“Chris Benoit in That Sequence”- Fans Notice AEW’s Tribute to Late WWE Star During High Stakes Match at Forbidden Door

As wrestling fans, we often catch new wrestlers referencing the older ones. The reason behind the same could range anywhere from a publicity stunt to a tribute. Either way, it’s not an entirely new thing to do. It catches the audience’s attention every time, regardless. We saw the most recent reference at AEW Forbidden Door 2023 during a high-stakes match.

The match was between the NJPW star Will Ospreay and one of AEW’s EVPs, Kenny Omega. Not only did a lot of fans enjoy the match, but Ospreay even dropped a reference to the late WWE star Chris Benoit. This reference was then picked up by wrestling fans who have stuck with the sport long enough.

The story behind the iconic ‘Forbidden Door’ moment

The feud started with Ospreay and Omega having a match at Wrestle Kingdom 17 in January 2023. The IWGP United States Championship was at stake during the match. Consequently, Omega won the match and became the new champion. Humiliated, Ospreay seemingly longed for revenge and ultimately got the chance at Forbidden Door 2023. It was the second co-produced annual event of AEW and NJPW. In fact, former WWE star CM Punk also appeared in the event, following his return at AEW Collision.

The wrestling match wasn’t the main event, but some fans would consider it one of the key highlights of the night. However, if the background story wasn’t intriguing enough to fans, Ospreay dropped a reference to the late Chris Benoit during the match. This happened when he grabbed Omega in a ‘Crossface’ finisher, which was one of Benoit’s signature moves.

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Not only did Ospreay end up winning back the title, but he also made sure that fans remember him well. As the moment went viral on the internet, some fans jumped in to appreciate the match. A fan even acknowledged Ospreay’s Benoit reference.

Both these fans seem to love Ospreay for his talent and skills.

Do you agree with this fan?

The audience did not require much time to understand what was going on here.

The co-produced event appeared to be a success because of the audience’s reaction to the matches. If that remains the case, we might even see a third rematch between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay at some point in time. Perhaps with more wrestling references this time around.

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What are your thoughts on the cross-generational and cross-promotional reference? Comment below.