The Bloodline may be one of WWE’s most popular acts in years, but they apparently cannot hold a candle to The Elite.
Following Roman Reigns’ heel turn in 2020, his cousins The Usos would fall in line behind their Tribal Chief, who has been advised by his special counsel Paul Heyman.
Last September, Solo Sikoa was added to the faction by helping Reigns retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle.
Without a Doubt
The Bloodline storyline, especially the chapter with Sami Zayn, has been heralded as one of the best thing wrestling fans have seen in years, but they are not the only faction around.
Last November, the Elite made their AEW return at Full Gear, after being suspended for their roles in the backstage fight following All Out.
Speaking on the Cafe de Rene podcast, Jake Roberts was asked which group he thinks is better.
“Kenny. Kenny and The Bucks without a doubt. I think Kenny Omega is f***ing unbelievable. He is f***ing on spot. I don’t like a lot of stuff The Young Bucks do but brother they’re doing it and getting away with it.”
At AEW Revolution 2023, the Elite lost the AEW Trios Championships to the House of Black.
The Elite Vs. The Bloodline?
At this time, the idea of a six-man-tag match between the two factions is purely hypothetical, but that is something WWE hopes to change.
The belief is that if they can sign Omega (who has previously been under a WWE developmental deal) then it may encourage the Bucks to jump ship to WWE.
The Young Bucks have fond memories of the early years of All Elite Wrestling.
Nick and Matt Jackson have been with AEW from the very beginning. They were instrumental in making the dream of AEW a reality. Through some exciting highs and heartbreaking lows, the brothers from Rancho Cucamonga have unquestionably left their mark on the wrestling industry.
Since AEW launched in May 2019, there are some matches that stand out above the rest. One of the most memorable AEW matches occurred at Revolution 2020, when the Young Bucks challenged Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page for the AEW World tag team championships.
On Tuesday, the Bucks commented on the match, calling it their “vision of what wrestling can be.” They also reminisced about the early days of AEW.
Our vision of what wrestling can be. Will always look back fondly at the early years. Happy 3 year anniversary. https://t.co/M7vV2WmHCH
In the end, Hangman Page and Omega were victorious. The match was an instant classic and may be the best tag team match in AEW history. For what it’s worth, this match is the highest rated tag team match ever by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
On his podcast, Jim Ross said, “That was one of the best tag team matches that I’ve ever seen. Certainly I don’t know if I’ve ever called a better executed one.”
The Bucks are two-time AEW World tag team champions. Along with Kenny Omega, they are the reigning World Trios Champions.
The Elite will defend the trios championships against the House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews) at AEW Revolution 2023.
Kenny Omega was Renee Paquette’s guest on the latest episode of The Sessions podcast. The reigning AEW World Trios Champion spoke at length about the injuries that resulted in him taking extended leave of absense from wrestling, the events that unfolded at All Out 2022 and how it’s affected things behind the scenes.
Omega was working through a slew of injuries during his reign as AEW World Champion. When he lost the title to “Hangman” Adam Page at Full Gear 2021, he decided it was finally time to get healthy.
“I had to get both my knees done, I had to get a shoulder done, I had to get my septum fixed, and then a stomach hernia, so there’s a lot,” said Omega. “So knowing that I had to get all those things done, it felt like they were more minor surgeries, it felt like it, but I ended up being out for like eight months.
But I’d felt like the company was in a fantastic position, and i’d felt that the story i was able to tell with Hangman, was one that i was very proud of, and i felt that the people were behind him. I was happy we were moving forward, in a direction that didn’t necessarily require me. I felt like, ‘Now is a good time to get this stuff taken care of.'”
Kenny Omega sensed something ominous upon his AEW return
When Kenny Omega finally returned to AEW, he felt that things were very different. There were some new faces in the locker room. More importantly, he sensed there was very bad energy brewing.
“Then I felt like, 8 months had passed, and it was time to come back, and it was kind of like, the GIF of the dude walking in with the pizza boxes and the whole room is on fire. I didn’t get it, I was like, ‘What’s with this strange atmosphere? What’s with this strange aura? Why does something feel so ominous right now?’
– Kenny Omega
“I didn’t even know, i couldn’t figure it out, and next you knew, there was more stuff happening again, like.. it’s so surreal because it’s almost like it never even happened. It happened! Of course, it happened.”
Of course, the “it” he’s referring to is the backstage brawl that took place with CM Punk and The Elite after AEW’s All Out 2022 pay-per-view. More on that to come.
Kenny Omega returning to AEW after his 8-month hiatus
“I hadn’t even gotten like, familiar with my surroundings yet, or re-familiarized backstage with the new AEW at that point, because there were new people in the locker-room, and a lot had happened in 8 months. So, to kind of come back and see a lot of old faces, and be like, ‘Oh, hey’ but then feel this eerie sort of.. I felt like i was in Eerie, Indiana for a second, it was like, ‘Oh, boy’ and then, stranger things started happening.
I was like, ‘Oh man, what do i do? This isn’t right. Someone needs to be the voice of reason. This is silly.’ Then, things fell off the rails, and we just involved in a very silly situation that people are probably going to be talking about for months and possibly years to come, i don’t know.'”
AEW All Out and the Fallout
Renee asked about the incident that took place at All Out, and if it bothers Omega that people will be talking about it for so long, especially considering all the secrecy that remains until this day. Part of you wishes you could sweep everything under the rug, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding what went down.
“Here’s the way I look at it,” Omega began. “I’ve been involved in competitive sports, contact sports, at the highest level. some people on our roster have, some people on our roster have not. but i feel like, if you have, you’ve probably been in a spat or two with a teammate, and maybe sometimes, a time or two, it might come to blows, you know, it happens. so, coming from that sort of background, there was a point to it all, when i felt like, ‘Oh, this just happens. We’re gonna get over it. Let’s just calm down and talk it over.’ Nope, nothing is … we’re all doing ok here, you know, we’re getting it out of our system, no problem, but let’s maybe stop? You know?
