AAA has started to list Kenny Omega’s replacements for Triplemania Regia.
Omega was the reigning AAA Mega Champion. He held the title for 765 days, which is the longest reign in that championship’s history.
Kenny was never beaten for the title. Instead, he was forced to vacate it due to injury. Omega is reportedly going to have surgery on his shoulder and he’ll also be healing other nagging injuries.
Kenny Omega was expected to put the AAA Mega Championship on the line against Hijo del Vikingo on Dec. 4. That plan went awry and now AAA is moving forward.
Samuray Del Sol Is Kenny Omega’s First Replacement
AAA will be going with a multi-person match to determine the new Mega Champion. The first participant announced is Samuray Del Sol, formerly known as Kalisto in WWE.
Seguiremos revelando a los retadores por el ? Megacampeonato de AAA ?
?? @gloat ?? es el primer contendiente revelado. ??
Del Sol appeared on the Nov. 3 episode of AEW Dynamite. He teamed with Aero Star in a losing effort against current AAA Tag Team Champions, FTR.
AAA Triplemania Regia will be taking place on Dec. 4. It’ll be held inside Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico.
On the card, FTR will defend their AAA gold against Lucha Bros. Plus former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez will be featured in a match for the AAA World Trios Championship.
AAA has officially stripped Kenny Omega of the Mega Championship. He will not take part in their December 4th show where he was scheduled to defend the title against El Vikingo. Omega won the title from Fenix at Héroes Inmortales XIII on October 19th, 2019.
Dorian Roldan made the announcement today.
“Due to injury and surgery issues, Kenny Omega may not be present at Triplemania Regia ; Therefore, as of this moment, the MegaChampionship of AAA remains vacant, with El Vikingo as the first challenger; more news soon,” reads a translation of his Tweet.
Por temas de lesión y cirugías, @KennyOmegamanX no podrá estar presente en #TriplemaniaRegia; por lo cual, a partir de este momento, el MegaCampeonato de @luchalibreaaa queda vacante, teniendo como primer retador a @vikingo_aaa; más noticias en breve.
There is no timetable for Omega’s return to in-ring action currently. His various injuries were addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.
“He has a lot of different issues, knee, shoulder, abdominal hernia that he’s been working through,” said Dave Meltzer. “There’s others too. He’ll be getting multiple surgeries, most likely. Everything is kind of to be determined.”
It is AAA so it's possible they're doing a title match without Omega at Regia just to say they still did one with some plan to bring him back later, even if doing a title match without the champion seems to defeat the point of titles
Kenny Omega thinks that the biggest difference of the wrestling fandom in America compared to Japan is the social media interactions.
The Cleaner stopped by the office of naprapath Dr. Beau Hightower to get himself in a better shape for his Full Gear match against Hangman Page before the PPV this past Saturday. The now-former AEW champion had a detailed conversation about things such as developing his persona, being a fan of anime, and more while getting the adjustments.
Omega spent over half a decade in Japan rebuilding his character after some failed stints in America. He has been reintroduced to the wider American audience in the past couple of years ever since AEW started putting out a weekly show on national television.
When asked what’s the biggest difference he has noticed in the fandom of Japan and America, Kenny Omega said that the major difference is the social media interaction with fans.
“I would say the major difference is social media interactions. I find that by far and away native English speakers are much more volatile online. You just don’t get that [in Japan]. At the very least, even at the most basic level, I would say a [Japanese] wrestling fan respects the effort wrestlers put in. Whereas in America or the UK or sometimes Canada or whatever, you know, people want us to die.
They want us to get injured. They want us to be retired. They want us to be out of work and I hear it hundreds of times a day. And if I wasn’t kind of numb to it, I don’t know. I feel like I might be in a real terrible mental place. That’s why I worry for other people who may not be in similar shoes and may not be used to that.”
“Fans Feels Like They Are Fighting The War”: Kenny Omega
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega (Photo: AEW)
Discussing the mentality behind the negative reactions of fans, Kenny Omega explained that people believe they are fighting the war alongside their favorite team. Though it’s not something the wrestlers or the companies want them to do:
“The fans feel like they’re fighting the war alongside their favorite team and so they feel like they’re doing their due diligence. And what they’re actually doing is probably not what anyone really wishes them to do.”
