2 Title Changes That Should Happen and 2 That Shouldn't at AEW Forbidden Door 2025

Almost a month and a half since All In, AEW is back with its next big PPV, Forbidden Door 2025. The event, in collaboration with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, is set for August 24 in London and presents what is shaping up to be a stacked card with some mouth-watering clashes.

As expected, many of the Jacksonville-based promotion's major titles will be on the line at the PPV. The confirmed ones include the AEW World Tag Team Titles, the Unified Championship, the TBS Title, and the Women's World Championship. The matches for the TNT Title and the AEW World Championship are expected to be confirmed soon.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door serves as a major crossover PPV for Tony Khan, and we can expect it to be marked by some big decisions that could shape the future of the promotion. Those decisions would include title changes, and in this article, we examine two titles that should change hands at Forbidden Door and two that shouldn't:

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#4. Mercedes Mone should drop the AEW TBS Title

It was recently confirmed that Mercedes Mone will defend her TBS Championship at Forbidden Door in a Four-Way Match. On the most recent episode of Dynamite, her challenger from the Jacksonville-based promotion was revealed to be Alex Windsor. The other two competitors from CMLL and Stardom, respectively, are expected to be made known over the coming weeks.

As of today, the CEO holds eight belts across multiple promotions. Among them, she has held the TBS Title the longest, with her reign currently standing at 438 days. However, August 24 should be the last day Mone holds that championship. She is expected to have an increase in commitments in promotions outside AEW due to the other titles she carries.

The CEO's schedule could see her miss weekly AEW programming more often. For this reason, Tony Khan should have her drop the TBS title to the up-and-coming Alex Windsor. This would lessen the burden on Mone while also making sure that the title remains an active part of AEW television.

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#3 Hurt Syndicate should lose their World Tag Team Titles

Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin of the Hurt Syndicate have held the AEW World Tag Team Titles since January this year. Although their run has personified the group's dominance in AEW, it has also made the tag team division seem a little stale. Therefore, the group must lose the titles at Forbidden Door, likely to FTR.

Moreover, Tony Khan could finally book Bobby Lashley as a singles star. The All Mighty is the twilight of his career but he still holds tremendous drawing power and is a bona fide singles competitor in his own right.

Beyond this, the title change opens up possibilities of fresher storylines where the Hurt Syndicate could turn face and get into a feud with the Death Riders, setting up a huge clash between Bobby Lashley and Jon Moxley.

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#2 Kazuchika Okada must retain Unified Title

Both Kazuchika Okada and Swerve Strickland are two of the biggest names in All Elite Wrestling right now. The Rainmaker will defend his Unified Championship against Strickland at Forbidden Door in one of the most anticipated bouts on the event. The feud between the two began when Okada called out The Realest for hurting his friends, The Young Bucks, on the Dynamite right after All In.

The Realest and Okada have since been at each others throat with the match between the two getting officially confirmed last week on Collision. While Strickland is a bona fide star in Tony Khan's promotion right now, The Rainmaker must retain his title at Forbidden Door. Tony Khan must ensure that Okada who is one of his biggest heels at the moment, maintains the momentum he gained when he first acquired the title at All In.

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#1 Toni Storm should not lose her Women's World Title

Toni Storm is the spearhead of the women's division in All Elite Wrestling and holds its top prize. The 'Timeless' one is in her record fourth reign as Women's World Champion. Her current reign started in February at Grand Slam: Australia. At Forbidden Door, Storm will be challenged by ROH Women's World Champion Athena for her championship.

While the match is expected to be a spectacle, Tony Khan must make sure that Storm retains her title. Toni Storm gained a whirlwind of momentum when she beat Mercedes Mone at All In, further solidifying her status as a major draw and the woman to beat in the Jacksonville-based promotion. Athena is a credible star, but if the AEW Women's World Champion lost to her, then it would seem like the momentum she had built up would have been for nothing.