AEW File Trademark For New Match Type

AEW

AEW has filed a trademark application for the match type that was introduced at Forbidden Door on June 28.

The filing was submitted by AEW to the United States Patent and Trademark Office on June 29, 2026 and references the wordmark “Death’s Door”.

Under Serial Number 99911991, the application covers the Goods and Services category:

“IC 041: Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services in the nature of live professional wrestling performances; Entertainment services in the nature of production of professional wrestling programs and events.”

The “Death’s Door” match at AEW Forbidden Door saw a circular steel cage introduced for the match between Team Briscoe and Team DCMJF.

With Mark Briscoe teaming with Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, Konosuke Takeshita & Darby Allin), they would be victorious over MJF, Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada & Andrade El Idolo), securing their leader an AEW World Championship match.

AEW Forbidden Door also saw Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone victorious in their respective Owen Hart Cup finals, with both heading to All In.

The Unforgiving Structure

There’s something instantly imposing about seeing a steel cage around a wrestling ring. Perhaps it’s the sense of danger that the enclosed structure presents, or the knowledge that it’s designed to keep the occupants in and anyone else mostly out.

Steel Cage matches have been around for quite some time, but the years have seen variations on the theme, with many fans no doubt familiar with the Elimination Chamber, Hell in a Cell and WarGames variants over in WWE, TNA Wrestling’s Lethal Lockdown, or the death match versions occasionally featuring barbed wire or electricity.

Whether the match sees weapons added into the mix, or the cage itself becomes a weapon, it can be used to great effect when it comes to pushing the envelope for violence and the shock factor. WWE fans still talking about The Undertaker throwing Mankind from the top of the Hell in a Cell at King of the Ring in June 1998 for good reason.

AEW introducing a signature steel cage of their own is no doubt going to make it a must-see attraction at future events, and doesn’t rule out the use of a more traditional structure should the need arise.

There are, of course, arguments to be made that it should be tied to a particular event, and as a touchstone of Forbidden Door, it would certainly be a worthy addition.

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• trademark
• Death's Door
• AEW
• Steel Cage

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