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Tag: Kenny Omega

  • Kenny Omega Responds To Hiroshi Tanahashi’s Criticism

    Kenny Omega Responds To Hiroshi Tanahashi’s Criticism

    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.

    “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.

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi Named MVP Of The Year By Tokyo Sports, Full List Of Award Winners

    Hiroshi Tanahashi Named MVP Of The Year By Tokyo Sports, Full List Of Award Winners

    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 On Which Video Games Inspire Him, Top Game Of 2018

    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 Announce 10-Hour Kenny Omega-Thon

    AXS Announce 10-Hour Kenny Omega-Thon

    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.”

  • Kenny Omega Allegedly Getting HBO Documentary

    Kenny Omega Allegedly Getting HBO Documentary

    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

  • Kenny Omega Responds To Critics Saying The Elite “Ruined NJPW”

    Kenny Omega Responds To Critics Saying The Elite “Ruined NJPW”

    The Elite is a polarizing group. While many fans love their antics, YouTube show, and matches, some NJPW fans feel their comedic antics take things too far and is not consistent with the style of NJPW they are used to.

    Some of these critics decided to bring a sign to a show recently which read “Harold Meij and the Elite Ruined NJPW”. A fan took a screenshot of the sign and sent it to members of the Elite. Kenny Omega then responded.

    Kenny Omega Defends The Elite Against Critics

    Omega continued to respond to people on Twitter after as well. He responded to this fan who questions Omega’s drawing power:

    “Didn’t I outdraw Tana vs Okada by over 2 times and set attendance records across the board spanning multiple years? Can we talk about that? Nah, didn’t think so”

    A fan of Omega’s then took to Twitter to voice their concern that Omega doesn’t let fans disagree with him. Omega had the following response:

    “Cool. I’ll agree next time that I’m destroying a company I sacrificed everything for and pray to the heavens that you like me”

    Omega is scheduled to face Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th, 2019.

  • Kenny Omega Explains Why He Hasn’t Signed With The WWE

    Kenny Omega Explains Why He Hasn’t Signed With The WWE

    Ever since Kenny Omega usurped AJ Styles to become then then-leader of the Bullet Club, prior to forming The Elite along with the Young Bucks, his career has been on an impressive upward trajectory.

    Whether it’s racking up victories in the ring, picking up prestigious championship titles, or growing his audience via his Twitch streams and competitive video game appearances, Kenny Omega is consistently at the forefront, his stock, seemingly, still rising.

    So, when interviewed by The Business Times and asked why he hasn’t signed with the WWE, ‘The Best Bout Machine’ had a lot to say on the matter, making sure to highlight that he is “very much a part of representing an alternative.”

    Viable Alternatives

    “If my motivation was money, I would already be in the WWE,” he stated, frankly. “I was down on the current product and I wanted to create a style and have matches that my friends, my family and other athletes could watch and enjoy.”

    He extrapolated his point, asserting that “[…] there’s a certain kind of wrestling fan that will only like a certain style. They think that’s the right way, and that’s okay, but I’m not trying to impress those people. Those people are already kind of set in their ways. I’m trying to open the world to a different style, what pro wrestling has the potential to be.”

    Omega then stressed the importance of choice for fans, saying, “Everyone has a choice to watch whatever they want. It’s okay to like both or other promotions, too.”

    “When I was growing up, I thought there was only WWE,” he confessed. “That’s it. One promotion in the world. And then, as I grew up, I found that there’s local wrestling. There’s WCW, there’s ECW. In Mexico, there are the luchadores. And then, finally, I realized there’s wrestling in Japan. I think for many people, they think there’s one giant promotion and that’s all that there is. It must be the best. But as they expand their palate and their horizons, they realize that, oh, there’s other wrestling out there. They might not necessarily like it more but it’s an option now.”

    With the advent of streaming services, the rise of true, viable alternatives has become all the more prevalent, with fans who are bored or unsatisfied with the WWE’s product quickly finding a promotion more in line with what they enjoy — a fact Kenny is well aware of as he wrapped up his thoughts on the matter: “It’s cool that there are so many options for people all over the planet.”

