NES Becomes a Weapon in AEW’s Forbidden Door Steel Cage Match

On Sunday, June 28 2024, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) staged its Forbidden Door pay-per-view at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. The “Death’s Door” segment was a 12-man steel cage match, one of three main-event bouts, inside a newly introduced cylindrical cage and featured wrestlers from AEW, Japan’s World Wonder Ring Stardom, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and Mexico’s Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. During the bout, AEW competitor Kyle O’Reilly produced a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and used both the console and its controller as weapons, most notably against Kyle Fletcher.

In The Right Hands, A Nintendo Entertainment System Can Be A Weapon

Professional wrestling has a long tradition of converting everyday objects into weapons, a practice that spans decades and includes items such as trash cans, barbed wire, fire extinguishers, LEGO bricks, screwdrivers, and marbles. AEW’s Forbidden Door continued this lineage by allowing participants to bring any prop into the ring, creating a chaotic environment where the NES stood out as a nostalgic yet functional instrument of violence.

The NES becomes a weapon during AEW's 12-man steel cage match

Kyle O’Reilly, a veteran AEW wrestler, was the primary user of the NES during the encounter. He directed the console at Kyle Fletcher, a member of the opposing team, delivering a direct blow to Fletcher’s bald head. Commentary for the event was provided by Tony Schiavone, who on air urged O’Reilly to “bring us back to the 80s with Donkey Kong,” underscoring the retro theme of the weapon.

In The Right Hands, A Nintendo Entertainment System Can Be A Weapon

During the match, O’Reilly first performed the classic ritual of blowing on the NES cartridge before inserting it, then used the console as a blunt-force object, striking Fletcher’s head with the plastic housing. He also seized the rectangular controller, which had been wrapped in barbed wire, and wielded it like a nunchaku, delivering additional strikes. The NES and its modified controller were employed repeatedly throughout the bout, contributing to the overall spectacle of weaponized nostalgia that defined the encounter.

In The Right Hands, A Nintendo Entertainment System Can Be A Weapon

One analysis of the event expressed concern that Nintendo’s legal department might view the on-stage destruction of the NES as an infringement of intellectual-property rights. The author speculated that “Nintendo’s legion of fun-hating lawyers” could intervene, suggesting a potential clash between the entertainment value of the stunt and the company’s brand-protection policies.

In The Right Hands, A Nintendo Entertainment System Can Be A Weapon

The inclusion of a retro gaming console in a high-profile wrestling spectacle highlights the crossover appeal of nostalgic pop-culture symbols within contemporary sports entertainment. The bout also featured thumbtacks, oranges, and an exploding backpack. Audience reaction, captured in live chants, demonstrated that the NES moment resonated beyond the immediate violence, generating media coverage that linked the worlds of video-game history and professional wrestling.

In The Right Hands, A Nintendo Entertainment System Can Be A Weapon

• “He’s got a Nintendo!” — Crowd chant (source 2)

In The Right Hands, A Nintendo Entertainment System Can Be A Weapon

• “bring us back to the 80s with Donkey Kong” — Tony Schiavone, commentator (source 2)

In The Right Hands, A Nintendo Entertainment System Can Be A Weapon