much momentum that he didn't feel like a threat. Decent opener overall, more about nostalgia and atmosphere than the in-ring work, but it did its job."
[7.0] "A solid enough tag team match elevated by the crowd reaction and response, and just the general nostalgic thrill of Edge and Christian tagging together at long last. I'm not one who is happy to truck with nostalgia by its lonesome, but both men are still doing what is comfortable in the upper tier of their career work, and especially considering both men were able to come back from medically-forced retirement, its nice to see them get to go out more on their own terms, and do good stuff at the same time."
[7.0] "Really it's a 6.5 but I'm rating upwards as the energy in the arena was unmatched (I was there). A couple funny spots and good character work, and a couple impressive spots like the two Spears. Exactly what I'd want from a Cope/Cage reunion. Shoutout to whoever came up with the "will you be my dad" song."
[6.0] "Perfectly fine opener. I wouldn't have put it at this place on the card but it was effective. The English crowd asking Cage to be their dad was very creative and fun."
"I found this match quite enjoyable, but the quality of wrestling was lacking during some periods, in which I found there to be little flow, this meant the match felt somewhat disjointed, the end of the match was a particular high point, the spear through the ropes was executed just about as well as you could like. Cope's entrance was electric and Christian's theatrics throughout the match were good. 7/10 = 3.5 Stars"
[5.0] "The match itself was subpar compared to the usual AEW PPV quality, although the crowd managed to elevate it.Copes entrance was amazing. All in all the right choice to open Forbidden Door."
[5.0] "Probably the weakest match of the evening, but a relatively decent opening for the main show. Good interaction with the crowd, but few good moments aside from a few spots to highlight CNC in anticipation of All Out. In-ring quality: 1.5/4. Stakes: 0.75/2. Justification: 1/1. Place on the card: 1/1. Suspense: 0/1. Bonuses/penalties: none. Total: 5.25/10. Match watched on-site and then on Fite TV."
[8.0] "Kind of exactly what I wanted it to be. Some genuinely quite funny moments, really good storytelling of the dissent and tensions among both teams, and a loud as thunder crowd getting to sing Metalingus. Couldn't have been a better opener"
[6.0] "Honestly, best part was just being in the crowd and singing Metalingus. The match was fine, cool to see Luchasaurus again. Christian was still working heel and Copeland was the face. Match itself was ok, nice to see Kip Sabian on the card for this show though. Must've meant a lot to him, Probably best as the opener because it would've looked bad going after every other match on the card. Oh actually best part was singing "Hey Christian, I wanna know if you'll be my dad" Hahaha"
[6.0] "Copeland and Christian was a great match with Kip and Killswitch because they were able to have immediate chemistry once the match started. I can't wait to see what else edging Christian do together as a team because I think that in AEW there's so many potential matchups that are so entertaining. This is the start of it."
[7.0] "The in ring work was fine but the crowd really made this match feel like a great one. Copes entrance just gave me chills and the chants for Christian were really funny. A good opener"
[7.0] "Decent match highlighted by some great spots, it would have been way better with Nick Wayne but it was entertaining with Luchasaurus too. ***1/2"
[6.0] "This was not typical tag team match, being more story driven, and the performers did their best to deliver a good story where each wrestler's motivation was clear and each brought something of their own to the narrative."
[7.0] "Okay so for me what matters most is story, and I like the story here. The two teams not getting along with themselves is fun and was interesting."
[4.0] "I have no idea why this match was the opener. The story in this match was ridiculous. Going in it was about whether Cope/Christian can get on the same page but it turned into Kip bullying Killswitch. This match honestly didn't belong on a Dynamite nonetheless a PPV. It was very boring and story-driven with a confusing one at best."
