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Tag: Kenny Omega

  • Nick Jackson Defends Kenny Omega’s Decision To Sign With AEW Over WWE

    Nick Jackson Defends Kenny Omega’s Decision To Sign With AEW Over WWE

    Nick Jackson came to the defense of former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega for deciding to sign with AEW (All Elite Wrestling) over WWE once his contract with NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) expired last month and was set to be a free agent.

    He joins the latest batch of talents to be confirmed under contract with the promotion that includes Sonny Kiss, Sammy Guevara, Trent Barreta, Chuck Taylor, Pentagon Jr., Fenix, Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki, Kylie Ray, and Nyla Rose.

    The news of his signing was made official at the All Elite Wrestling Double Or Nothing ticket announcement party last week from the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    It’s been well known that Omega received contract offers from three top promotions – WWE, NJPW, and AEW. Once Nick welcomed Omega to AEW through the power of social media, a fan took issue with it and claimed that the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion going to AEW was an easier move than going to the WWE.

    In the eyes of Jackson, he thinks Omega going to WWE would’ve been the easy way out.

    Omega is slated to face Chris Jericho for a second time at the first official event under the AEW banner, Double or Nothing, on May 25th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • Update on NJPW’s Plans Following Kenny Omega’s Departure

    Update on NJPW’s Plans Following Kenny Omega’s Departure

    Jay White defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi earlier this week to become the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion. White won the belt in the main event of The New Beginning in Osaka.

    The win came as a shock to many NJPW fans. Much the same as Kazuchika Okada beating Tanahashi did nearly seven years ago. Okada won the IWGP Heavyweight title in a nearly identical style, it was in the same building and came as a complete shock to fans.

    According to The Wrestling Observer, White’s ascension to the top of the card is in part attributed to the departure of Kenny Omega. The G1 Supercard event at Madison Square Garden was to be headlined by Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada facing off for the title. This original plan meant that Kenny would’ve defeated Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom in January. With Omega’s current status with AEW New Japan opted to take the belt off of him.

    Dave Meltzer also commented on White going forward. Meltzer claimed that the G1 Supercard show would likely now be headlined by White versus Okada. The match would of course be contested for the IWGP Championship. G1 Supercard will be taking place from Madison Square Garden on April 6th in New York City.

  • Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho Set For AEW Double Or Nothing

    Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho Set For AEW Double Or Nothing

    Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega are going to meet in the ring at All Elite Wrestling’s Double or Nothing event.

    The promotion’s official Twitter account announced on Sunday night that Omega vs. Jericho has been signed for Double Or Nothing on May 25th in Las Vegas.

    The match was also confirmed on the recently released episode 138 of Being The Elite.

    The two met in the ring for the first time in 2017 when Omega was the victim of Jericho’s attack at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Power Struggle event.

    This added momentum to their set match at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in 4 January 2018 where Omega defeated Jericho in a No Disqualification match and retained the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter awarded the match a five-star rating.

    At the All In event in September last year, Chris Jericho who disguised himself as Pentagon Jr. again attacked Kenny Omega with two Codebreakers.

    Chris Jericho was announced as part of AEW at the 8 January rally in Jacksonville, Florida.

    Meanwhile Kenny Omega made it official that he has joined the promotion at the Double or Nothing Ticket Announcement Party on Feb 7.

  • Kenny Omega Reveals Details About His All Elite Wrestling Contract

    Kenny Omega Reveals Details About His All Elite Wrestling Contract

    Kenny Omega officially joined All Elite Wrestling earlier this week after signing a four-year deal following the briefest of free agency periods after his previous contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling came to an end.

    Omega was regarded as the biggest free agent in the business but he wasted no time making his decision as soon as he was available to sign a new deal.

    Now Omega will join fellow wrestlers such as Cody, the Young Bucks and Chris Jericho in the fledgling promotion that hopes to send shockwaves through the professional wrestling industry, particularly in the United States.

    While Omega admitted he received a ‘fantastic’ offer from WWE as well as overtures from New Japan in an attempt to keep him, the prospect of working with All Elite and the options that came along with that deal was exactly what he wanted.

    “Now with AEW, I’m signing four years. Yeah so it’s like I’m signing four years and it felt natural,” Omega explained on the Wrestling Observer podcast. “It’s a large contract for me, largest one I’ve signed but I didn’t feel like I was making the wrong choice. It was cool to feel that way.

    “With the contract, it leaves me very open for a ton of crossover potential, which is always the most important thing for me because I don’t necessarily want to be remembered for what I do in the ring. I want to be able to crossover into all sorts of media so I’m going to be able to do my thing with E-sports and be able to do all sorts of stuff with ESPN and the documentary even. These opportunities now, there’s no red tape. It’s in my contract where I can freely do those and pursue them and that’s great.”