  • Update On NJPW Blocking Wrestlers From Appearing For Impact Wrestling

    Update On NJPW Blocking Wrestlers From Appearing For Impact Wrestling

    Don Callis and Impact Wrestling would love to bring in some of the top-talent from NJPW to their promotion. While it’s likely some in-roads have been made with Callis serving as English color commentator, it appears NJPW still isn’t budging. NJPW has talent sharing agreements in place with ROH & CMLL and apparently, they aren’t adding more North American promotions to the fold.

    “(NJPW) didn’t use guys like Brian Cage and John Morrison because they were Impact guys,” Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer. “And stopped some of their own talent from working Impact.”

    There have been rumblings in the past that some members of the NJPW roster were upset they weren’t allowed to work for Impact but who those wrestlers are is unconfirmed. As for Brian Cage and Johnny Impact, they were both said to be interested in working for the promotion but NJPW decided against it due to their status with Impact.

    Don Callis Wants Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho In Impact Wrestling

    The new management regime for Impact has been working in 2018 to clear the bad name left by the previous one. This includes a botched excursion between NJPW and Impact which saw Kazuchika Okada largely wasted by the former TNA Wrestling.

    At a Slammiversary press conference in Toronto earlier this year, Callis said to me he’d love to bring both Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho to his promotion.

    “There’s a young Canadian kid I like, we’d love to sign him, his name is Kenny Omega,” Callis said. “Another is Chris Jericho.”

  • NJPW Lion’s Break Project 1 Results feat. Kenny Omega vs David Finlay

    New Japan recently held two four match shows in Anaheim, California as part of their Lion’s project. Lion’s Break Project took place at Anaheim Expo Center as part of CharaExpo USA 2018.

    Here’s the results for the two shows over the weekend:

    Saturday November 10th Results

    • Alex Coughlin vs Karl Fredericks – this bout went to a 10-minute time limit draw
    • Ryusuke Taguchi b. Rocky Romero – Taguchi took the win with a roll-up
    • David Finlay b. Jushin Thunder Liger – Finlay took the pinfall win after hitting a stunner
    • NEVER Openweight Championship Hirooki Goto b. ACH – Goto took the win after hitting the GTR in a non-title match. Jeff Cobb was initially expected to face Goto but this was changed last minute due to travel issues

    Sunday November 11th Results

    • ACH b. Karl Fredericks – ACH took the win with a bridging German Suplex
    • Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger b. Clark Connors – Liger took the win via submission
    • Jeff Cobb & Ryusuke Taguchi b. Rocky Romero & NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto – Cobb took the win after hitting the Tour of the Islands on Romero
    • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega b. David Finlay – Omega hit One Winged Angel to take the win in a non-title match
  • Harold Meij Comments On Tanahashi vs Omega’s Ideological Feud

    Harold Meij Comments On Tanahashi vs Omega’s Ideological Feud

    Next January’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 event is being pushed as an event headlined by a battle of core ideologies.

    On one side, you have Hiroshi Tanahashi, who doesn’t believe that New Japan Pro Wrestling should sacrifice the very things that made them so unique. So Japanese.

    The other side of the argument is fronted by The Elite’s Kenny Omega, representing an outsider who wants to help bring global recognition to the promotion by adapting its style into something new. Evolving it into something he deems suitable.

    It’s been an engaging feud so far — one that flirts with real-life tensions that exist within the company over alleged concerns of rampant “Westernization” that dilutes the “Strong Style” nature of Japanese puroresu.

    Now an important voice has just been added to this feud: Harold Meij.

    “They’re Almost Two Extremes To Each Other”

    Meij is the current NJPW CEO, and has been speculated to have caused upset within the locker room with his recent decisions to reshuffle high-ranking New Japan corporate officials.

    Speaking to Uproxx about their January extravaganza, Meij ruminated on the ideological clash between Omega and Tanahashi, juxtaposing it with NJPW’s philosophical stance.

    “We talked a little bit about the philosophy, and I think that’s one of the things that sets New Japan apart from a lot of other promotions, or other sports for that matter, is we emphasize more the philosophical part… Keeping that in mind, I have to say that the Tanahashi vs. Kenny is going to be something special. Because they’re almost – I almost want to say they’re almost opposites, they’re almost two extremes to each other.”

