Kenny Omega is the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He defeated Kazuchika Okada 2-1 in a Best 2-of-3 Match in Osaka, Japan this morning.
Okada’s record-breaking reign ends at 720 days and 12 successful title defenses (both all-time records).
The first fall was won by Okada. He reversed a sunset flip attempt into a pinning combination and got the 3-count at the 28:47 mark. There was then a 2-minute break between rounds.
Omega won the 2nd fall at 47:47 (total elapsed time) with a 1-Winged Angel. He won the 3rd and deciding fall with another 1-Winged Angel at 64:50 total elapsed time.
Following the victory, Omega embraced the Young Bucks, appearing to bury the hatchet with the brothers for the first time since Strong Style Evolved. Cody appeared on the ramp as well but decided to turn back after Omega invited him into the ring.
Changing the world (together). A new story begins. @MattJackson13 @NickJacksonYB @ibushi_kota #njdomininon #GoldenElite
— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) June 9, 2018
66th IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega
Omega becomes the 28th person to win the title and begins the 66th all-time reign. He’s just the 2nd member of Bullet Club to win the title. AJ Styles won the title for the first time at Wrestling Dontaku 2014.
His post-match speech was brief but he said he can do anything with friends like the Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi. He referred to the 4 of them as “the Golden Elite.”
“Today, I defeated the greatest wrestler on planet Earth. This is a performance art. You can be a great wrestler but if the people don’t care, you aren’t worth a damn,” Omega explained. “I give you (Okada) all the credit in the world for what you’ve done, the problem is the buck stops here. You’ve taken this company as far as you can domestically and I see so much more for this company. When I look at this company, I see the evolution of pro-wrestling.”
Omega’s 1st defense of the title could come on July 7th, 2018 when NJPW presents the G1 Special in San Francisco.
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