    “What we are is a celebration of professional wrestling” ~ Kenny Omega on All Elite Wrestling

    Omega signing with AEW may seem like he’s leaving New Japan behind for good but that’s not actually the case.

    According to the 35-year old Canadian, part of the benefit of his contract with AEW is the ability to return to New Japan whenever he desires.

    “I have it specifically written in my contract and this is something I couldn’t have done on the WWE end of things, I have it specifically written in my contract that I can go any time I want and appear for New Japan Pro Wrestling,” Omega stated.

    Omega says he nearly re-signed with New Japan with an option to appear in AEW whenever he wanted but this ended up being the better deal for his career.

    The chance to crossover between AEW and New Japan or with any other professional wrestling promotion out there is something Omega says the new organization will embrace.

    Beyond anything else offered to him, Omega sounds like that could have been the determining factor in joining AEW for at least the next four years.

    “What we are is a celebration of professional wrestling,” Omega said. “What that means is guess what, the CML guys that AAA hates or the AAA guys that New Japan hates, well some of their guys are better than your guys and that’s just the way it is.

    “We’re going to use the best that is available to us and we’re going to have a very peaceful, celebratory ring where everyone can show their craft, show their art and we’re going to have a number of dream matches or I don’t know if you could call them dream matches but call them matches that you never thought you would see in a wrestling ring and I think it’s going to go make for a more interesting landscape for professional wrestling in 2019 and beyond.”

  • Kenny Omega Explains Why He Chose to Sign with AEW Over WWE or New Japan

    Kenny Omega Explains Why He Chose to Sign with AEW Over WWE or New Japan

    Kenny Omega is no longer the biggest free agent in professional wrestling.

    The former New Japan Pro Wrestling stalwart inked a four year deal to join All Elite Wrestling earlier this week after receiving numerous offers from his former employers as well as WWE.

    Omega confirmed that WWE made him a very generous offer to join the promotion and the executives he dealt with were nothing but professional during the negotiations in an attempt to get him to sign with the company.

    Ultimately, Omega says what he’s getting with AEW was just too good to pass up at this stage in his career.

    “WWE’s offer was of course fantastic as you reported and a lot of people know just common knowledge and they went about it in a very professional, courteous way and those guys are nothing but consummate professionals in how they dealt with me but at the end of the day, AEW presented something that just couldn’t be beat,” Omega said on the Wrestling Observer podcast.

    “I’m with my best friends in the business and I have a little bit of control over my own creative, which is always important and I really feel that it’s the true platform for me to let my voice be heard. I always like challenges. I like the prospect of this being a blundering failure.”

    “I felt I needed to go to a place where I could do more” ~ Kenny Omega on signing with AEW

    Obviously, Omega hopes that AEW is a rousing success but it’s all going to depend on performers like him to help build the company into a place where fans will want to tune in week to week as well as investing to watch the biggest shows.

    He says that there was a part of him that wanted to join WWE just based on having creative control taken out of his hands because Omega has spent many sleepless nights obsessing over the direction of his character and upcoming matches while performing in New Japan.

    “[WWE] is absolutely not a risk,” Omega explained. “Part of me was like do I want to shut my brain off and have people write for me and tell me what to do? It sounds kind of cool actually.”

    Omega also stated that while there were ‘dream’ matches that he definitely could have worked by signing with WWE, the prospect of this particular project was everything he wanted for his career right now.

    “I felt I needed to go to a place where I could do more,” Omega explained. “Japan will always be a home to me and I’m always going to be back. AEW for me, or WWE, kind of seemed like the next step, potential dream matches and all that and using the new platform, not necessarily a better one or a bigger one or whatever. I just wanted a new platform to reach new people.”

  • Updated AEW Roster & List Of Partnerships

    Updated AEW Roster & List Of Partnerships

    All Elite Wrestling announced several new roster members last night at the Double or Nothing ticket rally in Las Vegas. Kenny Omega, the Best Friends, Kylie Rae, and Sammy Guevara were announced in addition to several others.

    With yesterday’s additions the AEW updated roster looks as follows:

    AEW Confirmed Roster:

    1. Kenny Omega (announced at Double or Nothing Rally)
    2. Cody
    3. The Young Bucks
    4. Chris Jericho
    5. PAC
    6. Hangman Page
    7. Pentagon Jr (agreed to terms this week)
    8. Fenix  (agreed to terms this week)
    9. Christoper Daniels
    10. Kazarian
    11. Scorpio Sky
    12. Trent Beretta (announced at Double or Nothing Rally)
    13. Chuck Taylor (announced at Double or Nothing Rally)
    14. Joey Janela
    15. CIMA (announced at Double or Nothing Rally)
      • Spent 21 years wrestling for Dragon Gate. Began wrestling with OWE in early 2018
    16. Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF)
    17. Jimmy Havoc (announced earlier this week)
    18. Jungle Boy (announced recently)
    19. Sonny Kiss (announced at Double or Nothing Rally)
      • XO Lishus from Lucha Underground
    20. Sammy Guevara  (announced at Double or Nothing Rally)
    21. Penelope Ford
    22. Britt Baker
    23. Brandi Rhodes
    24. Nyla Rose
      • Warriors of Wrestling Women’s Champion
      • Also wrestles with Sendai Girls in Japan quite a bit.
    25. Yuka Sakazaki
      • Wrestles with Tokyo Joshi Pro
    26. Kylie Rae
      • AAW in Chicago, Stardom, lots of places…
    27. Aja Kong
      • Sendai Girls, OZ Academy, Zero-1