We just don’t live in that world anymore, I suppose, sometimes there are things, especially now when you are in a multi-billion dollar industry, when there are sponsorships on the line, and TV deals on the line, it’s not like high school football. It’s not a little tiff you maybe have on your fellow amateur wrestling team or whatever, or maybe someone held a submission too long in jiu jitsu training, it’s not that. These things shouldn’t even be happening.
It’s a shame, that the general public and a lot of people aren’t ever going to know what went down and how it could have been prevented or how it could have ended differently.
– Kenny Omega
That’s just sort of how things go, again, when it’s a big business operation. i don’t think anybody is happy that it happened, or is proud that it happened, or anything like that. i think across the board, everybody thinks it was a terrible situation that was unnecessary.”
AEW’s Backstage Atmosphere Today
Omega says the atmosphere in AEW has been cleared up and things have calmed down considerably. It’s unfortunate that the public will probably never know exactly what happened that night, but he’s moved on. H’s thankful nobody got seriously injured and sincerely wishes everybody well.
“There was a while when, and I can understand the confusion, it’s sort of like, “Hey, we heard this thing happened, we know this thing happened, it’s all over the dirtsheets, why don’t we know what happened?’ It’s like, we were gone and we were sworn to secrecy, we can’t say anything, legally, so that was the poopie part, where it was like, ‘Well, why doesn’t anybody tell us what’s happening?’ And then you’re forced to form your own opinion, or come up with your own theory as to what happened.”
Renee said this creates a really weird situation. Omega agrees.
“Of course! ‘Well, I’m more of a fan of the other, so here’s the way I’m going to create the story, so that it puts this person in the best possible light’ It might be that, chances are, it’s something else, or it might be a combination of various theories. And we might never get to speak about it.
But what’s important, is that nobody was seriously injured emerging from that, and I’m so thankful from that, and we’ve moved on with life. I’m completely fine, it doesn’t dictate what I do, what i say. I’m sure the bucks are in the same boat, i can’t speak to the other parties, hopefully they’re doing well. and i mean that. that’s it.”
Listen to Kenny Omega’s appearance on The Sessions:
Young talents usually do many different things to try and improve their performance in the ring. This generally includes studying tapes of older generations and different styles from across the world. Kenny Omega, however, took a very different approach. When he felt the need to improve his storytelling, the former IWGP world champion found inspiration from the most unlikely of places.
The AEW star recently had an interview with Renee Paquette on Oral Sessions podcast. He talked about his start in wrestling and his rise to fame. Omega was asked what he did to improve his performance and he noted that he had always been athletic. The former world champion then revealed that to improve on his storytelling, he took inspiration from cartoons instead of old wrestling tapes:
“I was getting matches around 18 minutes to 25-ish. Then for the big ones that’s anywhere from 30 to 50 to an hour. But the main ones are like 20-ish. So I thought how can I study for this? How can I improve myself? Can I take nods from anything around me? I began to study weekly cartoons, specifically superhero cartoons.” said Kenny Omega, “Because an episode lasts about 21 minutes long. There’s a beginning, there’s a middle, there’s an end. The hero gets put into peril at some point. Every week there’s probably a new villain featured.
He continued: “For example, Batman cannot fight the Joker every week. It’s not always going to be that serious. There’s not always going to be that. ‘Oh my goodness, the world may end’ moment. Sometimes he has to fight the Riddler. Sometimes he has to fight Mr. Freeze or Clayface. How do you make all those instances, How do you make all of those altercations interesting? How do you make them feel like they mean something? How do you make them different from one another? Sometimes you can elicit other emotions. Even though you are supposed to be taken as this incredible superhero. Someone that’s larger than life. Someone who is supposed to be one of the best at doing what you do. So I have found that specifically Batman cartoons – Justice League, Yeah, they really helped a lot.”
There has been a lot of talk about Kenny Omega’s future recently. Amid reports about his AEW contract and rumors of WWE interest, people have been wondering if The Cleaner could be the next big AEW star to jump ships.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently provided an update on the matter, confirming that Omega will not be going anywhere at least in the next few months.
Per Meltzer, the company has decided to add time to Kenny Omega’s deal for whatever time he has missed due to injury over the past four years.
It’s estimated that The former AEW World Champion’s contract could be extended by 9 months but the exact timeframe for it ‘hasn’t been finalized’ yet.
Omega missed the longest amount of time when he dropped the AEW world title to Adam Page and took time off to deal with multiple nagging injuries.
His hiatus from the company lasted from November 2021 to August 2022. He underwent both hernia and knee surgeries during this time.
Kenny Omega was also off TV from September 2022 to November 2022 in the fallout of the backstage brawl at All Out. Though it’s unknown if that time is also being factored into the decision.
Kenny Omega has some options on the table when his deal with AEW is up as he could stay with the promotion or be the next AEW star to jump ship to WWE.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported today that numbers sources have overheard AEW founder Tony Khan say that Omega has substantial injury time that “could be” added to his deal if he decides to extend it.
The option has been confirmed to be in Omega’s contract, which is standard in AEW deals. One wrestler stated, “Considering that Omega has good representation, it might not necessarily be a slam dunk, or might have some concessions to it.”
Those in AEW don’t believe the injury time has been added yet. One source stated late last year that Omega’s deal would be up “soon” and Omega could be working without one, while another source stated, “Omega’s deal would not be up that soon” and dismissed that talk. Obviously, the latter was the case as that time period has passed.
Interest From WWE
Regarding WWE, several in the company believe that they can land Omega. While there is a rivalry between AEW and WWE, it’s been said Omega had a positive relationship with WWE. Triple H even discussed Omega coming to the promotion in 2018 before the launch of AEW.