[5.0] "Kind of a blah opener. The Cope/Christian reunion just feels forced so far, and having them face off against Kip Sabian (who almost never wrestles) and Killswitch was a bit of an uninspired choice. I also don't have the nostalgia for them that most others seem to have. I'm sure things will pick up once they get matched up with FTR at least. **1/2"
[6.0] "So it was definitely the weakest match on the card which is not normally the case for an AEW PPV opener but as someone who was there it was most definitely the right choice to open up the show. Getting to sing Cope's entrance was incredible and it was so fucking loud and got the crowd invested in the match straight away. The match itself was decent with the story of both teams having internal tension was nice, there was some nice brawling and Kip randomly running the blade which was kind of cool, It was great to see Killswitch wrestle again and he didn't miss a set after being gone for so long. The finish of the match with Cope spearing Killswitch through the ropes and then getting back in to help Christian hit a Shatter machine style super spear (defintley a tease for the all out match with FTR) was so cool. So yeah overall whilst the match was something that could of been on collision the moments this match provided made it a pretty fun main card opener. But i have only one question and it is "Heyyyyy hey Christian oo ah i wanna know oh oh oh if you'll be my dad" (***1/4)"
[3.0] "**1/4 very meh match, slow and somewhat paused pace, little intensity and little fluidity, I think it was the worst of the night by far, kept up by the brutal crowd and the nostalgic factor of seeing Edge & Christian together again, Kip's bleeding added absolutely nothing to the match, and the miscommunications between him and Killswitch were not relevant at any time or led to anything more, decent ending with Cage lifting Sabian in the air and Copeland finishing with a spear mid-fall"
[8.0] "What a lovely opening match, super hot audience to kick off the show with a crowd pleasing match full of fun silly shenanigans and some great offence, particularly from the returning Luchasaurus/Killswitch who's strike game was on point throughout. Kip did a great job as the punching bag and Edge and Christian showed they haven't lost an ounce of chemistry whilst the crowd elevated this with their fun chants and just being really into the match. Really good fun."
[4.0] "The dynamic between Cope and Christian is good and character driven. But there's too much working against it. Some is by design, some of it is by weird choices being made. By design, Kip Sabian working a heat segment on Cope is bound to be lame and mechanically sloppy (Cope's comeback after the Christian hot tag is also sloppy). But you have to add to that the strange decision to have descension between Sabian and Luchasaurus. It's a wrinkle that just takes the focus away from a fun dynamic (Cope-Christian) to put it on a dull one."
[7.0] "Loved the new relationship between Edge and Christian, the synergy they once had completely gone and Christian spending most of the match offering Edge up to Luchasaurus at every possible opportunity. Loads of great character work between the two; Edge's faces were fantastic. Wasn't a massive fan of the crowd getting themselves over and not paying attention to the match, and I still don't get Kip Sabian."
[5.0] "Not the best way to bring back Edge and Christian after so long apart. And with Nick Wayne out it felt like it meant even less. Let's see what they do from here."
[7.0] "Good match, the audience loved it and everyone involved (except Kip, maybe). Cope wrestles his age, but Christian is ridiculously good for his. Finish was novel. Deserves a tick above the average, imo"
[7.0] "A great way to start the PPV with that Metalingus entrance! Christian Cage was over as f*ck too, the crowd played a big part into making this match awesome. It's cool the story is both team are not 100% on the same page, especially Luchasaurus and Kip Sabian. Some kicks and bumps looked very good and the tag team finisher pop up spear from Cope & Christian was fantastic! Can't wait for the match with FTR next time!"
[7.0] "it was actually a really entertaining match and i've realised how much i've missed those two big guys together :') .. of course it was far from being the best match in-ring but we've seen really cool stuff nevertheless"
[10.0] "What a great match! I understand that the match was demanding for the viewer, because the emphasis here was not on the spots, but on storytelling, which is what I liked. Each of the four participants in the match looked like an independent character with their own feelings and goals, I found it very interesting to watch. Christian Cage's faceturn happens gradually and thoughtfully, and not at the flick of a switch, as it was recently with Cena. Fighting side by side with a friend, Christian continued to demonstrate selfishness and saved, first of all, himself. He was afraid of Luchasaurus, so he immediately returned the tag to Edge, who did not appreciate it. And his arc in this match was to again begin to sacrifice himself for the team, go to dangerous spots and overcome his fears. And he even refused to accept hugs. Luchasaurus' goal was to destroy Edge and Christian, he didn't perceive his partner as an equal at all, didn't care about his condition and used him more as a weapon. Well, in much the same way Dr. Luther used Serpentico back in the day. But, unlike Serpentico, Kip Sabian didn't like it. And he, being the least status participant in the match, kept trying to pull the blanket over himself to prove that he was the same star as everyone else. It was very interesting to watch his attempts to cool Luchasaurus' ardor. Well, Edge was just happy to perform in a team with a friend again, and it seemed to me that he was in the ring longer than anyone else, and he did a great job of his role. In short, I liked the structure of the match itself, as well as the dedication of the participants. AEW has shown us matches more than once where the individual heats were forced to unite into a team, and during the match they tried to establish communication with each other. And these maichi always went +/- according to the same scenario. This time both teams tried to establish contact with each other at the same time, and it was very interesting to watch. ****3/4"
[6.0] "This is a good part of the story about the reunion of Adam and Christian team. From their side, we saw a couple of cool interactions at the end, that Cage might still be a bastard, but he still changed a little, and Killswitch looked fine when he returned. His colorful dominance and interaction with Kip gave the audience the necessary excitement in anticipation of the return of the faces. Of course, there was nothing super good here, just a confident team match with his task, which he completed and the story, which he told."