    AEW Confirmed Partnerships

    AEW confirmed they will partner with Mexican Lucha Libre promotion AAA. The promotion was founded in 1992 when Antonio Pena and Konnan split away from CMLL. At the rally in Jacksonville on January 8th, the Young Bucks also announced a partnership with Oriental Wrestling Entertainment (OWE)

    AEW Double Or Nothing Matches

    • PAC vs Hangman Page
    • Kylie Rae vs Nyla Rose
    • Lucha Bros vs the Young Bucks
  • Kenny Omega Officially Signs With AEW

    Kenny Omega Officially Signs With AEW

    All Elite Wrestling (AEW) continues to take the professional wrestling world by storm. Earlier today (Thurs. February 7, 2019) AEW held its “Double Or Nothing” Ticket Announcement Party from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. To close out the event, AEW announced its biggest signing yet.

    Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega has officially joined the promotion. Following months of speculation regarding where he may end up, Omega has joined his fellow former Bullet Club members, Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks. Along with serving as a talent, Omega has also been named an Executive Vice President of AEW.

    Omega told the Las Vegas crowd that he only put pen to paper this morning. He is now a full-time member of the AEW roster. Omega said he looks forward to finally being able to change the world alongside the cast and crew of AEW. “The Cleaner” was then interrupted by Chris Jericho, who came face-to-face with Omega before attacking him.

    Now, the pair will wrestle one another in their first match under the AEW banner at Double Or Nothing. The pay-per-view (PPV) goes down from the MGM Grand on May 25, 2019. AEW’s official Twitter account hyped the match-up with the following:

    What do you think about Omega signing with AEW?

  • Kenny Omega Reflects On Time In WWE Developmental, Discusses Upcoming Documentary

    Kenny Omega Reflects On Time In WWE Developmental, Discusses Upcoming Documentary

    Kenny Omega remains the hottest free agent in pro wrestling. Speculation ended over his possible Royal Rumble involvement once the match finished without ‘The Best Bout Machine.’ However, that isn’t to say all conjecture as to where Omega ends up has stopped. With AEW, NJPW, and WWE still a possibility, Omega remains one of the most talked about wrestlers in the industry.

    This is highlighted by his upcoming documentary, Omega Man: A Wrestling Love Story. The documentary is set to air on March 27th at 7:30/ET on TSN.

    Speaking with The Warmup, Kenny discussed the documentary, as well as his initial time in WWE’s developmental circuit.

    WWE Developmental

    Back in 2005, Omega was involved with WWE’s developmental promotion, Deep South Wrestling. He confessed he “didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought that I would.”

    “I really appreciated the opportunity and learned a lot. I felt going into the system as being a nobody, without them knowing my limitations, without them knowing my potential, especially, I really wanted to prove to them that I could be more to them and to the business than what they thought of me originally, so I decided to leave WWE.”

    He reflected that he was able to make this decision due to his living situation at the time. His parents helped to support him as he reassessed his direction. This time to think ensured he avoided rash decisions, helping him to focus and fulfil his dreams.

    “[…] Up until now, nobody really understands there are other options, there is more to wrestling than just WWE. You can make a living and make a difference, being regarded as the best on the planet in professional wrestling without ever stepping foot in WWE.”

    Omega Man: A Wrestling Love Story

    Omega admitted he was a private person, but was open to the idea of a documentary being made about him. He also revealed that the whole project came about after a simple question via Twitter.

    “I think it [the documentary] actually originated on Twitter. Someone asked if I were, perhaps, interested in a documentary filmed about me,” he said. “[…] I’m a very private — it’s hard to let people into that personal space bubble, so I was open for discussion, I wanted to talk about it.

    Knowing my schedule doesn’t really have much leeway in terms of free time and such, having a documentary crew follow me around and essentially take away all that free time, I wasn’t sure if I would actually enjoy the experience or not, or if I would be able to act like myself.

    As a performer, I always feel like I’m performing for the people. I didn’t want to make it seem like I was performing for a documentary, I wanted it to be an actual representation of who I am.”