    “He Is The Epitome, Really, Of The Tradition Of New Japan”

    “[…] if you’ve seen any of the comments that both have given, I mean, Tanahashi, for example, on the one hand, he is the essence of New Japan. He’s almost Mr. New Japan. I mean, he started with New Japan, he was brought up as Young Lion, he was there during the bad times, he was there during the good times. I mean, he’s been taking a lot of initiatives to help the company as well. Not just inside the ring, of course, as a wrestler, but also outside the ring he did a lot of PR. He went to personally sell tickets during our darker times… he is the epitome, really, of the tradition of New Japan. It’s in his DNA…that’s who he is.”

    “Now, Kenny on the other hand,” he continued, “[…] incredibly high-quality moves, incredible stamina and agility, but he’s almost self-taught. Almost. He didn’t go to the dojo, obviously, so he doesn’t have that part of him. He came from other experiences from the world. He’s wrestled and fought the world, really. So it’s almost, you know, two polar opposites. And yeah, I almost have to say that I almost don’t want to see the outcome of that.”

  • The Elite Discusses Bullet Club Departure On Jericho Podcast

    The Elite Discusses Bullet Club Departure On Jericho Podcast

    As we reported earlier, The Elite were guests on Talk is Jericho this week, and delivered a newsworthy appearance.

    The Elite Depart Bullet Club

    For starters, Kenny Omega,Cody, Marty Scurll, Hangman Page and The Young Bucks made their Bullet Club departure official.

    “This group right here is no longer The Bullet Club,” said Cody. “From this day forward, why don’t we just call ourselves The Elite?” asked Matt Jackson.

    Cody and Omega further clarified their statement.

    “The Tongans, Jay White, The Bullet Club, they’re all going to kick ass, we wish them the best. This is The Elite,” Cody said. “I don’t want this to be a negative announcement,” Omega said. “We fully support The Bullet Club and what they’re doing moving forward, it’s just that what we have in mind for ourselves and the business, just doesn’t align with what the Bullet Club OGs are doing.”

    While careful to note that he meant no negativity towards the OGs, Omega went on to make some statements that could be construed that way.

    “We take a lot of extra time to do the Being The Elite show, we really feel that it’s important to give back to you fans… Whereas the Bullet Club OGs just prioritize the other aspects of professional wrestling. They’d rather not do the extra stuff, which is fine. It’s okay to punch the clock,” he said.

    “I’ll never forget it,” said Matt. “The Bullet Club was the best thing in our career. It’s time to do something new, something fresh, and to look out for ourselves and our families, and make a little bit of money on those t-shirts.”

    Hangman Page

    There was some collective head-scratching in the wrestling world when Hangman Page joined Bullet Club in 2016. Page had never held a title in Ring of Honor and had yet to debut in New Japan.

    Page has since acquainted himself quite well, and has established himself as a can’t miss prospect, destined for singles stardom.

    On Talk Is Jericho, Page revealed that he too was taken aback when he was told that he would be joining Bullet Club.

    “I was a high school teacher at the time, I taught graphic design and journalism classes,” said Page. “I was really treading water, I didn’t know how long I could go on doing this.”
    That changed with a phone call from ROH booker Delirious.

    “I got into a good opportunity, I was told I’d be touring Japan a lot, including a three-week tour in a month or so… I asked, ‘Hey, am I going to make a lot of money doing this?’ Yeah, so I quit teaching that month,” Page said.

    For much more, including how much input The Elite have into their New Japan booking, the Jericho cruise, and how Stardust came to be, you can check out the full episode below.

    If using any of the above quotes, please credit SEScoops.com. This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.

    https://youtu.be/m16tluZN4hI

  • Kenny Omega Almost Quit Wrestling – Until He Wrestled AJ Styles

    Kenny Omega Almost Quit Wrestling – Until He Wrestled AJ Styles

    The latest episode of Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast features a unique discussion with The Elite’s Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Adam “Hangman” Page and Marty Scurll. The show was recorded in front of a live audience last week on the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise.

    During the discussion about The Bullet Club, the gang spoke about WWE Champion AJ Styles. The Phenomenal One led the faction before Kenny Omega took over. Chris Jericho asked Kenny Omega if he ever wrestled against AJ Styles. The IWGP Heavyweight Champion explained that he actually did face AJ Styles in singles competition once – and it’s the reason he is still a pro wrestler to this day.

    Omega explained that back in 2006, he was at a crossroads in his career. He was enjoying professional wrestling, but was also a serious jiu-jitsu practitioner. He was competing in tournaments around the country and realized he could not do both at a high level.