Kenny Omega dropped the AEW world championship to Hangman Page during the Full Gear PPV. This culminated one of the longest-running storylines of the company. The former IWGP champion has since confirmed that he is taking a break from AEW programming to heal from his various injuries. While an exact timetable for his return is not known, he is expected to stay out of action for at least a few months.
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with a H/T for the transcription.
AEW play-by-play ace Jim Ross thinks it’s in Kenny Omega’s best interest to take as much time off as he needs.
Omega is coming off an unsuccessful AEW World Heavyweight Title defense. He ended up losing the gold to Hangman Page at Full Gear.
Reports surfaced saying that Kenny Omega is injured. The Best Bout Machine is expected to be off television through early 2022.
Jim Ross Advises Kenny Omega To Heal Fully
Jim Ross has seen a slew of talent go down with injuries. During an episode of his Grilling JR Podcast, Ross said he hopes Omega doesn’t rush things.
“Adam had the night that he needed, the performance more specifically that he needed. Give a lot of credit to Kenny Omega. Omega’s body is battered, he’s got bad shoulders.
“I don’t know what he’s going to do if I were him and I’m sure Tony Khan is feeling somewhat the same way, you’ve got to get the guys some rest, he’s got to heal a bit.
“Quite frankly that’s not a bad thing because he lost the title, now he can not go invisible but be less prominent on the shows as a wrestler and more as a personality until he’s more healthy.
“Kenny Omega deserves a hell of a lot of credit for making that match with Adam as good as it was. I think Kenny just elevated [Page], he made sure the transition from himself to Hangman Page was spot on and it was. I really enjoyed their outing.”
Omega is currently scheduled to put his AAA Mega Championship on the line against Hijo del Vikingo on Dec. 4. There is no word on whether or not he can do the match.
Kenny Omega announced on Dynamite that he’s taking time away from AEW. The former AEW World Champion told the Elite, “I feel like there is things I gotta fix and there is things I gotta change and I can’t do it here.”
Omega has been working through multiple injuries over the past few months. He’s set to undergo multiple surgeries, according to the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.
“He has a lot of different issues, knee, shoulder, abdominal hernia that he’s been working through,” said Dave Meltzer. “There’s others too. He’ll be getting multiple surgeries, most likely. “Everything is kind of to be determined.”
Meltzer added, “I guess the idea is to try to get as many of these things taken care of at the same time but that’s a lot of body parts to rehab at the same time.”
The man once known as the Belt Collector is now down to just one championship. Omega is advertised to defend his AAA Mega Championship against El Vikingo on December 4th. It remains to be seen if he’ll be able to fulfill this obligation.
When will Kenny Omega return?
Kenny Omega (Photo: Scott Lesh)
Kenny Omega will be out of action through the end of 2021. The exact timeline is unknown. He hasn’t gone under the knife just yet, but there’s hope within AEW that he’ll return by February 2022.
AEW broadcaster Jim Ross commented on Omega’s condition on the latest episode of his Grilling JR podcast. Ross said it’s crucial that top talent get time to rest up and heal. Omega dropping the title to Hangman Page is the perfect opportunity to rotate him out of storylines so he can focus on his health.
If you use any of the above quotes please credit Wrestling Observer Radio with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcriptions.
Kenny Omega has confirmed that he will be taking time off from AEW programming after dropping the AEW world championship to Hangman Page during Full Gear.
The opening of this week’s Dynamite featured the Elite in a backstage segment. During the segment, the former AEW champion congratulated Page. He then claimed that there are things he needs to change.
“You know I haven’t watched the match back yet from Full Gear and people are already asking me when the rematch is gonna be. When are you gonna get your belt back Kenny. I lost that match; the elite lost the night. Quite frankly I am a little disgusted.