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription

  • Kenny Omega To AEW Teased Again on Being The Elite

    Kenny Omega To AEW Teased Again on Being The Elite

    Kenny Omega is set to become the hottest free agent in professional wrestling. WWE’s Royal Rumble came and went without a surprise appearance from the ‘best bout machine.’ Some fans were hoping Omega would debut in the Rumble like AJ Styles did back in 2016, but that was not meant to be.

    On the latest episode of Being The Elite (Episode 136), we got another hint that Kenny Omega will join joining the upstart All Elite Wrestling (AEW) promotion.

    During a previous episode, it was revealed that Omega’s cell phone was missing. That phone was later shown with to have the same “countdown” timer the rest of the gang had, which culminated with the reveal of AEW’s formation on New Year’s Eve.

    This week, when it seemed like the episode was over, Matt Jackson was shown speaking on the phone. Jackson said, “Dude, I can’t believe people actually thought you were going to be there. Unbelievable” – an apparent reference to Kenny Omega in the Royal Rumble. Matt continued, “I’m so happy you found your phone. I’ll see you soon.”  We then see Kenny Omega’s phone get flipped over to reveal another countdown clock.

    The 9-day 19-hour countdown expires on Thursday, February 7th. That happens to be same day as the AEW Double or Nothing Ticket Announcement Party at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. While that is far from a confirmation, it’s another hint from The Elite that Kenny Omega is AEW bound.

    Kenny Omega’s Future Teased (Again) on Being The Elite

  • Chris Jericho & Kenny Omega Almost Joined Impact Wrestling

    Chris Jericho & Kenny Omega Almost Joined Impact Wrestling

    Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega were in serious negotiations to join Impact Wrestling, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    Jericho and Omega’s relationships with Impact Executive Vice President (and fellow Winnipegger) Don Callis are well-documented. Callis was the one brokering the talks and was “very close to deals” with both Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho. That is, until All Elite Wrestling (AEW) entered the picture.

    Dave Meltzer reports, “The expectation before AEW is that Omega would work for New Japan and do 30 dates per year [for Impact] and Jericho would work here because he’s have so much input on his creative if he wanted to work another year with New Japan.”

    Callis is currently a prominent figure in New Japan’s presentation, where he serves as the English color commentator. When he was first announced as the EVP of Impact, there were rumors that he would be looking to lure some New Japan talent over to the company.

    This would not have been the first time that Impact (formerly TNA) had worked with New Japan. However, they are now a very different company in virtually every aspect. TNA had previously had the likes of Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger on their programming. Okada in particular did not enjoy his time with the company. With Okada believing that he was ‘mis-used’ and it soured the relationship between TNA and New Japan at the time.

    With Don Callis at the helm there are still opportunities for New Japan talent to be on Impact programming. Landing Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega would have been tremendous for the fledgling promotion, which remains steadfast in its ongoing attempts to rebuild in 2019.

  • Cody Discusses Kenny Omega Potentially Signing With AEW

    Cody Discusses Kenny Omega Potentially Signing With AEW

    With all the anticipation surrounding Kenny Omega, it appears that “The Best Bout Machine” has plenty of options available to him as his NJPW contract nears expiration. Unsurprisingly, one promotion, in particular, would love to have Omega join their ranks: All Elite Wrestling.

    Speaking recently with the Breaking Kayfabe podcast, Executive Vice President of AEW, Cody Rhodes, spoke candidly on a number of issues. During the course of the podcast, Cody would discuss NJPW, AEW’s growing roster, as well as his vision for the long term company goals, and the chances of signing Kenny Omega.

    “I Don’t Think It’s The Last For Me”

    It appears that Cody still has intentions of wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He was open with his praise for the company, saying “What a wonderful, absolutely wonderful company that is! And an absolutely wonderful environment — locker room and really, in the world of sports entertainment, they skew so far toward the sport of pure wrestling. I definitely know that I don’t think it’s the last for me. I’m just speaking for me, I can’t speak for the company in this regard, but I’d like to remain friends.”

    He would then allude to NJPW’s continued working relationship with Ring Of Honor, and hoped that AEW could one day join that.

    “They have various partnerships now, New Japan does. I’d hope that maybe All Elite Wrestling can be one as well.”

    Best Bout Machine

    In regards to Kenny Omega, Cody was quick to assure everyone that, no matter where Omega ends up, The Elite would support his decision. As far as Cody is concerned, Omega will always be a part of The Elite.

    “Kenny’s a free agent and not arguably, genuinely, he’s the hottest free agent in the world,” Rhodes said.

    “One thing I really like about the group of friends and The Elite group is, no matter what he decides to do, if he decides to go to WWE, if he decides to go to AEW, if he continues to only do New Japan Pro Wrestling, he’s still part of The Elite, and everyone supports whatever decision that he makes.

    I obviously want him to be a part of what’s happening because, who am I kidding, I’m late to the party that is The Elite. […] I’d really like him to join us but time, and what’s most important to him, will kinda be the factors there. Money is one thing, creative freedom is another.”