    “I found that my in-ring performance was suffering because you know there’s an aesthetic look you have to maintain in professional wrestling,” Omega said. “If I’m cutting 20 pounds for a tournament or a fight and then I have to go to the ring I’m going to look like I came out of a dryer and it just didn’t jive. So if I was going to concentrate on one, the other was going to suffer.”

    Knowing that he had a match with AJ Styles coming up, he decided that he’d use that experience to determine what his future would be. Omega said, “[It was] after that AJ match when I thought, ‘Oh my goodness there’s this guy who’s so much better than me but we have this chemistry together.’ It kind of showed me my true potential and maybe something that I could grasp and something I could achieve that I hadn’t seen yet.”

    He continued, “It really made me look in the mirror and say to myself: ‘Jeez, even when I do these all-time jiu-jitsu tournaments I’m always going for a finish, I’m always trying to have that exciting match when really you should just be concentrating on getting that gold medal or whatever. So I found that I was actually and entertainer, I was a performer. So I was going to give this wrestling thing one more shot.”

    It was after that match with AJ Styles that he began his first tour with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, where he met the Young Bucks. Soon after that, he was wrestling in Japan and the rest is history.

    There’s much more to this hour-long discussion, which you can (and should) check out on the Talk is Jericho podcast.

  • Kenny Omega Fires Shots at Hiroshi Tanahashi Following Power Struggle

    Kenny Omega Fires Shots at Hiroshi Tanahashi Following Power Struggle

    Kenny Omega recently appeared at New Japan’s Power Struggle event in Osaka, Japan. The IWGP Heavyweight Champion teamed with Kota Ibushi to defeat Hiroshi Tanahashi and David Finlay.

    Tanahashi won the G1 Climax tournament earlier this year and is set to face Omega for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th.

    During a post match interview Omega made some scathing comments about Tanahashi. The Champion stated that “I’ve skipped out on this tour to focus on my other goals, my other dreams, my aspirations. People keep saying ‘Kenny, you’re a terrible champion. WHY aren’t you making the small shows?’ I’ll tell you why, I’m a business man at heart. When it comes to business, you have to make your challengers look credible. LOOK WHAT HAPPENED. I show up Tana, you get the big L. You look like a big L. Does he look like the challenger of the Tokyo Dome main event? No. I am trying to do you a service, I am trying to do this whole company a favour. I’m trying to allow you to pad your record and look really strong going into January 4th. But you call me out and you get the Golden Lovers.”

  • NJPW Releases Lineups For Lion’s Break: Project 1

    NJPW Releases Lineups For Lion’s Break: Project 1

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has released the lineups for both nights of Lion’s Break: Project 1. The shows will take place on November 10th and 11th from Anaheim’s CharaExpo USA 2018. While several big-name NJPW stars will perform, the shows are a chance for the young lions NJPW is training in California to show what they can do.

    Two of NJPW’s California-based young lions, Clark Connors and Alex Coughlin, debuted at Fighting Spirit Unleashed in a dark match. Karl Fredericks will join them as another trainee of NJPW’s American dojo to perform on the shows in November. NJPW’s American dojo young lions are trained by Katsuyori Shibata.

    NJPW Lion’s Break: Project 1

    November 10th:

    1. Karl Fredericks vs Alex Coughlin
    2. Rocky Romero vs Ryusuke Taguchi
    3. David Finlay & Jushin Liger vs ACH & Clark Connors
    4. Hirooki Goto vs Jeff Cobb

    November 11th:

    1. ACH vs Karl Fredericks
    2. Jushin Liger vs Clark Connors
    3. Hirooki Goto & Rocky Romero vs Jeff Cobb & Ryusuke Taguchi
    4. Kenny Omega vs David Finlay

    Karl Fredericks is a heavyweight from Nevada. He wrestles mainly along the south-west coast although he just lost a Loser Leaves Town match at one of his home promotions, APW, indicating he might be headed to NJPW in a more full-time capacity soon.

    Carl Connors is a junior-heavyweight from the north-west coast of the United States. He wrestles a lot in Oregon, California and Washington State. Little information is available on Alex Coughlin, other than he competed in a dark match at Fighting Spirit Unleashed.

