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

• Kenny Omega Officially Signs With AEW

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

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:

#AEW #DoubleOrNothing pic.twitter.com/UMtTg2WKPW

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 8, 2019

What do you think about Omega signing with AEW?

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.”

• Kenny Omega To AEW Teased Again on Being The Elite

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription

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 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.

• Abyss Gone From Impact Wrestling & Rumored To Be Joining WWE

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

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 @KennyOmegamanX. Premiering March 27 on @TSN_Sports. Watch the early trailer here: https://www.tsn.ca/engraved”

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’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).

• Latest On Kenny Omega’s Future

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.”

Kenny said he wouldn’t stand on the Tokyo Sports stage next year, that he would still be putting on moty performances on a large international platform. https://t.co/hxYixwqPrk

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) January 17, 2019

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?

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.

• Updated List Of Wrestlers Working With AEW

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.

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?

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?

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?

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”

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.

Kenny Omega is leaving NJPW. https://t.co/hfSYmZKaHd

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) January 7, 2019

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.

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

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.

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.

Tanahashi: I’m coming into the Tokyo Dome with all my rage, and I’m going to bring this to an end. #njwk13

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) January 3, 2019

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

??????? ????????2019??
?9??????????????IWGP?????????? ?? @KennyOmegamanX vs ??? @tanahashi1_100 ?????????????
?????https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP #njpw #njwk13 #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/xDWJcguXvJ

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 3, 2019

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.

??????? ????????2019??
?5??IWGP US??????????
?? @CodyRhodes vs ??? ???????????????????????
?????https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP #njpw #njwk13 #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/CdNecoeyWQ

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 3, 2019

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.

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.”

Unbelievable! Hundreds of thousands of fans have come for the live contract signing for @KennyOmegamanX vs @tanahashi1_100!!

Check it out now for FREE!

NJPW official YouTube: https://t.co/AUz6V6zous

NJPW World: https://t.co/Qr7TwyC71N#njpw #njwk13 pic.twitter.com/qX9YfRcInE

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) December 31, 2018

“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.

Tanahashi ‘I’ve given it my all my entire career, but on January 4 I’ll fight harder than I ever have in my life’ #njwk13

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) December 31, 2018

You can watch the press conference in its entirety below:

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

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.

Earlier this year, Hiroshi Tanahashi voiced his criticism of Kenny Omega’s in-ring style. The G1 Climax 28 winner said that only the last 5 minutes of a Kenny Omega match matter because there is no story to them.

He said Omega’s matches are “like watching a movie with no Kishotenketsu (dramatic arc of traditional Japanese narratives).”

Omega recently responded in an interview with Rolling Stone Japan. NJPW commentator, Chris Charlton, provided the translation.

Rolling Stone Japan interviewed @KennyOmegamanX about Tanahashi. https://t.co/9qjfPEifkB pic.twitter.com/g5MZO2Lu7m

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) December 18, 2018

“To suggest that mine is a style that isn’t New Japan is a big problem,” Omega said. “It’s saying Tanahashi’s style, the style that presents himself as the ace, is the only style that’s correct.”

Omega then takes a shot at his Wrestling Kingdom 13 challenger.

“I absolutely understand and respect that Tanahashi did so much to pull NJPW out of the dark ages,” Omega continued. “Recently, the ones that have brought us to this awesome level have been Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, and of course, the best bout machine, Kenny Omega.”

Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship Reign

Omega defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the title in a best 2-of-3 falls, no time-limit match in Osaka, Japan on June 6th, 2018. He followed up the win at NJPW Dominion by defeating Cody in his first title defense at the G1 Special in San Francisco. Omega then defeated rival, Tomohiro Ishii, at Destruction in Hiroshima in September. In his latest defense, he defeated Cody and Kota Ibushi in a triple threat match at King of Pro Wrestling.

Tokyo Sports has named Hiroshi Tanahashi as the MVP Of The Year.

The publication released the names of the winners of their annual Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards where Tanahashi won the MVP Award with eighteen votes. Kazuchika Okada was second in place with twelve votes and Kenny Omega in the third place with three votes.