    Listen to Cody’s comments about Kenny Omega in AEW here:

    https://audioboom.com/posts/7147774-all-elite-wrestling-executive-vice-president-cody-rhodes-joins-breaking-kayfabe

    H/T to WrestlingINC for the transcribed quotes

  • Kenny Omega Documentary Premiering On TSN In March

    Kenny Omega Documentary Premiering On TSN In March

    Last month we reported that Toronto musician Joseph Shabson said he scored music for a documentary on New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Kenny Omega. The documentary is being worked on by HBO. However, it’s HBO’s Canadian department. Not to be confused with the team that worked on WWE Hall Of Famer Andre The Giant’s documentary last year.

    While fans have only had the word of Shabson to go on, we now have confirmation, and a release date, for the documentary. Writer, assistant director, and producer Corey Erdman recently confirmed the project. Erdman revealed on Twitter (The Tweet has since been deleted) that the documentary will be named “Omega Man: A Wrestling Love Story.” He also noted that it will be released on TSN on March 27th:

    “I can finally talk about what I’ve been doing for a year. I have been writing/producing and assistant directing Omega Man: A Wrestling Love Story, on the brilliant . Premiering March 27 on . Watch the early trailer here: ”

    The Sports Network is not a channel available in the United States. There’s currently no news on how wrestling fans stateside can watch the documentary upon its release. But we’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.

    Kenny Omega’s Free Agency Status

    There has been a lot of speculation in regards to Omega’s future. His deal with NJPW is set to expire soon. Many assume the former IWGP Heavyweight Champ is All Elite Wrestling-bound (AEW). However, Omega recently noted that he’ll be wrestling on a “large international platform” in 2019. This led many to believe he’ll be going to WWE. It remains to be seen where Omega will end up, but expect the announcement very soon.

    What do you think about Omega getting his own documentary?

  • Kenny Omega Says He’ll Be Wrestling On A ‘Large International Platform’ In 2019

    Kenny Omega Says He’ll Be Wrestling On A ‘Large International Platform’ In 2019

    Kenny Omega’s contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is coming to an end. “The Cleaner” has said he won’t be returning to NJPW once his deal is up. Now the question remains – where will Omega land? Of course, the option of WWE is always there. However, Omega recently turned down an offer from the professional wrestling powerhouse. Now, it’s expected that Omega will be joining All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

    While that’s the expectation, nothing has been made official as of this writing. Earlier this month, Omega dropped the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Japan. He made his first public appearance this week since his title loss. Omega, alongside Kazuchika Okada, appeared at the Tokyo Sports Awards to accept the award for Best Bout of 2018.

    In his acceptance speech, Omega (via a translation from Chris Charlton) noted that he “wouldn’t stand on the Tokyo Sports stage next year, that he would still be putting on moty (Match Of The Year) performances on a large international platform.”

    AEW is not an international platform this early into its start, but certainly has the potential to be. As for WWE, they’re a well-established international platform with a good shot at signing Omega to a deal. Perhaps WWE isn’t completely out of the Omega sweepstakes after all.

    Where do you think Omega will end up wrestling in 2019?

  • Kenny Omega Reportedly Turned Down WWE Offer

    Kenny Omega Reportedly Turned Down WWE Offer

    With the current climate in wrestling many independent stars are being locked into contracts as quickly as possible. WWE, All Elite, Ring of Honor, New Japan and IMPACT are attempting to get in as many guaranteed talents on the books to deter their competition.

    One of the biggest names currently nearing the free agent status is Kenny Omega. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion will be free of his New Japan contract on February 1st. The speculation is rampant…where will he end up?

    According to the Wrestling Observer the ‘Best Bout Machine’ will indeed be joining his Elite comrades in AEW. Dave Meltzer even mentioned that “the word was that he [Omega] had already turned down the WWE offer.”

    It’s also being speculated that AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling will indeed come to some sort of working relationship. Particularly with regards to Omega. With Chris Jericho having signed with AEW and his potential match with Hiroshi Tanahashi coming soon it would be in New Japan’s interest to work alongside AEW. This also calls into question how Kota Ibushi falls into the equation.

    The ‘Golden Star’ is of course intrinsically linked with Omega and NJPW can ill afford to lose The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page and Kota Ibushi in quick fashion. The two sides may come to an agreement but this remains to be seen.

  • Hulk Hogan Discusses Possibility Of Kenny Omega Signing With WWE

    Hulk Hogan Discusses Possibility Of Kenny Omega Signing With WWE

    WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan was in the news this week once he appeared on this week’s Monday Night RAW episode and is back in the headlines after doing a recent interview with Sports Illustrated.

    In this discussion, the pro wrestling legend gave his take on the future of former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega and if WWE is the right fit for him.

    Omega made big news this week once he mentioned that he was “stepping away” from NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) which led to speculation that he could be headed to the WWE or potentially sign with AEW. Hogan talked about what he thinks it would mean if Omega decided to join the WWE.