Not in you hanger, you won. Congrats. Really congrats. I feel like there is things I gotta fix and there is things I gotta change and I can’t do it here. So if I can count on you to hold the fort while I am gone, I would really appreciate it”
This prompted a response from Adam Cole explaining that he will take care of things. However, Kenny Omega then cleared that he was talking to the Young Bucks.
The former NJPW star has been dealing with multiple nagging injuries for a while now. Word is that he is going to take time off for a shoulder surgery. Stay tuned for an update on how long he may stay out of action.
Former AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega says Kurt Angle has served as an inspiration to him.
Kurt Angle is widely regarded as one of the best performers to ever enter the wrestling industry. Not only was Angle world-class in the ring, but he was also a top-notch entertainer.
Those two key ingredients propelled him to legendary status.
Kenny Omega Reveals How Kurt Angle Inspired Him
(via WWE)
Kenny Omega was on the receiving end of a chiropractic adjustment from Dr. Beau Hightower. During the process, Omega said Angle is one of the top American wrestlers who inspired him.
“If I were to name one more guy that was really an inspiration to kind getting to where I’m at now in the ring, maybe it’s Kurt Angle.
“Again, I just appreciate the real athleticism that goes into what he does without sacrificing that entertaining aspect.
“He was willing to do whatever it took to make a crowd happy. To make people laugh, to make people cry but his capabilities were second to none.”
Angle was feeling the love from Omega and he took to his Twitter account to express gratitude.
There’s been some speculation on Omega’s immediate future following his title loss to Hangman Page at Full Gear.
Wrestling Observer Radio reported that Omega went into the match with shoulder issues. “The Best Bout Machine” was scheduled to undergo a medical evaluation on Wednesday.
Some reports have since surfaced saying that surgery might be an option.
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article
Former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega could be looking at some time away from the ring, depending on his results from his upcoming medical evaluation.
Omega will get checked out by AEW doctors on Wednesday, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer. The report states that Omega has been dealing with nagging injuries for several months. Despite his ailments, Omega has been competing at the highest levels of in-ring competition.
Josh Nason of the Wrestling Observer recapped Meltzer’s report and contributed the following quotes.
“Meltzer said Omega has been dealing with various injuries for several months but was determined to see the Hangman Page storyline come to completion, which it did this past Saturday at Full Gear as he lost the title to Page,” said Nason.
The results will determine if he would take time off from wrestling. “Omega was going to take some time off at some point but chose not to as he wanted to continue the storyline.”
Meltzer reported in June that Omega was suffering from injuries. However, he continued to work through his issues.
“Omega is hurting pretty badly between slicing up his hand and needing seven stitches when he delivered the fourth belt shot on Pac in the three-way, said Meltzer. He continued to detail Omega’s injuries, “… a deep bone bruise near his tailbone, the normal wear and tear on his knees and an athletic hernia.”
It’s unclear if Omega has suffered other injuries since June. He contemplated taking time off from wrestling before, but his medical evaluation may force him out of action.
Kenny Omega has been wrestling a hectic schedule for the last year. He’s been defending world titles in multiple promotions and has been doing so while injured. In a recent video with chiropractor Dr. Beau Hightower, Omega spoke about dealing with vertigo and having to learn to wrestle in a ring that seems like it’s spinning.
“Yeah, it’s been an issue since 2018. I just get really bad vertigo. I get dizzy in the ring. I can’t — the room spins. It’s been a new skill I’ve had to inherit is wrestling in a spinning ring,” Omega said. “So to make sure I get that straightened out as much as I can, as often as I can is really paramount for my performances.”
Omega is also dealing with a shoulder injury at the moment. It was noted on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that Omega is unable to workout with weights due to the injury. Omega spoke about the difficulty of his shoulder injury during his interview with Hightower.
“One thing that I can say is I have a lot of difficulty just doing a straight side [arm] raise because of my shoulder injury. I would have to really sort of deviate to [a diagonal raise] to do anything. So to be able to go perfectly sideways is great.”
Omega dropped the title to Hangman Page at AEW Full Gear on Saturday night. This could perhaps lead to him taking time off to heal his shoulder.