  • Kenny Omega And Don Callis Film Angle For Jericho Cruise At Indy Show (Video)

    Kenny Omega And Don Callis Film Angle For Jericho Cruise At Indy Show (Video)

    Last night in Winnipeg, Kenny Omega took part in a Premiere Championship Wrestling show. Following Omega’s match that night, Don Callis cut a promo running down the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He would later take a shot at Omega before the melee could be broken up. The events were filmed and posted online by the promotion which hosted the show.

    https://twitter.com/Sneekycactus/status/1053665775616180227

    Omega responded to Callis’ actions earlier this morning on Twitter. He Tweeted out only the words “See you on the cruise” indicating what happened last night will be settled on Chris Jericho’s upcoming Rock N Rager At Sea.

    Chris Jericho’s Rock N Rager At Sea

    While originally Jericho said the matches on the cruise would not air anywhere, it’s since been announced they will air on the Fite App shortly after the cruise is over.

    “Ever since we announced Chris Jericho’s Rock N Wrestling Rager At Sea, everybody who couldn’t make it onboard the cruise have been asking me if we are streaming the event,” said Jericho in a press release sent in to SEScoops.com. “Now, after months of pondering, planning and probing, I can proudly say the answer is YES!! Preorder “Streaming for Vengeance” now to see the biggest main event of the year, The ALPHA CLUB vs The BULLET CLUB, and the entire Sea Of Honor Tournament on FITE TV! Stream it in, Maaan!”

  • Jim Ross Comments On The Elite Potentially Leaving ROH & NJPW

    Jim Ross Comments On The Elite Potentially Leaving ROH & NJPW

    On the latest episode of The Jim Ross Report, Good Ol’ JR gave his take on the likelihood of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks leaving the ROH and NJPW promotions in January.

    Ross also discussed Impact’s Bound For Glory, Evolution, and much more.

    Jim Ross On Kenny Omega And The Young Bucks

    “As I said early on, the card for the Ring of Honor Madison Square Garden Show, with New Japan, will probably look entirely different then, compared to what one would assume it look like if it was booked today,” Ross said. “I think there’s gonna be a lot of movement with some of the biggest stars in the game.”

    While not betraying anyone’s confidence, Ross implied that his opinion is informed, and not just speculation. “Just picking up a little bit here, a little bit there, and I’ll keep you apprised,” Ross said.

    “I’m talking to a lot of these cats that have opportunities to do other things, casually… I think some people’s motors are running and the wheels are turning,” he said.

    JR On Bound For Glory

    Ross also gave his take on Impact’s Bound For Glory event. Specifically, he discussed the angle involving Johnny Impact and Austin Aries.

    “It was a creatively structured event. Got a lot of people talking. I’m guessing that was the goal, because I’ve never known Austin Aries to be unprofessional in anything,” Ross said. “I love what they did because it got people talking about a show that needed positive verbal reinforcement.”

    WWE Evolution

    JR also discussed the upcoming WWE Evolution show. He strongly put over Nikki Bella and Ronda Rousey’s segment from Raw this past Monday, and gave his thoughts on a potential match order for the event.

    “I would pick Charlotte and Becky to close the show, in spectacular fashion, with death-defying athleticisism and physicality, and I would open the show with the tag match, Lita and Trish against Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. That’s a lot of star power and it gets people emotionally invested early,” he said.

    Drew McIntyre

    Ross offered some insight into Drew McIntyre’s booking, his potential, and his future. “It’s really clear to me now that the brass in WWE fully realize how great McIntyre can be as their top champion.”

    JR posited that McIntyre may be headed for a coronation at the upcoming WrestleMania. “Let’s all keep our eye on Drew McIntyre and how he’s booked between now and WrestleMania,” he said.

    “If my intuitions are right, and what seems to be the general direction WWE may be traveling right now, McIntyre is destined for greatness in the most supreme way.”

    Other topics Ross covered on the show include the booking of Braun Strowman and what he would do differently, Bobby Lashley as a heel, Smackdown 1000, and the controversy surrounding Crown Jewel. The show also contains the second part of JR’s chat with Matt Hardy.

    The full episode can be found below.

    When referencing this transcript, please credit SEScoops.com. This transcript has been edited for clarity.

    Do you think The Elite are bound for WWE? 