The report added, “It was also reiterated to us that Omega has it written in his AEW contract that he has the freedom to appear in NJPW as long as it doesn’t conflict with AEW duties or an agreement is made.”
Kenny Omega is slated to be back at this week’s AEW Dynamite after not appearing on AEW television since January 11 due to a visa issue.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported on Tuesday that Omega will be at Dynamite in Dayton, Ohio. As of this writing, it’s unclear whether Omega will be appearing on the show as he hasn’t been advertised for the episode.
Omega being cleared to travel again should pave the way for the future title defense of Trios Champions The Elite against Top Flight & AR Fox, which has been in the planning stages for weeks. Up to this point, AEW was not able to announce the date because of the visa issue.
The Elite won the titles on the January 11 episode of Dynamite in Los Angeles by defeating Death Triangle (PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) in a ladder match.
Updated AEW Dynamite Card
Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page III
Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher
TBS Champion Jade Cargill defends against Red Velvet
TNT Champion Darby Allin defends against Samoa Joe in a no holds barred match
This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite was an emotional show, but one top name from the company could not attend.
This week’s Dynamite was a tribute to Jay Briscoe, who died earlier this month in a car accident near his home in Laurel, Delaware.
Dynamite saw Jay’s brother Mark make his AEW debut and defeat Jay Lethal in the main event of the show.
Visa Issues
In addition to a stacked show, Dynamite saw the rosters of AEW and Ring of Honor appear to support Mark, but Kenny Omega wasn’t among them.
According to Fightful Select, the self-proclaimed ‘Best Bout Machine’ wanted to be at the AEW tapings “but has been battling visa issues” in recent days.
Omega has not appeared for AEW since he and the Young Bucks regained the AEW Trios Championships from Death Triangle on the January 11, 2023, episode of Dynamite.
It remains unclear when Omega will be able to return to TV, and the former World Champion missed much of 2022 due to injuries and his post-All Out suspension.
Tribute Show
Even without Omega, this week’s Dynamite was an exceptional affair in memory to one of the most established names in Ring of Honor history.
Dynamite saw AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin retain his title against Buddy Matthews, while JungleHook defeated Matt Hardy and ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page.
Bryan Danielson continued his winning ways in his efforts to get a shot at MJF, by defeating ROH Six-Man-Tag Team Champion Brian Cage.
Ruby Soho defeated Toni Storm in a match that was meant to be a triple-threat but was changed due to Britt Baker’s injury.
Will Ospreay is regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers working today, but the Covid-19 pandemic proved to be especially tough on the Brit.
Due to the pandemic, several wrestling promotions brought in strict measures to stop the spread of the virus, with WWE, AEW, and Impact going without live fans.
New Japan has kept some of its pandemic-era rules in place, including a restriction on cheering to lower the risk of oral transmission.
Nothing
Despite the Pandemic, Ospreay and the New Japan roster attempted to make the best of things by putting on high-quality matches when they had the chance.
Speaking to Renee Paquette on The Sessions, Ospreay recalled an emptiness inside him during arguably the heights of his career.
“For the last three years I do feel I’ve been on auto-pilot a little bit. I remember last year’s Wrestle Kingdom, and Great-O-Khan is massaging my shoulders just as I’m about to go out and he goes ‘how are you feeling?’ And I went ‘I feel nothing’ because honestly, it was one of those where even though it was the main event of the Tokyo Dome, it wasn’t the real thing. It wasn’t the real experience.”
“Great-O-Khan is massaging my shoulders just as I’m about to go out and he goes ‘how are you feeling?’ And I went ‘I feel nothing.'”
Will Ospreay on his feelings at Wrestle Kingdom 16 in 2022.
Ospreay went on to say that he tried to make the best of it by trying to goad the crowd into an audible reaction.
“It’s heartbreaking, but I tried to see it almost like a game where I was like ‘okay I’m going to be so good, that I make you make noise.’ I saw it like that but you can only play that game now and again before it becomes tedious and tiresome.
“It was heartbreaking at points because I really did feel like I was doing the best work I’ve ever done, and it was kind of going under the radar because I’m not on national TV. I’m not on weekly TV. New Japan at one point was the hottest thing going. When 2019 came in, all of our arenas were sold out. It was the best G1 we’d ever done, we performed at Madison Square Garden. All systems were go and then that f***ing pandemic came.”
Wrestle Kingdom 17
For this year’s Wrestle Kingdom, New Japan relaxed its policy on cheering and allowed fans in the Tokyo Dome to be as loud as they wished.
Speaking of the difference from last year’s show, Ospreay was grateful and much more relaxed thanks to the change.
“I don’t know anyone who likes watching clap-crowds at all. I want to hear the people, I want to engage with them, and for three years, it’s felt like I was in a prison. So it was really nice to let the doors open and let them all make noise again.
“Getting to walk out there [this year] to my music, to be in my own skin again, it felt like the old me. To do it on that platform, it felt like, for the first time that the eyes of the wrestling world were really on me.”
Ospreay would lose the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship to Kenny Omega, a result that “gutted” the British wrestler.
On Wednesday at Wrestle Kingdom, Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay was the first of a double main event. The match was for Ospreay’s IWGP US Championship.
The match had seeds planted back at Forbidden Door and it’s possible a rematch could either happen in AEW or at Forbidden Door 2, assuming it happens.
Leading up to the match, Ospreay and Omega had a heated exchange at the Wrestle Kingdom press conference. It led to Don Callis praising Ospreay in a very Don Callis way.
Your promo yesterday made me very happy 4 U. Accepting your rage is healthy. Embrace it. But you are facing the God of Pro Wrestling and the man you failed miserably at replacing. It's a lot of pressure, but @KennyOmegamanX and I will be here for you after Bruv. Wishing U health https://t.co/qBe2iDBuuz
Fans quickly named it as a Match of the Year contender with many saying no other match this year will possibly top it. It was a brutal, hard-hitting match from bell to bell.