At long last, fans got to see the match they’ve waited months to see – Adam Page challenging Kenny Omega for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship.
This served as the main event of the Full Gear pay-per-view event. Omega hit a springboard sunset liger bomb and Page landed badly on his back/neck. Page with a blockbuster off the top rope. There was a referee bump when Page hit his clothesline finisher to him. Don Callis got involved but was taken out. Page with the deadeye for a near fall when a new referee came out. Page with the one-winged angel for a near fall. Page hit his clothesline finisher for the win.
Originally, AEW was planning this match for the All Out PPV event, but the decision was made for Omega to defend the title against Christian Cage at this event instead as Page took time off for the birth of his child.
Page made his return to AEW TV on an episode of Dynamite in October when he was revealed as the “joker” in the Casino Ladder Match. The bout also featured PAC, Andrade El Idolo, Jon Moxley, Lance Archer, Orange Cassidy, and Matt Hardy.
With Page winning the bout, he earned the title match. This was actually a rematch between them as Omega beat Page in last year’s Eliminator Tournament finals at Full Gear.
AAA has announced the full card for TripleMania Regia II. The show will take place December 4th from the Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico.
Kenny Omega will defend his AAA Mega Championship on the show against El Hijo del Vikingo. Cain Velasquez will also make his return to AAA as he teams with Psycho Clown and Pagano to take on the team of LA Park, Rey Escorpion and Taurus.
The feud between FTR and the Lucha Bros will also continue on December 4th. Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler will defend the AAA World Tag Team Championships against the team they took the titles from, the Lucha Bros. At Full Gear this weekend, the Lucha Bros will defend their AEW World Tag Team Championships against FTR.
TripleMania Regia II Lineup
AAA Mega Championship Kenny Omega (c) vs. El Hijo del Vikingo
Cain Velasquez, Psycho Clown & Pagano vs. LA Park, Rey Escorpion & Taurus
AAA World Tag Team Championship FTR (c) vs. The Lucha Brothers
La Empresa (Sam Adonis, Puma King & DMT Azul) vs. Monster Clown, Murder Clown & Dave the Clown
Dragon Lee & Dralistico vs. Laredo Kid & a mystery partner
Vipers (Psicosis, Abismo & Arez) vs. Poder del Norte (Mocho Cota Jr., Tito Santana & Carta Brava Jr.) vs. NGD (Sanson, El Cuatrero & Forastero)
Marvel Lucha Libre match Leyenda Americano & Gran Mazo vs. Venenoide & Enganso
Faby Apache, Lady Shani & Sexy Star vs. La Hiedra, Flammer & Lady Maravilla
All Elite Wrestling has released the first line of AEW wrestling buddies featuring Cody Rhodes and AEW World Champion Kenny Omega.
The official LJN Wrestling Buddy Plush dolls stand at 18” and feature recorded sounds from the actual wrestlers. They’re powered by two AA batteries, included with purchase.
AEW Wrestling Buddies are now available exclusively at Amazon.com for $24.99.
ROWDY! Features Real AEW wrestling stars’ voices and sound effects!
INTERACTIVE! Buddies know when they’ve been pinned and when they’ve beaten the pin!
BIG! The plush is 18” of Beat ‘Em Up Fun!
AEW fans, pro-wrestling fans, toy collectors, and toy enthusiasts will love the details and game of the new AEW Wrestling Buddies, The Official LJN Wrestling Buddy Plush!
Cody Rhodes
Kenny Omega
AEW Wrestling Buddies
The AEW wrestling buddies were first unveiled at the Double or Nothing fan fest earlier this year.
In addition to Cody Rhodes and Kenny Omega, the first line also includes buddies for Darby Allin and Luchasaurus. The Darby Allin and Luchasaurus buddies are not yet available. They are expected to go on sale in mid-December.
Now, AAA has announced that Omega’s next Mega Championship defense will take place at TripleMania Regia on Dec. 4. Kenny Omega will be going one-on-one against Hijo del Vikingo.
Omega’s last AAA Mega Title defense took place back in August. He successfully retained the gold against Andrade El Idolo at TripleMania XXIX in Mexico City.