  • Kenny Omega Comments On ‘Exciting Proposal’ Of Wrestling Seth Rollins

    Kenny Omega Comments On ‘Exciting Proposal’ Of Wrestling Seth Rollins

    The hype between a potential match-up between Kenny Omega and Seth Rollins has really picked up over the past 24 hours. It all started yesterday when Rollins mentioned the IWGP heavyweight champ during his appearance at the ACE Comic Con in Chicago, Illinois. A fan asked Rollins who he’d like to wrestle with that isn’t currently signed to WWE. “The Architect” named Omega as his desired opponent.

    “I would like to face Kenny Omega,” said Rollins. “I am the best wrestler in the world, and would like to prove that.”

    This would certainly be a dream match for professional wrestling fans. Omega and Rollins are currently killing it with their respective brands.

    On Saturday morning, Omega spotted the headline in which Rollins called him out. He took to Twitter to issue out a response to a potential match with Rollins. Omega seems interested in the “historic clash,” but believes it requires an “appropriate venue” for such a occasion. “An exciting proposal…Now if only there were an appropriate venue for such a historic clash…”

    WWE could very well scoop up Omega next year. Omega’s current deal with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is up in January of 2019. When the Canadian hits the free agency market, it’s expected WWE makes a big push to sign him to their roster.

    WWE certainly has the funds, especially after their broadcast deals from earlier this year, and the profits from their Saudi Arabia shows.

    What do you think about Omega’s response to Rollins?

  • Seth Rollins Explains Why He Wants To Wrestle Kenny Omega

    Seth Rollins Explains Why He Wants To Wrestle Kenny Omega

    WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins is undoubtedly one of the best professional wrestlers on the planet right now. However, across the pond, there’s another man who rivals him in that department. That man is current IWGP heavyweight champion Kenny Omega. “The Cleaner” has been the face of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) for quite some time.

    With his contract coming up soon, however, Omega could possibly hit the free agency market. That would make him ripe for the plucking for WWE. WWE will be able to offer Omega a contract that likely no other promotion can match. Especially with the money they’ve made from their recent broadcast deals and shows in Saudi Arabia. The professional wrestling juggernaut is expected to make big moves once several top stars’ contracts expire in January of 2019.

    Rollins hopes that this is the case. Appearing at the ACE Comic Con in Chicago, Illinois earlier today (Fri. October 12, 2018), Rollins answered some questions from fans. One fan asked “The Architect” who he’d like to share the ring with that isn’t signed to WWE right now. Unsurprisingly, Rollins named Omega:

    “I would like to face Kenny Omega,” said Rollins with playful authority. “I am the best wrestler in the world, and would like to prove that.”

    What do you think about Rollins wanting to wrestle Omega?

    H/T WrestleZone for the transcriptions

  • Kenny Omega Provides Injury Update During Twitch Stream

    It’s no secret that The Best Bout Machine, Kenny Omega, is a massive video game fan. He has attended numerous video game conventions and has even had competitive gaming confrontations against New Day member, Xavier Woods.
    Even his finisher, The One-Winged Angel, takes inspiration from classic PlayStation game, Final Fantasy VII.

    So it’s not a major surprise to see the current IWGP Heavyweight champion relaxing online, streaming on Twitch and enjoying some Super Mario Party.

    It was during this stream, however, that he divulged new information regarding his current injury situation.

    Omega suffered an unfortunate heel fracture during his recent war against Cody at the G1 Climax Special this past July.

    Speaking candidly during the stream, Omega admitted that his foot is “doing much better,” before confessing that “It is my rib actually that is fractured right now. And I know it’s crazy, right? How do I keep getting injured?”

    The champion continued to discuss his physical well-being, with only minor distraction from the colourful antics of Super Mario Party.

    “[…] my ribs are in a bad way. But what can you do? I’m not one of those guys that likes to try to brag like ‘Hey, look, I’m injured,’ ‘I’m so tough, I’m going to keep fighting’ – it’s not like that at all. It’s just, you gotta do what you gotta do. I’m in a position right now – you just gotta go when you’re the champ. You can’t take days off.”

    What do you think? Should Kenny Omega be able to take some time off to heal

  • New Day Wants To Face The Elite More Than Any Other Team

    New Day Wants To Face The Elite More Than Any Other Team

    Current SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions The New Day are arguably the best trio in professional wrestling today. The squad consisting of Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods have proven dominant over the past several years. The New Day have faced the best tag teams WWE has to offer.