Tanahashi gave the following statement after being selected as the winner of the MVP Award:

“It is I, 2018’s MVP Hiroshi Tanahashi. Since the final of the G1 Climax, I realized that I have once again become the center of the Wrestling world, whether it was during my fight over the challenger rights contracts or in the lead-up to WK13. I’ve been continually thinking about how to appeal to people who have never seen professional wrestling. In the past, Pro-Wrestling was more broadly known in Japanese culture. The broadcast of “World Pro-Wrestling” every Friday at 8.00pm gave the public the chance to see legends such as Mr. Inoki, Mr. Choshu and Mr. Fujinami come to local gymnasiums and has made Pro-Wrestling more famous as a result. Since I first became champion in 2006, I’ve often said the mic after headlining the main event “Thank you very much for today” or “I love you!” and performed air guitar. There have been some fans, however who have felt “Why is he saying things like that?” but I’ve always tried to reply “I will be f-ing famous!” by demonstrating my in-ring ability. This year, I think, was the first year I actually achieved that goal. Although it is still only half-way through it’s run, movie I starred in has exceeded 100 promotional events and 1,000 media spotlights. It showed the passion of professional wrestling and was able to connect with the general public nationwide. From influencers in the business world to famous people, I’ve spoken to numerous people now who have felt that “Pro-Wrestling is really fun!” I’ve always strived to achieve my goal of “It would be great if I could be famous!” I didn’t expect to win the MVP award, so I’m pleasant surprised. Thank you very much.”

Tanahashi has won the award three times before, first in 2009, then in 2011 and in 2014.

Mr. Okamoto of Tokyo Sports explained that the reason for selection of Tanahashi as the winner was his G1 Climax tournament victory, which served as a deciding factor. Another reason cited was the fact that Tanahashi is helping aleviate the image of professional wrestling in Japan by starring in movies and TV shows.

This is also the sixth straight year a wrestler from New Japan Pro-Wrestling has won the award.

Additionally, the Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-Jo Hall was awarded the Best Bout Award.

“Thank you. Since I have won the this award many times, please enter me into the Hall of Fame,” said Kazuchika Okada on his match winning the prize.

“We’ve done it for the second consecutive year. Even though there is a feeling that the story of Okada and I has ended after having four matches in a year and a half, I want to do it again someday,” Kenny Omega. “These matches have pushed me to the best physical condition of my life and wee were able to accomplish special things together. I’ve been able to combine that classic New Japan style with unpredictable newness. With the upcoming ideological clash at Wrestle Kingdom, we will prove that there is a home for every type of wrestling.”

Here is the list of all the awards and their recipients:

• MVP Award
  Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
• Best Bout Award
  Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
  (New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
• Outstanding Performance Award
  Naomichi Marufuji (Pro Wrestling Noah)
• Fighting Spirit Award
  Kaito Kiyomiya (Pro Wrestling Noah)
• Technique Award
  Tetsuya Naito (New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
• Best Tag Team Award
  Shuji Ishikawa and Suwama (All Japan Pro Wrestling)
• Newcomer Award
  Utami Hayashishita (World Wonder Ring Stardom)
• Joshi Puroresu Grand Prize
  Tsukasa Fujimoto (Ice Ribbon)

Kenny Omega who was nominated for the Favorite Celebrity Gamer (Athlete) category for the 2018 Gamers’ Choice Award recently spoke with Geek.com where he discussed video-gaming and revealed which games have given him inspiration.

Speaking about video game heroes, Kenny named characters from Smash Bros.! like Kirby, Ness, Luigi, Mega Man, Zack Fair, and (maybe) Sans.

Kenny Omega revealed that Street Fighter has been a very big inspiration for him. But it’s not just limited to fighting games, as he takes inspiration from different types of games like the action horror Resident Evil.

“For wrestling, I had some obvious Street Fighter ties. Most of them might be from Street Fighter, actually. Hmm, but there are actually a few moves based off of Mother as well. I take inspiration from all sorts of games though –Resident Evil for example. Even though it’s a horror game, I’ve found inspiration in Albert Wesker’s character. Persona and Chrono Trigger too. I tend to try to draw inspiration from games that are timeless, so that way when I apply it to matches they may (hopefully/luckily) end up that way too.”

The IWGP Heavyweight Champion named Undertale and Monster Hunter World as his favorite games. While on the topic, he also shared his thoughts on the stigma attached with gaming and what advice he has for people who look up to him.