Omega hit a DDT on an exposed turnbuckle, leading Ospreay to bleed copious amounts. Ospreay continued the match, but to no avail. Omega regained the title that he was the first to hold.
The new champion took to Twitter to tell Ospreay that he respected his passion. In true Heel Kenny fashion, he told Ospreay that he forgave him.
Yesterday at #njwk17 we desperately raced towards the same goal and were willing to break our bodies for it. That kind of passion I can respect.
Now that “The Cleaner” has won back the title he once held, it remains to be seen if he will defend it in AEW, NJPW, or both. Omega will compete with the Young Bucks against Death Triangle in the final match of the Best of Seven series. The match is an Escalera de la Muerte match.
The highly-anticipated showdown between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay has finished with ‘The Cleaner’ coming out on top.
The January 4 victory marks the start of Omega’s second reign as IWGP US Champion. His inaugural run with the title in 2017 and 2018 drew widespread acclaim. Omega played up his heel-side against the brash Ospreay in this near 35-minute war.
Both men worked a stiff, hard pace between the ropes, dismantling each other with hard shots and explosive moves. Ultimately, a defiant Ospreay spat in ‘The Cleaner’s face before eating a One Winged Angel to lose his belt.
After several months of re-establishing the US Title’s prestige after a chaotic first half of 2022, Will Ospreay’s defeat here may come as a surprise to some. Omega is of course no longer with the promotion, making the future of the US Title in NJPW more unpredictable than ever.
Today Marks Four Years Since Kenny Omega Last Wrestled In NJPW
Before today’s US Championship war, ‘The Cleaner’ had not competed in NJPW for four years. He was last seen at Wrestle Kingdom 13, where he defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against 2018 G1 Climax winner Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Tanahashi ultimately got the better of Omega in a classic main event bout.
Since then, Kenny Omega has of course been focusing most of his time on AEW, where he enjoyed a lengthy run with the World Championship in late 2020 and most of 2021. After spending much of 2022 on the shelf due to injuries, ‘The Cleaner’ returned with a bang to team with old pals The Young Bucks.
Kenny Omega in AEW.
If today’s showdown with Will Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom 17 is anything to go by, Omega still has a lot left in the tank at the singles level.
The roller coaster year that AEW had in 2022 has come to a close.
Riding high from their 2021 ending, AEW went into 2022 with tons of momentum. Hangman Page was crowned the AEW World Champion, CM Punk returned to pro wrestling, and Bryan Danielson was delivering high quality pro wrestling matches on a weekly basis.
2022 gave AEW multiple new world champions, backstage controversy, and a fresh slate to close the year out. 2023 promises to bring more exciting storylines and matches that the promotion has hung its hat on since their inception in 2019.
Here are five of the most anticipated matches for AEW in 2023.
Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page
Hangman Page is looking for revenge against Jon Moxley (AEW)
The parallels between Jon Moxley and Hangman Page are aplenty.
Both are former AEW World Champions, tough as nails, recently sober (in kayfabe for Hangman), and fathers to toddlers. On top of this, they were also across the ring from each other on the third-ever AEW Dynamite episode — a tag match where Kenny Omega and Page defeated PAC and Moxley.
Fast forward to 2021 as Hangman Page returned from paternity leave to win the Casino Ladder Match on October 6th for a shot at the AEW World Title. He battled with Jon Moxley on top of the ladder, ultimately knocking him off to secure the casino chip and title match.
October 18th, 2022. Jon Moxley knocked Hangman Page out with a lariat, giving him a concussion in the process, and retained his AEW World Championship in brutal fashion. Page has been seeking revenge ever since.
Grudges make tremendous bouts. This one is sure to be physical and likely with a lot at stake in the AEW main event picture moving forward.
Jade Cargill vs. Jamie Hayter
Picture a battle of the 2 most imposing women on the AEW roster, Jade Cargill being one of them.
The irresistible force meets the immovable object.
A Jade Cargill vs. Jamie Hayter match isn’t on the horizon for the early portion of 2023, but can you imagine if these two squared off? The athleticism and physicality in this bout would be tough to match on the women’s side of AEW.
Jade Cargill is currently the AEW TBS Champion and undefeated in the promotion. Jamie Hayter is the AEW Women’s Champion and on the biggest run of her career. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that these two women meet up in 2023.
It also would likely be for one of the championships that these women hold present day. The larger question would be: Which of these women will lose first this year? Both look to be poised for long title runs, and Jade Cargill has held the TBS title for nearly a calendar year already.
One way or another, look for the two most dominant women of last year to continue on their paths in 2023. Let’s speak this mammoth dream match into fruition as we look forward to the continued growth of Jade Cargill and Jamie Hayter this year.
MJF vs. Eddie Kingston
MJF has plenty of men breathing down his neck for his AEW world championship.
MJF is the current AEW World Champion. Can you picture a feud with fellow New Yorker Eddie Kingston?
Long Island vs. Yonkers. A cake eating, trust funded character vs. a man from the inner city with the street savvy to match. The contrast in how each man portrays themselves would build immense anticipation.
Then we move on to their exploits on the microphone. The promos alone between MJF and Eddie Kingston would make this a feud of the year candidate without physically interacting. Two of the very best talkers in pro wrestling, on top of their ability to make you feel something every time they talk or wrestle. Their styles and mouths sell themselves.
To go a step further, let’s book MJF vs. Eddie Kingston in September at the AEW Grand Slam show — which will resonate from Flushing Meadows, New York. Could you imagine the crowd responses and magic that would take place at that event?
Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson
Kenny Omega vs Bryan Danielson 2 in 2023?
Speaking of AEW Grand Slam, Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson wrestled to a 30-minute draw in September of 2021 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The bout was lauded as a match of the year contender. Since then, fans have been salivating over the thought of their eventual rematch.