    However, there’s one team that sits above all that the three men have yet to share the ring with. That team being New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring Of Honor’s The Elite (The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega). The two teams had a run-in with one another at E3 earlier this year. Their chemistry as entertainers got fans excited about a possible professional wrestling program.

    New Day member Kofi Kingston spoke about this on a recent media call to promote tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live. Here’s what he had to say:

    “It would be The Elite. It would be The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega. I think it’s something that from the moment we came out, people were like, ‘Oh, is this going to happen? I mean, The Young Bucks and Kenny, and The New Day, there are three of you’.

    “They are so talented, and they’ve been able to do so many cool things all over the world, especially in Japan, which are… the way they’ve been able to do those cool things. I think it’s kind of a fantasy match-up that people have been waiting with bated breath to see.

    “But, you never know what’s going to happen in the WWE. Never say never, and I hope that it does happen at some point in time, but I guess we will have to wait and find out.”

    What do you think about a potential New Day vs. Elite match?

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Kenny Omega Teases Signing With WWE Or Impact Wrestling

    The end of 2018 is shaping up to be the most important free agency period in pro-wrestling since the Attitude Era. Members of Bullet Club Elite are all going to hit free agency at the end of the year and have stated they plan to stick together as a group.

    Kenny Omega Teases Signing With WWE or Impact On Latest Being The Elite

    On the latest edition of Being the Elite, Kenny Omega teases potentially signing with WWE or Impact Wrestling.

    During the episode, Omega is shown in a hotel room speaking on the phone. Omega makes it clear he is speaking to his friend, Impact Vice President Don Callis, when he says the line “Anyway, sucks you couldn’t be on commentary this week.” A reference to Callis not being available to call King of Pro Wrestling.

    Then several notes are slipped under Omega’s door which seemed to be encouraging him to sign with WWE.

    “Stuck in Japan but looking for more, why not come on down as entry #4? – H” reads one of the notes slipped under Omega’s door.

    “Perhaps looking for a better payday? What about a single’s match with AJ? – H” reads the second note slipped under Omega’s door. He then decided to keep that note in his back pocket. When Omega finally did find who was slipping notes under his door, however, it turned out to be Cody. After Omega was able to get Cody to show him both his hands at the same time, the NWA Champ admitted he was just trying to give Omega a promotional code for Blue Chew.

    A countdown was shown at the end of the episode. The same countdown was shown after the last episode as well. The clock is counting the days, hours and minutes until the group becomes free agents.

    The full episode is listed below. Omega’s part starts at the 7:31 mark.

  • Kenny Omega Comments On Facing Kota Ibushi In “Legendary Building”

    Kenny Omega Comments On Facing Kota Ibushi In “Legendary Building”

    Kenny Omega has twice offered Kota Ibushi a shot at his IWGP Heavyweight Championship title. On both occasions, Ibushi has not seemed interested in facing his partner. Following the Golden Lovers victory last night, Omega again offered Ibushi a shot at his championship. Cody ended up interjecting himself into the matter, however, and now there will be a triple threat match for the belt at King of Pro Wrestling.

    In the backstage area after the show, Omega told the press, “The Golden Lovers can only face each other in a ‘legendary building’ that’s even bigger than Budokan”

    Kenny Omega vs Kota Ibushi – Legendary Building?

    King of Pro Wrestling will be held at Ry?goku Sumo Hall in Tokyo. The venue holds just under 12, 000. The Budokan holds just under 15,000. Its possible Omega is referring to the Tokyo Dome as a legendary building that is bigger than the Budokan. For Omega and Ibushi to face each other in the Tokyo Dome this year, however, Omega would have to either lose the title beforehand or Ibushi would have to win the G1 Briefcase.

    Omega will be looking to defend his title for a 3rd straight time at King of Pro Wrestling on October 8th. Omega has already defeated Cody and Tomohiro Ishii with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line.

  • Kenny Omega Teases Another NJPW Match Against Chris Jericho

    Kenny Omega Teases Another NJPW Match Against Chris Jericho

    IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega recently spoke to NJPW1972 on a variety of subjects. One of the more interesting aspects of the interview focused on Omega’s match against Pentagon/Penta El Zero at ALL IN.