    “It’s tough to go your whole life without eating at McDonald’s or riding in a Chevrolet,” said Hogan. “If you don’t touch on the WWE, the story’s not complete. But maybe Kenny could be the exception.”

    It should be noted that Omega is still under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling until his contract expires on January 31.

    Hogan would continue by talking about how just like with Omega, he started to become a big star in Japan. He would reflect on his journey in the country back in 1978 and how he fell in love with it but mentioned how times were different back then. You can read the full interview here.

  • Latest On Kenny Omega’s Future

    Latest On Kenny Omega’s Future

    Many professional wrestling fans are anticipating where Kenny Omega will end up this year. “The Cleaner” recently dropped the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) Wrestle Kingdom 13. In a recent interview, Omega confirmed that he plans on leaving the promotion. WWE has made the longtime NJPW star a “fantastic” offer. However, it looks like Omega won’t be joining the WWE’s already stacked roster.

    Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, Omega is expected to be joining All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Omega can’t make the move until his deal with NJPW is up at the end of the month. An official announcement on Omega’s future likely won’t be made until February 1st.

    It was also noted that NJPW found out about Omega’s intentions to leave the promotion through his interview with Tokyo Sports. They were not pleased with having to find out this way.

    NJPW “badly” wants to keep Omega, which could result in a partnership between NJPW and AEW. AEW has been making headlines for the past several weeks, especially after having already landed top stars like Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks.

    All Elite will be holding their “Double or Nothing” rally in Jacksonville today at 5 P.M. ET. It will all go down from the West Club parking lot of the TIAA Bank Field.

    What do you think about Omega possibly heading to AEW?

  • Bobby Roode Reveals Who He Would Like To See Debut During The Royal Rumble

    Bobby Roode Reveals Who He Would Like To See Debut During The Royal Rumble

    The Royal Rumble matchup is a great opportunity for WWE to shake up the landscape of their product — just look at the immediate impact and reaction that greeted AJ Styles upon arriving during the 2016 Rumble event.

    With 30 spots available, every year speculation runs wild as to who could be making a return or, potentially, a debut.

    Speaking with Planeta Wrestling, current Raw tag team champion, Bobby Roode, named the one person he would love to debut as a surprise entrant this year: Kenny Omega.

    “Right now it seems like the stars in the business — the people I’m familiar with — are definitely in the WWE or quite possibly one of the 30 guys that are already in the match,” Roode said. “But if you’re looking for an outside guy, I don’t know, it’s gotta be Kenny Omega then. He’s a fellow Canadian and a guy that, I think, has a lot of talent and would be a huge addition to this company. But who knows? We’ll see what happens.”

    “I Need Time Away, And Not Just From New Japan”

    It was only recently announced that Omega intends to take time off from New Japan Pro Wrestling. This came after Kenny lost his IWGP Heavyweight championship in an epic encounter against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13.

    During the post-Wrestle Kingdom press conference, Kenny Omega stated:

    “There is no real place for me to fit, so it’s best for me not to be in (NJPW). I can’t be there working under Tanahashi. I don’t think he’s surpassed me, don’t think he’s better. If we can, I want to face him again. But I need time away, and not just from New Japan.”

    Do you agree with Bobby? Would you love to see Omega debut for WWE during the Rumble event?

  • Rumor Killer On Details Behind WWE’s Offer To Kenny Omega

    Rumor Killer On Details Behind WWE’s Offer To Kenny Omega

    We recently noted that WWE made a “fantastic” offer to Kenny Omega. The New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star recently dropped the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the Wrestle Kingdom 13 pay-per-view (PPV). WWE is looking to boost their roster this year, especially with their new broadcast deal with FOX coming into play in a few months. Signing Omega would undoubtedly be the biggest free agency move of the year.

    However, with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) now official and looking to make a name for itself, there’s a possibility Omega ends up there as well. With that being said, there have been a lot of rumors going around in regard to WWE’s offer to Omega. One of those being that the offer included creative control. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio notes that perk was not included in their offer to “The Cleaner.” Such a perk is an extreme rarity in WWE today.

    Recently, Omega told Tokyo Sports that he is leaving NJPW. There’s no clear indication, as of this writing, where he could go next:

    “There is no real place for me to fit, so it’s best for me not to be in (NJPW),” Omega said. “I can’t be there working under Tanahashi. I don’t think he’s surpassed me, don’t think he’s better. If we can, I want to face him again. But I need time away, and not just from New Japan.”

    What do you make of WWE not offering Omega creative control?

  • Big Hint About Kenny Omega’s Future On Being The Elite (Ep. 133)

    Big Hint About Kenny Omega’s Future On Being The Elite (Ep. 133)

    The latest episode of The Elite’s Being The Elite Youtube series features footage from Marty Scurll’s New Years Day Party, footage of the guys signing their AEW contracts, backstage footage from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 and more.