Omega would take nine months off to heal from injury after losing his AEW World Title in November of 2021. When he returned in August, his focus moved towards the AEW Trios Titles with his Elite running mates, The Young Bucks.
Danielson would eventually wrestle for the AEW World Championship twice in two months, includingwrestling to a 60-minute draw with Hangman Page. He would lose the return title bout on Dynamite in January 2022.
This is a rematch that doesn’t need a championship at stake for it to be another match of the year quality affair. The larger question is: Could they one-up what the two of them put together in their first AEW encounter?
The Elite vs. CM Punk and FTR
There is business to be made in a trio’s bout for the ages
This is the biggest boom or bust match on this list. A lot of it hinges on CM Punk rebuilding trust with AEW management and most importantly, the locker room.
Yet the opportunity presents itself for AEW to do the biggest piece of business in company history if Punk returns. The storyline sells itself. The Young Bucks and FTR are the two most decorated tag teams outside of the WWE promotion in the world today.
Both teams have each won a match against the other. You proceed to add Kenny Omega and CM Punk to this equation, two of the biggest presences in pro wrestling worldwide, fresh off a backstage encounter marred with controversy.
It was rumored over the summer that CM Punk and FTR were going to team up quite a bit, all while Punk was AEW World Champion. A match with The Elite at some point in time would’ve brought the house down — now you add personal stakes to it.
Only the parties involved in “The Brawl Out at All Out” know what really happened. If those damages can be repaired (with a lot of money on the line, they should be), the fans are in for one of the largest showdowns in professional wrestling this century.
Six men with chips on their shoulders to tear the house down and prove superiority in AEW would be at stake. If this is not the most anticipated match in AEW for 2023, it will only be due to the lack of cooperation on behalf of both parties’ sides to set it up.
Kenny Omega says his brief time training in WWE’s developmental system made him question himself and if he was truly destined to reach the top of the industry.
Omega is gearing up to face Will Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4th. This feud between two of the best pro wrestlers in the world has been cultivated over the last year. He claims to be disgusted by the way New Japan has been operated since he left the promotion in 2019
Ospreay has arguably become the top Gaijin (foreigner) in NJPW since Omega’s departure. He claims that he’s carried the torch through the pandemic years. That he and the United Empire is the shot in the arm that New Japan needs.
Long before Kenny Omega established himself as one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation, the former IWGP & AEW champion was still finding his way. He wrestled for Deep South Wrestling, a former WWE developmental territory.
In October 2005, Omega was sent to Deep South Wrestling (DSW), WWE’s then-developmental territory for a tryout, after which he was offered a developmental contract and subsequently assigned to DSW full-time.
In August 2006, he requested his release from his contract. Omega later stated that his time in DSW was poor He particularly criticized promoters Bill DeMott, Jody Hamilton and trainer Bob Holly.
Questioning Everything
Omega spoke with Monthly Puroresu to hype Wrestle Kingdom. He spoke about his time in DSW, and what about it made him question if the wrestling he fell in love with still existed.
Kenny Omega: I never really did think that I had what it took. But the reason I went to the Harley Race camp in Elgin, Missouri was because it was for an opportunity to be implemented into the dojo system of Pro-Wrestling NOAH.
In the end, I was selected by Johnny Ace to go to WWE instead. And I thought, “Well, this is a different kind of opportunity, and maybe this is kind of where my destiny is guiding me towards, so I’m not going to ignore it.”
I did go into the WWE developmental system, Deep South Wrestling at the time, and it wasn’t for me. At that point I had thought maybe wrestling isn’t for me because I was thinking at the highest level, when it becomes more of a business rather than a passion. Maybe it isn’t what made me fall in love with wrestling to begin with.
Monthly Puroresu: You almost felt unsure of yourself. As we all know, even back then as a talent, you felt unsure of yourself going over there.
Kenny Omega: Right. I’ve understood myself going there. I felt unsure of my understanding of the professional wrestling business. I had thought some of the greatest talents, what made them successful was because they were so unique and special athletes in their own way and were in charge of their own character. And all of their wonderful ideas and all of these iconic moments in professional wrestling – you think that they came up with them all. And I think now looking back, I’m sure they did.
But when you go into the developmental system, at least it’s sort of drilled into you, “No, you’re not your own person. You’re our person! And we own you! And you do what we tell you to do!
Monthly Puroresu: They pigeonhole you into thinking, “This is what we think you should be and that’s what you’re going to be.”
Kenny Omega: Exactly. And my worry at that point was if this is what wrestling is, or if this is what it’s become, maybe this isn’t what I fell in love with. Maybe this isn’t my childhood dream anymore. Maybe I just need to consider doing something else. Or just give it up.
On to the Tokyo Dome
Kenny Omega has persevered through many trials and tribulations over the course of his two-decade career in professional wrestling. Over time, he learned that there are alternative options to make it big in the industry. That the WWE wasn’t the be all and end all of wrestling lore.
Be sure to tune in to Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4th. Kenny Omega will face off with Will Ospreay at the Tokyo Dome in an early match of the year candidate.
Is CM Punk open to returning to All Elite Wrestling given the right circumstances?
Duh!
Punk hasn’t been seen on AEW TV since All Out where he became a two-time World Champion, dethroning Jon Moxley.
The Chicago-Made wrestler’s incendiary comments on the post-show media scrum would lead to a fight backstage, resulting in Punk and others being suspended.
Duh
It is believed that Punk’s time with AEW is coming to an end, with reports that he is seeking a buyout from the promotion.
During this week’s FTR podcast, Dax Harwood spoke about his hope that Punk will be able to return and make amends with The Elite
“This is my plea to all four guys. Please find a way to make it work. If we can make it work, we can set up the future of professional wrestling for a long time.”
Dax Harwood.