[4.0] "This one final run between the two 50 year olds has its audience I'm well aware but it's really not for me. It makes me feel nothing, I don't have the nostalgia for it and to be completely honest, the story itself is just not that compelling when you have people like mother and nick wayne and kip effin sabian involved. Just a very mediocre match that is coasting on hype moments and aura which does nothing for me. At least when they clash with ftr, it should be better than this I guess."
[2.0] "Edge and Christian continue to give their opponents very little, for all the flack Jericho gets for leeching off the young guys, there's a genuine argument they're getting something from it (if not anywhere near as much as they should). These two just take take take. Wasn't particularly interesting and just waiting for the inevitable FTR match."
[5.0] "Bit of a weird watch, the layout of the match was just...overthought in a way that seemed to linger across multiple parts of the show. The instant discontent between Luchasauras and Kip needed to be more fleshed out to really feel like a plot point in the match. No disrespect to Kip or the other guys, but Wayne was gonna be doing all the big action in this match and he got injured. I did like the way Christian is still an asshole and just taking baby steps towards his face turn."
[3.0] ""Hey Christian, I wanna know, will you be my Dad? " UK crowd are the best. The match however, I didn't get the idea. It was very convoluted for no reason. This match could have been so easily put together yet they chose the weirdest way possible. It simply did not work for me but thanks to the crowd and their chants, got me through it. p.s. still gives me chills whenever I hear the crowd sing Metalingus."
[6.0] "[2.5*] Cope and Christian are one of the best tag teams of all time, I always loved them, But when they came to AEW I really hoped they wouldn't be a tag team for a long time and, when it happened, it would be rewarding, and they managed to do that. Killswitch's return made it all better, the creature who was abused by his creator and who would finally get the chance to get his hands on him, and this story was very well told during the match, especially the dynamic with Kip trying to do the same, but being brutalized by Killswitch. Maybe a little long, but overall, a fun good match, especially because of the crowd's participation. Good opener for the PPV"
[4.0] "This match was a complete non starter for me. Not much interesting happened here outside of a few fun moments from Christian and Kip getting busted open for no reason. Pretty bizarre choice for an opener, especially considering some of the other matches on this show. **"
[5.0] "A nice little opening match to warm up the crowd. Not up to PPV standards really, but it was a chance for the UK fans to see Copeland and Christian team up again. The only downside to the match was the commentary. I don't know why American commentators feel the need to gaslight fans. We saw clearly that the referee saw the tag. Tony Schiavone is getting worse every week, and Excalibur's patronizing commentary style is becoming unbearable."
[6.0] "Fun match to kick off and warm up the crowd. Very story driven match but most of it seemed to be focused on The Matriarchy rather than Adam Copeland and Christian Cage. Killswitch very much occupying a grey area between face and heel as he shows he has no allegiance to The Matriarchy and simply wants to get back at Christian. A fun angle to take the match in but this is also the first time Christian and Copeland have teamed in over a decade and while they did get some really cool double team maneuvers in, it does feel like their first team up in AEW should've been against FTR. Still great way to open Forbidden Door"
"This was a good opening match, the storytelling was very interesting, particularly the dissonance between luchasaurus and Kip Sabian. Said dissonance is also mirrored from Edge and Christian as well. This makes for a very unique match with a lot of interesting spots."
[7.0] "I really liked that one honestly, didn't last too long and already showed nice moments with Cope and Cage back together. Not an important match at all but I liked the vibes from it."
[7.0] "Well, nothing special as expected. I think Cope and Cage need better opponents to have great matches at their age. Hopefully, we'll see FTR soon. Anyway, it was fun and a great reunion hopefully it lasts for quite some time. A decent match as an opener."
[6.0] "Solid, decent match. Wasn't interested during the build, but it was a fun reunion. I liked this style by Cope and Christian and the finish was very good. It's great to see Killswitch is doing well."
1x
0x
22x
179x
250x
67x
7x
3x
1x
0x
0x