It was reported that AEW didn’t want Omega to lose to Andrade clean since he had lost his Impact Wrestling Championship to Christian Cage. Ultimately, AAA decided to keep the Mega Title on Omega rather than go with a fluke finish to crown a new champion.
Also featured on the TripleMania Regia card will be former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. The former MMA star will be making his return to AAA after being released by WWE due to budget cuts in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Velasquez will be in a six-man tag team match.
Bryan Danielson thinks highly of his match with Kenny Omega.
On the AEW Grand Slam edition of Dynamite, Danielson and Omega shared the ring in a non-title match. The highly-anticipated showdown took place inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. The match went to a 30-minute time limit draw and has been widely praised.
Bryan Danielson Gives Match With Kenny Omega A High Mark
Danielson spoke to Jim Varsallone after the match and rated his epic clash with Omega.
“I wasn’t worried if we knocked it out of the park or hit a grand slam, I worry about, ‘Did I enjoy what I just did?’ And as far as my enjoyment, that’s a 10/10 as far as you look at, ‘Okay, well which matches did you enjoy the most?’ If you rank everything on a scale of 1 to 10, that was a 10/10 enjoyment for me in the sense that there are only a handful of matches that are even comparable.”
The American Dragon Is Back
Bryan Danielson has certainly been working a more aggressive style in AEW than he had been in WWE. Danielson has said that he felt Vince McMahon was overprotective of him at times. When speaking to Sports Illustrated, Danielson recalled McMahon being upset at him after taking an errant German suplex from Drew Gulak during a PPV.
Danielson’s in-ring style now reminds old-school fans of how Bryan used to wrestle in his days with ROH and on the indie scene. Many agree that “The American Dragon” is in his true form now. That notion was solidified when Danielson collided with Minoru Suzuki on the Buy-In show for the Oct. 15 episode of Rampage.
Danielson has secured a spot in the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament. The brackets have been revealed and Danielson’s opening round match will be against Dustin Rhodes.
The date for Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page has now been confirmed.
On the second-year anniversary show of AEW Dynamite, Hangman Page made his return to TV. He was the Joker entrant in the Casino Ladder Match featuring Jon Moxley, Andrade El Idolo, Pac, Lance Archer, Orange Cassidy, and Matt Hardy.
Hangman Page ended up winning the match. As a result, he has been guaranteed a shot at Omega’s AEW World Heavyweight Championship. AEW hadn’t announced when Page will challenge for the gold.
AEW head honcho Tony Khan appeared on My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox and he confirmed that Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page will take place at the Full Gear PPV on Nov. 13.
The feud between Hangman and The Elite has been brewing for a while now. At first, it really boiled down to a nasty rivalry between Hangman and Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks. Soon, Hangman was kicked out of The Elite.
Hangman Page had a chance to earn a world title opportunity if he won an elimination tag team match back in July. Page teamed with The Dark Order to take on The Elite but the numbers game was too much and Page was beaten.
AEW Full Gear will be held inside the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
CM Punk believes that he will eventually meet Kenny Omega and the match won’t go to a time limit draw.
Since making his return to the pro wrestling industry, Punk has been slowly getting back into the swing of things. He hasn’t been thrust into the main event scene right away, although he is getting main event reactions. That’s because in AEW, there is a rankings system and CM Punk is slowly climbing his way up the ladder.
Eventually, Punk does want a piece of the AEW gold. The current World Heavyweight Champion is Kenny Omega. During an interview with Sport1, Punk said that unlike the match with Bryan Danielson, Omega will not be going the distance with him.
“The AEW Title is definitely something I want. I look at my career as being, I haven’t wrestled for seven years, I can’t come in and challenge for a world title right away. I look at the situation with Bryan Danielson coming in and wrestling Kenny Omega in his first match, but it wasn’t for the title. When I wrestle Kenny Omega, it’s gonna be for the title and I’m not going to need 30 minutes to beat him.”