    When asked about his opponent from the show Omega quipped “And that was kinda the beauty of the show that there are these we would call them diamonds in the rough where there are there talented people these stars waiting to be discovered and he’s one of them and we are happy to show that he can be not only famous in Mexico but also be famous in America, but he could be famous all over the world of course it was just a special match, but we gave a performance of even an IWGP champion defense.“

    Omega then moved on to the appearance of Jericho after the match. The IWGP Intercontinental Champion Jericho appeared dressed as Pentagon and hit his Codebreaker move on ‘The Cleaner.’ Omega made the comment that “It’s one of those situations where there was no story, what was the meaning? It’s one of those situations where he can’t let it go. He wants his revenge. He wants to be the winner. He somehow feels as if he is above me. But what I want him to remember that he has a responsibility as Intercontinental champion. So, we’re in different worlds but I get the feeling that somehow, somewhere we’ll meet again and of course in a tag format that will be on the Jericho cruise.”

    Do you want to see another Omega vs Jericho match? Let us know in the comments

  • Kenny Omega Responds To Hiroshi Tanahashi’s Criticisms

    As the winner of the G1 Climax 28, Hiroshi Tanahashi is currently in position to challenge Kenny Omega for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at WrestleKingdom next year. Things could change, however, as Tanahashi will have to defend the G1 briefcase against Kazuchika Okada on Sunday.

    Tanahashi recently offered a negative critique of Kenny Omega’s wrestling style to the media. “Kenny’s wrestling is like watching a movie with no Kishotenketsu (dramatic arc of traditional Japanese narratives),” Tanahashi said.

    Omega has since responded to Tanahashi’s comments through Twitter.

    “Strange accusation to make considering I’ve won more MOTY awards than Tana’s had hair transplant surgeries. Can’t wait for Tana vs Okada 71! I swear watching the same recycled match will be just as good in even slower motion!”

    “Rough day at the office today… All 10 of Tana’s foreign fans took to Twitter to say mean things to me. Rumor has it they even posted stuff on Reddit too…I’ll be okay guys, I swear.”

    NJPW Destruction in Kobe – September 23rd, 2018

    1. Yota Tsuji vs Yuya Uemura
    2. Ren Narita and Shota Umino vs Sho and Yoh
    3. Tiger Mask and Jushin Liger vs Desperado and Kanemaru
    4. Yoshida, Taguchi, Honma, Makabe vs Nakanishi, Nagata, Kojima, and Tenzan
    5. the Best Friends vs the Killer Elite Squad
    6. Toa Henare, David Finlay, and Juice Robinson vs Ospreay, Yoshi-Hashi, and Jay White
    7. Sanada, Evil, Naito vs Michinoku, ZSJ, and Minoru Suzuki
    8. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Semi-Final
      Kushida vs Bushi
    9. G1 Climax 28 Briefcase
      Hiroshi Tanahashi (Holder) vs Kazuchika Okada

  • Kenny Omega Tells Kota Ibushi “Whenever, Wherever, I’ll Be Ready”

    Kenny Omega and his Golden Lovers tag team partner Kota Ibushi have lit up New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2018. The two main event stars dominated the plaudits for this year’s G1 Climax and fans are expectant for their almost inevitable match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Omega recently took to the microphone at a New Japan ‘Road To Destruction’ show and laid out his challenge to Ibushi.

    Kenny Omega stated (translated from Japanese) “Since the day I became Champion. I thought that me being Champion meant that I’m the strongest. That I’m the best, toughest in the world. But the truth is, it’s not really like that. The truth is…Ibushi. The reason I am the best is because of Ibushi. So…After Dominion I told him ‘Whenever, Wherever, I’ll Be Ready.’” 

    Ibushi then asked Omega to “remember their promise.” Omega then finished his promo by proclaiming that “The Golden Lovers are more precious to me than any title.” It looks as though we may have to wait a while for the showdown to happen.

    Kenny Omega recently defended his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Tomohiro Ishii. The two stars collided at the Destruction in Hiroshima show this past Saturday. Omega is set to defend his title against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom pending Tanahahsi’s defence of his briefcase contract between now and January 4th.

    Do you want to see a showdown between the two New Japan greats? Let us know in the comments