AEW Files For "Forbidden Door" And "Forbidden Portal" Trademarks

AEW has filed for "Forbidden Door" and "Forbidden Portal" trademarks amid speculation that the promotion is entering into a long-term partnership with NJPW.

Jon Moxley's appearance on NJPW Strong and Kenta's appearance on AEW Dynamite has signaled that the "forbidden door" between the two promotions, as Hiroshi Tanahashi phrased it, was being opened.

According to AEW President and CEO Tony Khan, “Everywhere I go everyone’s been asking me for months, ‘Tony, when are you gonna open the forbidden door? When is New Japan gonna come to AEW?’ And I kept telling them I don’t know where the forbidden door is. I don’t know what it is, and then I figured it out all along. The forbidden door is me. I’m the forbidden door!”

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"The deal is done, and the sides have a working relationship. The pandemic probably sped it up, but it also holds it back at the same time. The only way to get Moxley was to make a deal," said wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer,

AEW, founded in 2019 by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, recruited professional wrestlers Cody Rhodes, Matt and Nick Jackson, and Adam Page, collectively known as The Elite, as the promotion's inaugural contracted talents. Rhodes and the Jacksons serve as both in-ring performers and executive vice presidents alongside Kenny Omega, fellow professional wrestler and co-founder of The Elite.

NJPW, a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo, was founded on January 13, 1972 by Antonio Inoki. Naoki Sugabayashi has served as the promotion's Chairman since September 2013, while Takami Ohbari has served as the President of the promotion since October 2020.

NJPW has had agreements with numerous professional wrestling promotions around the world, including WWE, AEW, World Championship Wrestling, American Wrestling Association, World Class Championship Wrestling, Impact Wrestling, WAR, UWFi, Ring of Honor, Pride Fighting Championships, and Jersey All Pro Wrestling.

The new partnership with AEW, however, is expanded to go beyond any previous agreements. ““I want to do more big ratings. I want to have more people show up. Let’s do this every week. I can’t wait for tomorrow night,” Khan said.

Source: Bleacher Report

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