Punk is 3-0 under the AEW banner. He’s picked up wins over Darby Allin, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Daniel Garcia. Many are wondering what will be the next big feud for Punk as we’re a month away from the Full Gear PPV.
As for Omega, he’s been feuding with Danielson but there’s an interesting situation. Hangman Page recently won the Casino Ladder Match, earning him a shot at the AEW World Heavyweight Championship.
After wrestling in arenas around the globe, Kenny Omega has a very specific pick for his favorite arena in wrestling because of the acoustics of it.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recently made a tweet about the best arenas in the world. Replying to it, the AEW champion picked Osaka-Jo Hall as his favorite:
“Osaka Jo absolutely gets my vote. While sound gets lost in the Tokyo Dome, Arena Mexico, Saitama Super Arena, etc,” wrote Omega, “the acoustics are incredible in that building. It rumbles when you get the crowd rocking.”
But Korakuen Hall, Edion Arena, Arena Mexico, Tokyo Dome, Sumo Hall, Budokan Hall all have to be in the convesation worldwide. https://t.co/tAVnIr4GrQ
Osaka-Jo Hall is a multipurpose arena situated in the Kyobashi area of Osaka, Japan. The arena opened in 1983. It can hold up to 16,000 people at a time.
NJPW has been holding its annual Dominion PPV from the arena since 2015. They have presented a total of 7 Dominion shows from Osaka-Jo Hall till now.
Kenny Omega, who made his name wrestling for the Japanese promotion before signing with AEW, has competed in 4 of these shows. He main evented 2 of them.
His two out of three falls main event match against Kazuchika Okada from Dominion 6.9 in June 2018 received high praise from fans. It was the first and till date the only match to receive a 7-star rating from Meltzer.
Will Ospreay is fed up with people like CM Punk, Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson and others dropping his name.
The self-proclaimed “real” IWGP World Heavyweight Champion is gearing up for a clash against Alex Zayne. That match will take place at NJPW Showdown, a 2-night event taking place October 16th & 17th from Philadelphia’s historic 2300 Arena.
Ospreay spoke to SEScoops correspondent Samira this week about his preparation for that event, why he can’t stand American wrestling fans, and much more.
When asked who he wants to wrestle in the months ahead, ‘Big Match Billy’ named Kazuchika Okada as the only person he cares about from Japan. “The guy’s been ducking me for a while now,” he said.
However, there are several other people on his radar. Ospreay tells SEScoops that he’d “love” to wrestle CM Punk, as well as some of the other AEW stars who have called him out in recent months.
Ospreay Ready to Embarrass AEW’s Top Stars
CM Punk named Will Ospreay as someone he’d like to work with during a March 2020 appearance on the Swing & Mrs. Podcast. Punk is now an active competitor for AEW, bringing this potential dream match one step closer to reality.
“I would still love that match with CM Punk,” he began. “He’s the one that called me out. He said, ‘I want to wrestle Will Ospreay.’ So with that, Bryan Danielson, he said ‘I want to wrestle Will Ospreay’ and I get it. Kenny Omega wants to wrestle Will Ospreay. Take a ticket and I’ll get to you when I get to you guys. They called me out. Sammy Guevara, he’s another one that called me out.”
He continued, “There’s a list that goes on and on and on. They all call me out and there’s a reason why. Because when Big Match Billy is in town, their stock goes up. Everyone that wrestles me – and you can’t deny it – every single person that wrestles me ups their game because they know they’re going to be in the ring with one of the best wrestlers in the world right now. So, I completely understand it.”
These Guys Don’t Want Me To Show Up
Ospreay continued railing against Punk, Danielson, and Omega.
“If you guys really want it that bad, you know what to do. You just gotta call my number and I’ll show up. I’ll show up. But 9 times out of 10, these guys don’t want me to show up. Because A, I’ll embarrass them. I’ll embarrass them.”
“Guys like Bryan Danielson made a living being one of the best wrestlers in the world. But if I showed up, he would not last in the ring with me. Kenny Omega was THE guy in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He left. I took over. Nobody could compete with me in 2019. If I got in the ring with him, I’d embarrass him.”