“Once you focus on your dreams, really home in on your goal, the negativity around you just becomes faint background noise. The journey may be lonely at first, but you’ll meet new friends with the same motivations and the world of ridicule and doubt that you came from won’t even exist anymore.”

AXS has announced that they will be hosting an epic ten-hour “Kenny Omega-thon” special on Friday, December 28th.

“The Best Bout Machine” has had a stellar few years that easily lend themselves to this quasi-career retrospective.

From assuming leadership of Bullet Club in 2016 to his feud with Kazuchika Okada solidifying his position amongst NJPW’s main event scene, there’s a lot for Omega to reflect on as he heads towards his Wrestle Kingdom 13 match against Tanahashi on January 4th.

AXS Press Release

KENNY OMEGA REFLECTS ON HIS JOURNEY TO BECOMING CHAMPION IN AXS TV’S 10-HOUR ‘KENNY OMEGA-THON’ FRIDAY, DEC. 28 STARTING AT 2pE/11aP

Los Angeles (Dec. 10, 2018) – Join IWGP Heavyweight Champion and “Best Bout Machine” Kenny Omega as he revisits his journey toward becoming the champion and defending the belt at Wrestle Kingdom 13 as host of the 10-hour “Kenny Omega-thon” special on Friday, Dec. 28 starting at 2pE/11aP on AXS TV.

The marathon kicks off with Omega’s historic feat as the first non-Japanese wrestler to win the G1 Climax tournament in 2016, which set him on the path to the heavyweight title, and also features Omega’s acclaimed trilogy of matches with Kazuchika Okada; his run as IWGP U.S. Champion, including the highly publicized match with Chris Jericho at last year’s Wrestle Kingdom; and his current reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

Leading up to AXS TV’s premiere of Wrestle Kingdom 13 on Jan. 4 at 8pE/5pP, the network will air a late-night strip of the best of Wrestle Kingdom on weeknights at 5aE/2aP starting Friday, Dec. 7. Highlights include headlining matches from the last five Wrestle Kingdom Events including: Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi’s trilogy from 2013, 2015 and 2016; Okada’s battles with Tetsuya Naito from 2014 and 2018; Naito vs. Tanahashi from 2017 and many more.

“Kenny Omega-thon” Schedule (subject to change)
Friday, Dec. 28 at 2pE/11aP:

2pE – G1 Climax 26 Final – Kenny Omega vs. Hirooki Goto

3pE – Wrestle Kingdom 11 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada

4pE – Dominion 2017 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Okada

5pE – G1 Special in USA – IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship Tournament Final –Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii

6pE – Wrestle Kingdom 12 – IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Chris Jericho

7pE – New Beginning in Sapporo 2018 – IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Jay White

8pE – Dominion 2018 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Okada (2 hr)

10pE – G1 Special in San Francisco – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Cody

11pE – King of Pro-Wrestling 2018 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Cody vs. Kota Ibushi

“Best Bout Machine”

With so many stellar matchups to watch, it’s a great opportunity to enjoy them all over again or, if you’ve never seen them, experience them for the first time and understand why Omega so confidently calls himself the “Best Bout Machine.”

IWGP heavyweight champion Kenny Omega could possibly get an HBO documentary. Joseph Shabson, a Toronto musician, did an interview on the “Kreative Kontrol” podcast. He noted that he recently scored music for a documentary about a professional wrestler named Kenny Omega.

Here’s what Shabson had to say about the project:

“I just finished a documentary about a wrestler. That’s going to be coming out on HBO in the New Year, which is going to be really exciting.

“It’s a wrestler named Kenny Omega. He’s a wrestler from Winnipeg, but went to Japan and formed this tag team called the Golden Lovers, which was sort of like the first ever queer storyline in wrestling. He’s a pretty incredible dude; I was really happy with scoring that.”

HBO is no stranger to professional wrestling documentaries. They recently co-produced a very successful one about WWE Hall Of Famer Andre The Giant. WWE, JMH Films, and Ringer Films also produced the documentary. A potential documentary about Omega would certainly be an interesting one.

To listen to Joseph Shabson’s comments about the potential Kenny Omega documentary on HBO, click this link here.

Would you be interested in seeing an Omega HBO documentary?

H/T WrestleZone for the transcriptions