    In true Being the Elite fashion, the show is chock full of zany moments. However, it’s not all insider references and “size” jokes. About 16 minutes in, The Elite crew is hanging backstage at the Tokyo Dome after their losses at Wrestle Kingdom. Matt Jackson mentions this might be the last time that they’re all together for a long time, since he, brother Nick, Cody and Hangman Page are about to venture out with All Elite Wrestling. This reality was lost on Marty Scurll, who apparently didn’t watch the previous episode of BTE and hadn’t heard about AEW. They hugged it out and before taking off, Kenny Omega mentioned to Marty that he lost his phone. No big deal, right? Wrong.

    At the conclusion of the episode, the standard outro video package is interrupted and we’re back outside the Tokyo Dome, where AEW and Double or Nothing were revealed last week. Dramatic music played in the background as the camera panned around a few corners. The camera eventually revealed a lost cell phone, presumably Kenny Omega’s. With Omega’s phone in frame, we hear the familiar “clock ticking” sound, which played for months on BTE up until the big reveal of AEW.

    This tease regarding Omega’s future comes just hours after news broke that he is leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling. He told Tokyo Sports that he’s considering wrestling for WWE or AEW in 2019. It seems unusual that The Elite would start teasing Kenny Omega for AEW if they didn’t have an agreement in place, but perhaps we’ll find out at Tuesday’s AEW Double or Nothing Rally.

    Being The Elite (Ep. 133): “After Wrestle Kingdom”

  • Kenny Omega Taking Time Off From New Japan, Talks Going To WWE-AEW

    Kenny Omega Taking Time Off From New Japan, Talks Going To WWE-AEW

    New Japan Pro Wrestling held a press conference on Monday from Tokyo, Japan to address some of the fallout from Wrestle Kingdom 13 weekend. While Kenny Omega was absent from the New Year’s Dash show from Korakuen Hall, he was at the press conference.

    According to NJPW commentator Chris Charlton, Omega said that there is currently no place for him in NJPW and he needs time away.

    “‘There is no real place for me to fit, so it’s best for me not to be in (NJPW). I can’t be there working under Tanahashi. I don’t think he’s surpassed me, don’t think he’s better. If we can, I want to face him again. But I need time away, and not just from New Japan.”

    Charlton also cited this article from Japan’s Tokyo Sports news publication with a more aggressive framing, that Omega is “leaving” New Japan.

    During an interview with Tokyo Sports, Omega spoke directly about the possibility of signing with either WWE or the upstart All Elite Wrestling. Omega said (translated),  “If I go to WWE, the fans there will be pleased, and the fans there will be pleased if I go to AEW. I want to be in a place where I’m going to be happy.” Omega added, “I do not know what will happen myself .”

    It is believed that Kenny Omega’s contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling expires later this month. At this time, we don’t have any further details about whether or not Omega is taking time off as part of a storyline or if he is legitimately leaving Japan.

    WWE Reportedly Make Kenny Omega A “Fantastic Offer”

    Omega’s comments indicate he could be leaving NJPW. This could mean he will sign with All Elite Wrestling or WWE. Then again, it could also just be Omega giving an excuse for taking some time off before coming back for trilogy match with Tanahashi.

    It was reported that if Omega doesn’t sign with WWE this year, it won’t be because WWE wasn’t interested.

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi Defeats Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 13

    Hiroshi Tanahashi Defeats Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 13

    New Japan’s annual Tokyo Dome show is now underway. The stacked card could end up being one of NJPW’s best ever and we’ve got the results as and when they happen, including the main event between Kenny Omega and Hiroshi Tanahashi.

    The main event has just taken place in front of the Tokyo Dome crowd. Up to this point every Championship had changed hands on the card. That trend continued here.

    One of the biggest spots in the match saw Tanahashi attempt to hit his High Fly Flow to Omega who was on a table outside the ring. Omega avoided the impact and Tanahashi took a huge spill through the wood. Kenny then opted to not take the count out victory as he rolled Tanahashi back into the ring.

    The finish saw Tanahashi hit one final High Fly Flow to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the 8th time in his career.

    You can follow all of our coverage for this historic event here

    Here’s the full card for the event:

    • NEVER Openweight Championship Match – Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay
    • IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado) (c) vs. Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & BUSHI)
    • RPW British Heavyweight Championship Match – Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zac Sabre Jr.
    • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
    • IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Match – Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson
    • IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match – KUSHIDA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori
    • Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada
    • IWGP Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship No Disqualification Match – Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
    • IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match – Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

  • WWE Reportedly Make Kenny Omega a “Fantastic offer”

    The IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega will be defending his title in just a few hours time at Wrestle Kingdom. The Champion has had a fairly mixed run with the belt but is still considered one of the premier performers in New Japan and the world scene.