Best in the World
CM Punk
“CM Punk called me out when he wasn’t a wrestler. So in that case, he was keeping an eye on me the entire time, looking at me and thinking I’m a challenge – and damn right, I’m a challenge. I’m THE challenge. So, if those guys want it, I’m ready. But, you guys hit me up. I didn’t hit none of you guys up.”
Ospreay took offense to the notion that CM Punk could still be considered the best in the world. “Is he though? He says he’s the best wrestler in the world. When was he saying that, 2011? Was he the best in the world, or was he the best of the bad bunch? Maybe you were the best at that time. Are you the best now? No. You’re nowhere near Will Ospreay’s level. So step up, brother. I’m ready for you.”
Kenny Omega believes AEW has caused WWE to hit the panic button.
AEW has achieved quite a bit for only being in existence since 2019. The rapid success of Dynamite led to AEW scoring a new deal with TNT and a second television show, Rampage. Now, Cody and Brandi Rhodes are set to premiere their reality show on the network.
The company has signed the likes of CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Adam Cole. AEW sold out the United Center in Chicago and packed Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. They’ve been hitting over one million viewers consistently on Dynamite as well.
Of course, WWE has long been the Big Kahuna when it comes to the wrestling industry. Having been around for decades, the promotion is able to pull in higher total viewership numbers for Monday Night Raw and SmackDown.
With that said, Kenny Omega believes the gap has been closing quickly. Here’s what the AEW World Heavyweight Champion told Tokyo Sports.
“At the start, there was a huge gap between WWE and AEW. (AEW) was just some fledgling promotion after all. But have you realized how the tables have turned? WWE is desperate. They keep bringing back legends every other week. COVID is a terrible thing, and we never wanted it to happen but it is what it is.”
There was a huge down period for the wrestling industry when it came to COVID-19. Many people wondered about the future of AEW since it was a newer promotion. WWE was certainly better equipped to ride out the pandemic but AEW managed to pull through and is thriving now more than ever.
Whether you’re solely an AEW fan or a WWE fan, most can agree that competition benefits the customer. Time will tell just how far AEW can keep going.
Rich Swann is honored to have shared the ring with Kenny Omega and would like to do it again.
Swann was the Impact Wrestling World Champion as well as the TNA World Champion before Omega challenged for the gold. The title match took place at the Rebellion PPV back in April. Omega ended up scoring the pinfall to lay claim to the gold.
During an interview with Sportsman, Swann reflected on getting to go one-on-one with “The Best Bout Machine.”
“I lost my IMPACT World Championship and TNA World Championship, but at the end of the day, it’ll come back around, you never know. Just that feeling of having that high pressure and being able to deliver, it was something that I cherish and don’t take for granted. Kenny Omega, he’s one of the hardest hitter, smoothest performers, great talker. Just to be put in that light and put up there with somebody that has been in a high regard, number one in Pro Wrestling Illustrated, it’s something that I would love to do again and I loved the experience.”
Swann had been Impact World Champion for 183 days. Omega’s reign lasted 110 days. He saw that title run come to an end on the debut episode of AEW Rampage. Omega was beaten by Christian Cage. Cage ended up retiring the TNA World Championship.
A future rematch between Swann and Omega may not be impossible but we could be waiting a while. Omega appears to be done with Impact for the time being. With cross-promotion in full effect, one can’t rule out the possibility.
All Elite Wrestling talent Bryan Danielson shared his thoughts after his match with AEW Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega last night.
He made his AEW in-ring debut at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NY. The match with Omega went to a 30-minute time limit draw, with AEW fans praising his performance. Danielson, in a tweet, gave his thoughts on the event and his appreciation for the fans.
“When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. Thank you to the incredible fans in NY last night,” said Danielson. He continues to say, “Thank you to AEW and its wrestlers for putting in the work to make last night possible.”
When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. Thank you to the incredible fans in NY last night, thank you to @AEW and it’s wrestlers for putting in the work to make last night possible. #gratitudepic.twitter.com/ojIBb9FEsP
The long-awaited dream match between Danielson and Omega ended without a winner. The match went back and forth, with both wrestlers having their moments of offense. Danielson tried to apply his submission move on Omega, but the time expired. It was a non-title match, but a possible rematch could be for the AEW Heavyweight Championship.
