AEW’s long-running pay-per-views will meet a strict deadline at Forbidden Door. The show, set for Sunday, August 24 at The O2 in London, must wrap by 10:30 pm BST. That gives the event a maximum runtime of four and a half hours.
The curfew isn’t flexible. As reported by The Sun, The O2’s operators, AEG, and Transport for London can fine up to £10,000 for every minute the event goes over. That’s a tall order for a promotion whose 2025 shows have pushed, and sometimes gone beyond, time limits—most notably the nearly six-hour All In: Texas.
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The card for Forbidden Door is stacked. A multi-man Lights Out Steel Cage match headlines, with the Golden Lovers, Darby Allin, Will Ospreay, and Hiroshi Tanahashi taking on the Death Riders, The Young Bucks, and Gabe Kidd. This is just one of several high-profile matches set for the night.
In title action, “Hangman” Adam Page defends the AEW World Championship against MJF, while Kazuchika Okada puts his Unified Championship on the line against Swerve Strickland. Adam Copeland and Christian Cage will reunite for the first time since 2011 to face The Matriarchy.
The AEW Women’s World Championship will see Toni Storm defend against Athena, and Mercedes Moné will put her TBS Championship up for grabs in a four-way match. Other bouts include title defenses from The Hurt Syndicate, Kyle Fletcher, and Zack Sabre Jr. With such a packed lineup, AEW will need tight time management to avoid steep fines.
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