    According to the Wrestling Observer this hasn’t gone unnoticed at WWE. Dave Meltzer has said that WWE have made a “Fantastic offer” to Omega. It’s not clear what that means monetarily but WWE do have some firepower when it comes to contract negotiations. The company will be wanting to boost their roster with the upcoming move to FOX and the multi billion dollar deal that they signed, even if that means potentially bolstering the likes of NXT.

    With All Elite Wrestling also getting off the ground there is a good chance that Omega winds up there. Omega is of course very close with The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes, he could be a huge asset in helping to promote the new venture going forward. With NJPW also looking to further expand into ‘the west’ they will not be wanting to lose one of their biggest stars, so there could be some interesting developments in the coming weeks.

  • NJPW Festival 2019 Results: Jericho vs. Naito Contract Signing, More

    NJPW Festival 2019 Results: Jericho vs. Naito Contract Signing, More

    New Japan Pro Wrestling held their 2019 NJPW Festival at Studio Coast in Tokyo on Thursday, an event that featured all of the Wrestle Kingdom 13 participants facing off.

    The highlight of the show was the Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito contract signing, which ended with Jericho putting Naito through a table.

    The festival also provided the most intense Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi promo battle to date, as Omega promised to kick out of anything that Tanahashi hit him with, while Tanahashi promised to end their feud decisively at Wrestle Kingdom 13.

    You can see video of the Tanahashi vs. Omega segment below.

    Also of note, Cody, with Brandi Rhodes beside him, and Juice Robinson went face-to-face ahead of their IWGP United States Championship bout on Friday.

    Juice said that he should burn his gear and retire if he is unable to beat Cody, while Brandi Rhodes stated that she hated Juice’s face and his hair, and that she can’t wait to see Cody beat Juice again.

    The festival also featured three Lion’s Gate Project matches. Here are the results:

    • Tiger Mask & Jushin Thunder Liger def. Yuya Uemura & Ren Narita in 11:28 when Tiger Mask pinned Uemura after a Tiger Driver.
    • Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata def. Tomoaki Honma & Toa Henare in 9:34 when Nagata pinned Henare with a backdrop hold.
    • Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima def. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino in 11:07 when Kojima pinned Umino after a lariat.

    The entire show is available for free at NJPWWorld.com.

  • Kenny Omega and Hiroshi Tanahashi Sign Wrestle Kingdom Contracts (Video)

    Kenny Omega and Hiroshi Tanahashi Sign Wrestle Kingdom Contracts (Video)

    We are just days away from Wrestle Kingdom 13 inside the Tokyo Dome on January 4th. The main event of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year will be Kenny Omega versus Hiroshi Tanahashi. The two took part in an official contract signing which was live-streamed on the promotion’s YouTube channel earlier today.

    Omega addressed his rivalry with Tanahashi when it was his turn to speak.

    “From what I’ve heard now, there are over 30% of you that are from foreign countries,” Omega said in English.

    Omega has been saying his style of pro-wrestling is more appealing to an international audience than Tanahashi’s is.

    “There may even be more of you that speak English,” he continued. “That’s just wonderful. That is the entire point of this main event coming up in Tokyo Dome.”

    “On January 4th, we have our biggest show of the year, Wrestle Kingdom,” Omega continued. “If you guys aren’t going to watch it, I urge you please give it a try. Believe it or not, I’m the best in the world at doing this thing, and you may actually like it.”

    NJPW commentator, Chris Charlton, provided some translations of Tanahashi’s comments.

    You can watch the press conference in its entirety below:

    https://youtu.be/mNiSh9OpMX4?t=683

  • Kenny Omega Says Hiroshi Tanahashi Has Been Wrestling “Like A Coward”

    Kenny Omega Says Hiroshi Tanahashi Has Been Wrestling “Like A Coward”

    Kenny Omega will defend his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13. In many ways, the match has become about Tanahashi’s style of pro-wrestling versus a new style Omega is looking to usher in.

    Omega addressed the sub-plot during a recent interview with NJPW1972.com.

    “I feel like I have given my heart, my soul, all of my passion to this company, but everyone keeps telling me about how Tanahashi’s given up so much,” Omega said.

    “Everyone is evolving. I’ve become an inspiration to everyone, and people are trying to follow my lead. Tana just can’t accept that. He wants to be the leader. He wants to do it in his own way.”

    Kenny Omega on Hiroshi Tanahashi

    Omega would continue to say that Tanahashi relies too much on reminding fans what he has done for the company in the past.

    “Here’s the thing, I have this style that can’t be duplicated,” Omega continued. “It eats Tana up alive, he hates it. Tana speaks to his cult and says, ‘my style is the true style, it’s the right way!” “Do you remember 15 years ago when I saved the company? That was me! That was me! I’m going to do it again! You still believe me, right? Right? Still?’”

    You can read the full interview here.