The next AEW Pay-Per-View Full Gear AEW is November 13th at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A rematch between the two could earn AEW a reasonable PPV buy rate. However, Omega doesn’t seem interested in a rematch.
Hangman Adam Page is a potential opponent for the champion. His single match record in AEW is 11-1 this year. He was also in a rivalry with Omega before he took time away to be with his family in August. It’s unclear when he will return, but AEW has a promotional poster of him for AEW Dynamite and Rampage on November 17th. However, AEW hasn’t said that he would return for upcoming shows before the advertised date.
For now, Danielson is still feuding with Omega. After their first match in AEW, a rematch doesn’t seem unlikely.
We have seen a good number of superstars leaving WWE to join AEW in the past couple years. If we believe Kenny Omega, then 90% of the current WWE roster would be interested in making this jump too.
The AEW champion recently had an interview with Tokyo Sports. He talked about things such as the state of pro wrestling during the COVID-19 pandemic and more.
While talking about his AEW Grand Slam opponent Bryan Danielson who recently left WWE for AEW, Kenny was asked if he thinks more WWE superstars will be jumping over to AEW to which he replied positively:
“There will definitely be a lot more of them coming over in the future. I feel that about 90% of the wrestlers in WWE would want to jump over to AEW.”
When asked if there is a particular WWE talent he would like to see joining the AEW roster, Kenny Omega took the name of the Universal champion Roman Reigns:
“There’s been quite a few already, so I’m not lacking in opponents. I don’t exactly have anyone I have in mind but….if I must say I’d love to go against Roman Reigns. It would be a great opportunity to show who’s the real World Champion.”
Omega also named a few Japanese stars he would like to see join their promotion. He listed people such as Kota Ibushi and Kazuchika Okada as talents he would love to see joining the AEW roster.
The AEW champion took on his Twitter to comment on the bout that ended in a 30 minutes time limit draw. He claimed that there isn’t going to be a rematch between the two:
Tonight’s Dynamite episode saw the AEW world champion colliding with the former WWE champion in the opening match of the night. Both Omega and Bryan received an incredible ovation from the crowd.
The audience was very excited for this bout. Both the stars put in a great effort to make Bryan’s first match in AEW after his All Out debut a memorable encounter.
However, while both the stars gave everything they had, neither of them could keep the other down for long. The match between Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson ended in a 30 minutes time limit draw.
The Elite ran out to the ring after the match as Danielson tried to continue the fight. Adam Cole and The Young Bucks ended up delivering a triple superkick to the former WWE star. The trio of Christian Cage and Jurassic Express then came out.
They saved Bryan Danielson from the post-match attack at the hands of The Elite. While Kenny Omega is claiming that there will be no rematch, it’s more likely that we will see these two colliding inside an AEW ring once again sooner rather than later.
A dream match for many fans between Bryan Danielson and Kenny Omega finally happened on the AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam special at the USTA Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The match was non-title as the World Heavyweight Champion wasn’t on the line.
The match opened the show and went a full 30 minutes. They built slowly and the pace continued to increase. At one point, Omega hit a running V-Trigger on the rampway. Both men exchanged chops and had bruised chests. Because time ran out, it was ruled a draw. A finish that will clearly lead to a rematch.
Danielson made his promotional debut at the AEW All Out pay-per-view event after Omega beat Christian Cage to retain the World Title. The Elite attacked Jungle Boy and Jurassic Express so Danielson came out to stand with the babyfaces. A brawl broke out with the babyfaces standing tall to end the show.
Danielson was originally going to debut at this show, but it was nixed and moved up due to a growing concern about the spread of COVID-19. In July, it was reported the former WWE star had indeed signed with All Elite Wrestling.
Back in late August during an episode of Dynamite, CM Punk responded to a “YES” chant by telling fans that they need to be patient a little bit longer. Many took this as a clear indication that Danielson was on board with the company.
