5 Wrestlers Jay White Should Face At AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door (& 5 He Shouldn't)

Breathe with the Switchblade, this is the Switchblade Era, something about catalysts, and so on. Jay White has been killing it since the end of his excursion at the end of 2017, becoming a grand slam champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling and arguably one of the most reliable and consistent performers in the business.

With Forbidden Door coming up this Sunday (hasn’t that time just flown by), and with White being the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, who should NJPWs top champion face at the historic event? And more importantly, who shouldn’t he face? When it comes to AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, who should come knocking for the Switchblade?

10 Should Face: Hangman Page

It’s the most logical at the time of writing due to it being sort of set up on AEW Dynamite, but from a growth perspective, there really aren’t two guys who have grown more in the last five years than White and Page.

One thing that people wanted from this show is first-time dream matches, and while these two have wrestled before, the current incarnations of both of these men are almost a first-time match in itself. It would also be a great opportunity to add to Page’s personal story and a new wrinkle to add to the saga of the anxious millennial cowboy.

9 Shouldn't Face: Kazuchika Okada

BECAUSE THEY HAVE JUST DONE IT! In fairness, you can put most NJPW guys on this side of the list because that’s not the point of the show. However, if there is only one spot available for an NJPW star on the shouldn't side of the list, it’s the rainmaker.

The main reason isn’t even the fact they have just wrestled at the Dominion event, but the fact that the American audience has already seen this match not too long ago at a joint NJPW show. White and Okada headlined the G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden in 2019 with ROH for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and while they have unbelievable chemistry together, it’s time to give the US crowds something different.

8 Should Face: Adam Cole

Jay White did say that he wasn't going to be defending his newly won IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Adam Cole or Hangman Page, but that doesn't mean he can't have a match with them. While Hangman might make more sense, a match with Cole could arguably be more entertaining.

It could potentially lean into a story that is sure to be set up between Cole and someone else we will talk about in a minute, but most importantly it would be a banger. These two only have one singles match under their belt from 2017, so to have these two run it back would be another case of experience making a match better.

7 Shouldn't Face: Darby Allin

CM Punk called Darby Allin the heart and soul of AEW and that is true to an extent, and there could be a case to be made that if the Switchblade really does want to make the show all about Bullet Club and not AEW or NJPW, then going for someone like Allin might make sense. But don't do it, just don't.

Why? Because there is a boatload of matches that Darby could have with the NJPW junior division that would blow people's minds. Takahashi, Desperado, El Phantasmo, if you wanted to make it BC related, the list is endless. It would probably be a good match, but keep them separate as it wouldn't make sense.

6 Should Face: Jonathan Gresham

Didn't see this one coming, did you? If you couldn't already tell, one of the things that would make a strong Jay White match at Forbidden Door is a story. You can have dream matches while also giving fans a narrative that they can get behind and for longtime fans of the Switchblade, this actually has a lot of story behind it.

White and Gresham were in a stable in Ring of Honor called "Search and Destroy" with The Motor City Machine Guns in 2017. However, that stable was left to fend for itself when White returned to NJPW at the end of that year, so there is a score to settle between the man who abandoned the group to be a top star elsewhere, and the man who stayed loyal to ROH and eventually held that company's top prize. Champion vs. Champion, anyone?

5 Shouldn't Face: Bryan Danielson

Does Bryan Danielson vs. Jay White need to happen? Yes, of course. but does it need to happen yet? Absolutely not. Putting the American Dragon in the ring with the large majority of the NJPW roster feels like a cheat code to getting a great match, but Jay White isn't near the top of that list for Bryan and not even close.

The match would be fantastic, no one can deny that, but fans have been waiting for the likes of Zack Sabre Jr. to get in the ring with Danielson a lot longer than they have for Jay White. Plus the matter of White being champion in NJPW would probably mean that Bryan would have to lose, which would be a bad move for AEW long-term.

4 Should Face: Samoa Joe

This is certainly the one that makes the least sense out of every entry on both sides of this list, but after showing that he can still perform that intense, strong style side of wrestling against Minoru Suzuki on Dynamite, Samoa Joe deserves a big-time match against a big-time NJPW star.

Not only is this match a dream match, but it's never happened before as both men have never been in the same company together. If there was ever an opportunity to bring a match to people that they never thought they'd see, Forbidden Door is that opportunity, and something like Samoa Joe vs Jay White would fit the bill perfectly.

3 Shouldn't Face: MJF

It's very likely that MJF won't be a part of Forbidden Door, and why would he? He hates NJPW anyway, he said it himself on TBS, so having him job out to Jay White just because the Switchblade is the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion wouldn't be great for anyone. However, there is a bigger reason at play.

One thing that WWE got wrong with the "Summer of Punk" angle in 2011 was that CM Punk returned to WWE far too soon. MJF is currently living his best life not being around Tony Khan, and that's the way it should stay. While MJF vs. Jay White would be a great match between two generational talents, it's not time to bring Maxwell Jacob Friedman back into the fold.

2 Should Face: Kenny Omega

It only makes sense, doesn't it? The match that probably would be happening had it not been for Omega being held together with tape, Kenny Omega vs Jay White is the match that has the most history behind it, yet simultaneously seems like a dream match as well.

During his time at the top of Bullet Club, Omega tried to bring White in. However, Switchblade declined and went on his own path, only to come back around and lead the club into the future. It makes the most sense, it's just a shame that Omega is most likely on the shelf for a little while longer.

1 Shouldn't Face: The Young Bucks

If there is one critique of the Forbidden Door card so far, it's that it doesn't have enough high-profile singles matches that would quench the thirst of those asking for dream matches. At the time of writing, White doesn't have one but needs one, so keep him away from The Young Bucks.

On the opposite side of that, The Young Bucks have got a long history with NJPW, and yet still don't have a match on the show. For guys that are EVPs of one of the companies involved, it's most likely they will get involved in a match somewhere along the line. However, The Bucks and Jay need their own matches, not to be lumped in with each other.