Pro Wrestling Rumours - Aug. 25, 2025: Will Ospreay, Swerve Strickland, Vince McMahon

Sunday, August 24 was a day filled with professional wrestling as AEW and NJPW produced the fourth annual Forbidden Door pay-per-view, with the show emanating from The O2 in London, England . WWE NXT also presented Heatwave later in the day from the Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts.

We have all the rumours following the two shows, including the latest on Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland, as well as what went down at Vince McMahon's 80th birthday party.

Will Ospreay & Swerve Strickland Expected To Take Time Off Following AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

All Elite Wrestling will be without two of their biggest stars for the foreseeable future as Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland were written off TV at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door.

Strickland received a chair shot to the knee from Kazuchika Okada while his leg was stuck between the ring post and the steel steps following their Unified Title match. Will Ospreay, meanwhile, emerged victorious from the 5-on-5 Lights Out Steel Cage Match, but he had his neck Pillmanised by Jon Moxley after the match and was stretchered out of The O2.

Fightful Select has reported that Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay are both expected to take time off following Forbidden Door, and AEW are preparing for the possibility that Swerve could miss a number of months. PWInsider also noted the belief within AEW is Ospreay and Swerve will be out of action going forwards.

Will Ospreay requires neck surgery, while Swerve Strickland aggravated a torn meniscus he has been dealing with since 2019.

Several WWE Names Attend Vince McMahon's 80th Birthday Party

Vince McMahon may no longer be involved in the day-to-day running of WWE, but that doesn't mean he no longer has connections within the company.

McMahon celebrated his 80th birthday with a party at New York City's Gotham Hall on Saturday, August 23. PWInsider has noted those in attendance included Kane, The Undertaker, Michelle McCool, John Cena, Gerald Brisco, Sheamus, Bruce Prichard, JBL, Sgt. Slaughter, Shane McMahon and Ron Killings, among others.

AC/DC and Kid Rock performed at the 80th birthday party, along with another musician.

Security for the event was tight, PWInsider noted, and most in attendance did not stop for photos or autographs when they were spotted entering and exiting the NYC venue.

AEW Introduces Rule For Casino Gauntlet Cash-Ins

The Casino Gauntlet contract operated in a similar fashion to WWE Money in the Bank earlier this year when Christian Cage cashed in his contract to make the AEW World Title match at Revolution a three-way, but that won't happen in the future.

AEW President Tony Khan announced at the post-Forbidden Door media scrum that Casino Gauntlet cash-ins must be done with at least one week's notice, similar to Lucha Underground's Gift of the Gods Championship.

"I think it's important to promote championship matches. I don't want to have a big ticket championship match that we are unable to advertise. I don't necessarily want to utilise a stipulation here that is being utilised other places. I'm not trying to duplicate what other people are doing. I really believe we are our own promotion. Going forward, from now on, I think the right thing to do is that all contract executions should be on at least a week's notice so that we can properly promote the matches and give the fans notice and have the integrity of a championship match. I think it's the best for us and our media partners," Khan said.

Athena failed to capture the AEW Women's World Championship from Toni Storm in her Casino Gauntlet cash-in at Forbidden Door. MJF is still in possession of his Casino Gauntlet contract.

H/T Fightful

Latest On MVP Being Absent From AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

The Hurt Syndicate dropped the AEW World Tag Team Titles to Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) in a three-way also featuring FTR at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door. Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin weren't pinned on the show as they were instead taken out by Ricochet and the Gates of Agony.

While Lashley and Benjamin were at The O2 in London, England, MVP was nowhere to be seen. The exact reason for MVP missing the show has not been revealed, but PWInsider noted MVP wasn't expected to appear, and his absence is unrelated to a travel issue or anything like that.

Backstage News On Jamie Hayter's Return At AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Jamie Hayter made her return at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door and saved Queen Aminata from a beatdown from Thekla, Julia Hart, and Skye Blue of the Triangle of Madness.

Hayter had been out of action since the post-Double or Nothing edition of Dynamite when she was written off TV in an angle with the debuting Thekla. Hayter was written off due to suffering an injury in the final spot of the Women's Owen Hart Foundation Tournament final against Mercedes Moné, with Hayter's head hitting the mat.

Fightful Select has noted that Jamie Hayter initially seemed to be okay following the Double or Nothing match with Mercedes Moné but she began to not feel great. This led to Hayter not being medically cleared, and plans for Thekla's debut were moved forward as a result.

Hayter received praise for working through a spot while not cleared for Thekla's debut and the plan has always been for the two talents to rekindle their issues upon Hayter's return. Hayter was ultimately out of action longer than AEW originally hoped.

Update On Future Of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

The 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door took place in June, but the pay-per-view was moved to later in the year for 2025, effectively swapping with All In on AEW's PPV calendar. The show was held on Sunday, August 24 at The O2 in London, England.

Forbidden Door was a widely praised show, but there was some criticism for the build as there were fewer NJPW wrestlers on the show than in past years, and New Japan talents only started appearing on AEW TV in the days before the show due to Forbidden Door's close proximity to G1 Climax 35.

Fightful Select has reported that sources in AEW believe if there are more editions of Forbidden Door, it will take place at a different point in the calendar. The belief is that moving All In to earlier in the year affected Forbidden Door, as did NJPW and STARDOM having tournaments.

Original Plans For Wyatt Sicks Vs. MFT Feud On WWE SmackDown

A programme between the Wyatt Sicks and Solo Sikoa's MFT faction was teased on the August 15 edition of Friday Night SmackDown when Erick Rowan was spotted lurking in the background of a backstage segment with MFT.

The feud looks set to be around the WWE Tag Team Titles held by Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis of Wyatt Sicks, with Tonga Loa and JC Mateo failing to earn a title shot on the August 22 episode of SmackDown in a number one contenders' match against the Street Profits.

BodySlam has reported that the original discussions around the feud called for Uncle Howdy to enter a programme with Solo Sikoa for the United States Championship. Those discussions weren't believed to have lasted long, however, and WWE creative ultimately settled upon MFT challenging the Wyatt Sicks for the WWE Tag Team Titles at some point in the future.