Responding to a quote of Harwood’s comments, which added that Punk and the Elite should “just shake hands and say sorry” Punk responded with a simple “Duh.”
CM Punk has reportedly requested a buyout of his AEW deal, something that the company is in no hurry to grant him.
The belief is that AEW’s higher-ups fear Punk will join WWE soon, bringing a ton of attention to their competition.
It has been reported that some in WWE are against the idea of bringing Punk back, believing he will only bring trouble similar to what has been seen in AEW.
Kenny Omega may be one of the most popular ‘gaijin’ wrestlers in the history of New Japan Pro Wrestling, but he wasn’t always proud of his work overseas.
Omega debuted for New Japan in September 2010, losing to Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) and is a former IWGP World Champion.
The 39-year-old wrestler is also a former IWGP Intercontinental, United States, and Junior Heavyweight Champion, and is the only gaijin winner of the G1 Climax.
Ashamed
Omega’s career in New Japan is impressive and well-documented, but he believes the promotion slid after he left for greener pastures. Speaking to NJPW1972, the Cleaner had this to say about New Japan’s ‘decline’ after he left:
“For me, New Japan kinda became that child that I was ashamed of. I didn’t want to talk about New Japan to other people. I wanted to go back to those days where New Japan was in those infantile stages of creeping over to the West. Under my help of course! With me as the captain, it was sure to succeed.”
Kenny Omega.
Omega departed New Japan in January 2019 to be a co-founder of All Elite Wrestling.
Future Plans
Omega was once ashamed of his work with New Japan Pro Wrestling, but things have clearly changed.
The former AEW World Champion will return to challenge IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion at the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom 17 event.
This match will mark Omega’s first match for New Japan since losing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in 2019.
Before he was All Elite, Kenny Omega was “The Cleaner.”
In late 2014, Omega joined New Japan Pro Wrestling, aligning himself with one of professional wrestling’s most dominant factions — the Bullet Club. Throughout his tenure, Omega racked up an impressive collection of titles, starting with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, before leveling up to the company’s biggest prize.
Omega’s last appearance with the company came on January 4, 2019 at Wrestle Kingdom 13 where he lost his IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi in a grueling 39-minute match. Later that month, Kenny Omega’s contract with NJPW ended, and he moved on to his next venture in the development of a startup promotion.
The former champion soon makes his long-awaited return to NJPW for a special appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17 against a familiar foe, Will Ospreay. There, Omega will also vie for the IWGP United States Championship. In anticipation of his return, Kenny Omega spoke with NJPW about his 4-year absence from the company he once called home.
“We always hear like ‘you’re the best in the world,’ ‘greatest matches of all time’. But maybe somebody else is the best in the world to somebody else. But to me, to truly the best, you have to be the best in all styles,” he said. “And to me, I’d never truly challenged North American professional wrestling. Not whole heartedly. I thought ‘for all the people that think I’m the best now, all the people that think I’m talented now, just you wait, because I’m going to kill it in America.'”
“I’m going to show everyone exactly why they call me the Best Bout Machine. Going to show you exactly why I was able to take small promotions and make them global. I’m going to take an upstart promotion that nobody knows existed, and turn it into the greatest competition to the greatest pro-wrestling promotion that anyone has seen in America for the past 50, 60, 70 years.'”
The King Want His Keys Back
The upstart promotion — famously known as All Elite Wrestling — quickly turned into a major competition for the dominant global enterprise, WWE. Since singing with AEW in February 2019, Omega took on the dual roles as an Executive Vice President and in-ring performer. In the ring, Omega soared into success, racking up singles, tag team, and trios’ gold in the span of three years.
“I think I’ve already made a big enough statement,” Omega said. Now, “The Cleaner” returns home for a special occasion, with some grand ideas.
“My return to the Tokyo Dome is supposed to be astronomical. This is supposed to be a celebration, a real homecoming. For all of you fans, wrestlers that have struggled for so long through this difficult time. And I understand that you guys have struggled with this for years now.”
“I know what you’re thinking- that I mean the struggle with the pandemic, no, no, no. The struggle that I’m talking about is the struggle that you guys have had to incur without me running the ship! Without Kenny Omega running the show, there’s been an absolute lack of charisma, an absolute lack of magic, an absolute lack of eyeballs watching the product. We need people watching, talking, discussing. We need New Japan parties again, guys!”
Accordingly, Omega vowed to be the “resolution” for fans “after years of hardship” they experienced without him in the promotion. At the January 4th event, Omega believes his win against Ospreay will give the people “something to really, really look forward to.”
“There’s a shift coming,” Omega declared, “and unfortunately for you Will, we’re shifting away from this experimental project that was Will Ospreay. And you gave it your best shot, congratulations. I don’t know what else you want from me, I’ll give you a pat on the back, a fruit basket, you did great. But it just wasn’t good enough, and it was nothing compared to the real deal. I’m sorry, Will, but you’re going to have to move on.”
“The king is coming back for the keys to the castle,” Omega said.
Former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega’s long-awaited return to New Japan Pro Wrestling is almost here.
The former Bullet Club leader was one of the promotion’s top main event attractions from his G1 Climax 2016 win all the way up to his highly acclaimed Wrestle Kingdom 13 main event with Hiroshi Tanahashi. After months of online bickering and tag team showdowns in AEW, Omega will face Will Ospreay one-on-one for the IWGP US Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17.
Omega was the inaugural IWGP US Champion. He is still widely argued to have had the finest reign in the title’s history. Will Ospreay, meanwhile, moved into the US title picture this year after failing to regain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 16 in January.
For fans, Omega vs. Ospreay has been a dream match for years. Based on a recent interview with NJPW, however, Omega does not feel the same way. “The Best Bout Machine” was critical of Ospreay’s matches as well as New Japan’s decision to highlight “The Aerial Assassin” as one of their premier acts.
“But after seeing the way that Will has led the ship [NJPW], I started to become disgusted, And I didn’t understand why ‘why are you backing him, New Japan?’ And I get it. It’s just because you had no-one else. Until now.”
– Kenny Omega
“He Was Just Like Anybody Else”
(AEW)
Kenny Omega was then asked for his initial thoughts on Will Ospreay when the then-junior heavyweight star debuted in 2016.
“How did I feel about Will Ospreay when he first arrived in New Japan? He was just like anybody else,” Omega opined. “There are so many guys like him, who can do a bunch of flips and tricks. And it’s fun to watch them practice, and it’s fun to watch their matches. But did I ever feel anything from Will Ospreay? Hmm, not so much.”
Omega went on to essentially bury Ospreay’s work as a top star in NJPW. Omega widely dismissing it as a pale imitation of his own run on top in Japan’s premier wrestling promotion.
Considering the angle Omega and Ospreay have been running this year of trying to one-up each other, it’s likely that at least some of these comments are in kayfabe.
Considering Omega’s commendable drawing power in 2017 and 2018 in New Japan, there are likely plenty of Elite fans who agree with his considering himself the superior main event star in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Chris Jericho may be a member of The Elite alongside Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks for one night only as the top AEW star suggested a dream tag team with Omega for an upcoming huge event.
AEW will make its debut in Winnipeg with a live episode of Dynamite and a taping of Rampage on March 14. This is the hometown of Jericho and Omega.
The Possibilities
While speaking with Winnipeg Sports Talk, the former ROH and AEW World Heavyweight Champion was asked about potential plans for AEW in Winnipeg. He suggested the possible dream tag team.
“That’s three months from now, so we’ll have to see where the storylines take us. We just finished up with the Blackpool Combat Club. The biggest upset in pro wrestling history when Action Andretti beat me on Dynamite last week.”
The former AEW World Champion hinted at a potential rivalry with Ricky Starks, who recently fell short to current World Champion MJF on last week’s Winter Is Coming special.
“We’ll have to address that. Ricky Starks is another one that we’re looking at getting involved with. There are a lot of great programs. That’s the thing with me and the Jericho Appreciation Society. We always want to work with somebody new and really sink our teeth into the storyline.”
Jericho hinted at a possible plan discussed for the team.
“In mid-March, we’ll probably have a lot of cool things going. We’ve already discussed a few ideas of what we could do that night. Maybe something with Kenny and I, Kenny and I tagging, it all depends on what the storylines are. It doesn’t matter what the exact storylines are, I know it’s going to be a great show.”
Kenny Omega has been a household name for years thanks to his in-ring skills as he is considered one the best pro wrestlers on the planet. Omega has always competed at a high level whether that be in New Japan Pro Wrestling or AEW. In that time, he has faced numerous top opponents all over the world.
The former AEW World Heavyweight Champion also doesn’t shy away from competing on less popular shows. Omega decided to compete during the latest taping event for AEW Dark, held on Saturday from Universal Studios.
In Action
Omega worked the set of tapings when he wrestled Hagane Shinno in singles competition. It’s unclear when the episode of AEW Dark with Omega will air.
Omega is set to team up with The Young Bucks and square off against Death Triangle in their next match in the best-of-seven series with Death Triangle, for the AEW Trios Titles. The two teams will clash in a No Disqualification Match on the December 21 Dynamite episode. If necessary, the sixth bout will be a Falls Count Anywhere contest.
We will have spoilers on the homepage later tonight. You can check out some tweets of Omega’s appearance below:
Kenny Omega working the Universal Studios AEW Dark tapings against Hagane Shinno! pic.twitter.com/VaThzizpJM
Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks returned at AEW Full Gear after being suspended for over two months for their part in the brawl with CM Punk following All Out.
The Elite lost to Death Triangle at Full Gear but as it turns out, it was just the start of a Best of 7 Series for the Trios Championships. Death Triangle and The Elite will meet in Match 4 of series tomorrow night at AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming. Death Triangle currently leads the series 2-1. MJF will put the AEW World Championship on the line against Ricky Starks tomorrow night as well.
Wrestling Twitter account GrappleKlips sent out a video showing RVD and Omega hitting the same move sequence.
Omega replied and revealed the ECW legend and former WWE Champion influenced his career, along with many other wrestlers today.
Rob Van Dam captured the WWE Championship from John Cena at ECW One Night Stand in 2006.
Rob Van Dam recently spoke with former WWE Superstars Rene Dupree and Paul London about working with CM Punk following his rant targeting the AEW EVPs, Hangman Page, and Colt Cabana following winning the title at All Out.
I think there is a good chance that CM Punk, just from feeling his energy, probably has as big of an ego as anybody that I’ve interacted with in the business.
Those are the guys that get ahead, the guys that really believe in themselves. But then at the same time, it is really hard for me as another guy in the locker room, I think they believe in themselves too much. Some of it can be like natural heat, like The Miz. It’s just so easy to hate him.
When someone comes back through the curtain after their character could have given the most believable speech that got all the heat in the world, if they can come back through the curtain and be humble, and realize that they are one amongst many, that is a really good place to be in.
WWE NXT star Edris Enofe threw shade at AEW star Kenny Omega on Twitter while celebrating Mandy Rose’s NXT Women’s Championship reign.
Rose has been on an incredible run as she’s held the title for over 400 days and has been pushed as one of the top stars of the NXT brand. Omega, one of AEW’s top stars, has won championships all over the world utilizing his signature ‘V-Trigger’ knee strike.
In a post on Twitter, Enofe argued that Omega couldn’t perform the move as well as Rose can. He shared a GIF of Rose dropping Katana Chance on the November 30 edition of NXT.
The Shot
Enofe captioned the post: “Congrats to @WWE_MandyRose on 400 days as champ! Reminder that she hits this move better than Kenny, and I’m dead serious.”
This isn’t the first time that Enofe has taken shots at an AEW star, as he and Malik Blade notably shared a video in September poking fun at CM Punk’s post-All Out media scrum rant about Colt Cabana, Hangman Page, and The Young Bucks.
At last month’s Full Gear pay-per-view, Omega and the Young Bucks returned to the ring following their suspensions after the All Out backstage fight.
Enofe’s most recent televised match saw him team up with Blade and Odyssey Jones during the November 8 NXT Level Up taping.
Congrats to @WWE_MandyRose on 400 days as champ! 👏🏾👏🏾 Reminder that she hits this move better than Kenny, and I’m dead serious https://t.co/qiHFhNWTIF
Kenny Omega asked fans to “let go” of the issue involving CM Punk in his first interview since returning to AEW television as The Elite had been suspended following the events of All Out in September.
Punk ripped The Elite, Colt Cabana, and Hangman Page at the All Out media scrum before a brawl broke out that also involved Ace Steel, who has since been fired by AEW.
Omega spoke with Justin Barrasso of SI.com days after Full Gear, where The Elite returned and acknowledged that they are not able to disclose additional information about the incident.
Moving On
Nearly 3 months after All Out, Omega says there will be aspects of the backstage altercation that the involved parties will never be able to address publicly. He wants fans to move on and focus on the pro wrestling stories they’ll be telling in the ring.
“There are things no one can talk about, so I’d encourage people to let it go.”
– Kenny Omega
He added, “I encourage people to move away from it because there is no information to be released. Though I cannot talk about it, I do want the fans to know I still want the best for pro wrestling.”
After CM Punk’s press conference, Omega and The Young Bucks went to Punk’s locker room, where an altercation went down. Punk’s future with the company is up in the air although he is reportedly in talks with the promotion about buying out his deal.
“This isn’t Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks against CM Punk. It is people trying to show off their craft. You can boo Kenny Omega, or the Young Bucks, or CM Punk, but I hope people don’t forget we’re human beings struggling to show our art.”
Omega and the Young Bucks (The Elite) are currently involved in a Best of 7 series with AEW World Trios Champions, Death Triangle. PAC and the Lucha Bros. won the first match at Full Gear last weekend. They lead the series 1-0, with the second match scheduled for tonight’s Dynamite from Chicago, IL.
Best of 7 Series for the AEW World Trios Titles?! Sign us up!!
The Cleaner of AEW and the Aerial Assassin will at last lock horns in singles action at Wrestle Kingdom 17 in January 2023.
Kenny Omega appeared via video promo at Sunday’s NJPW X STARDOM Historic X-Over event to challenge Will Ospreay following Ospreay’s successful IWGP United States Heavyweight title defense.
Responding, Ospreay accepted the challenge, claiming he has kept the heartbeat of NJPW going strong.
Omega Vs. Ospreay
Wrestle Kingdom 17 will mark Kenny Omega’s first match for NJPW since Wrestle Kingdom 13 in January 2019.
Fightful Select reports that talks between Omega and NJPW began over the summer, but the match was far from finalized.
Those close to the situation said that the deal for Omega to wrestle for New Japan was only finalized within the last two or three weeks.
Omega’s suspension from AEW following the All Out brawl did not end talks of a match with Ospreay but it “certainly slowed things down.”
Both men have teased the match for some time, with Ospreay using Omega’s One-Winged Angel at a Rev Pro show earlier this year, and forcing his opponent to kick out.
Rocky Romero
Omega Vs. Ospreay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight title is a bona fide huge match, and fans have Rocky Romero to thank.
Romero is said to have played a huge role in getting the match approved, and he is said to have been a huge factor in New Japan’s global expansion in recent years.
Fightful’s report adds that Romero has worked tirelessly to maintain New Japan’s positive relationships with numerous companies
At one point, Romero was said to be in frequent contact with AEW Owner Tony Khan to make deals happen.
Kenny Omega continues to make waves in the pro wrestling industry. The former IWGP World heavyweight champion challenged Will Ospreay for a match at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th.
Immediately following Ospreay’s IWGP United States title defense against Shota Umino, the lights went out inside the Ariake Arena. Moments later, Kenny Omega appeared on a giant screen and took Will Ospreay to task.
Omega sighted that when he left the promotion to join AEW, Ospreay was the man who set to replace him as the top Gaijin (foreigner) in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Omega would go on to antagonize Ospreay, saying that
“The crowds have gotten smaller. We can’t hear them cheering. Oh, that’s because of the pandemic! That’s the line you trot out right? But is it really? You see, there’s only one real virus here. And that’s you Will.”
Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay is a topflight dream match Worldwide. The two men have often been compared to one another over the last few years. When Omega mentioned that Ospreay was the performer groomed to replace him when he left New Japan, he wasn’t wrong.
Omega had been considered the best in-ring performer in pro wrestling over the last 2 years of his New Japan career. His last singles match was at Wrestle Kingdom 13. Losing the IWGP World heavyweight title to Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Will Ospreay has arguably taken that metaphorical title over the last couple of years. He put on incredible performances with Omega’s biggest NJPW rival, Kazuchika Okada. Also turning in masterpieces with Shingo Takagi, sparking an enthralling rivalry that traces back to 2019.
The two men recently competed on opposite sides of the ring in AEW. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks defeated Will Ospreay and Aussie Open in the semifinals of the AEW World Trios championship tournament. A match that was lauded by many in the pro wrestling industry.
Omega and Ospreay have met once before in singles competition. Omega emerged victorious over Ospreay in 2015 at PWG’s “All Star Weekend” event. Both men have matured and grown as wrestlers since that encounter.
Buckle up folks. We are going to open up January 2023 with a match of the year candidate at Wrestle Kingdom 17. Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay are going to tear the house at the Tokyo Dome.
