“…The wrestling community can sometimes be toxic, and I hate seeing it in sports. I hate seeing it in video games, music, and movies, where you have fans divided so passionately. People feel that they have to choose a side, and they feel that when they choose that side, they have to defend that side with every fiber of their being,” said Omega.
He also went on to share that he has friends in other promotions and wants them to succeed. “…I have friends not only in AEW, but I have friends in New Japan, I have friends in Impact, and I have friends in WWE. I know it sounds crazy, but I have friends there, and guess what I want them to succeed. I still keep in touch with them. I don’t want you to wish Ill or wish harm or wish death upon them as my fans, and I don’t think the opposite is true either,” said Omega.
How Kenny Omega Plans to Create Unity
Omega has been one of the essential factors in AEW working other promotions. When Omega began working with Impact Wrestling, it helped create more intrigue and increased viewership for Impact Wrestling TV episodes. AEW has been working with Impact and New Japan Pro Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Alliance.
Omega doesn’t expect unity in the pro wrestling community to happen immediately but will continue to advocate for it. “…It’s like saying a broad statement like I wish for world peace, and it’s like how do you even attain that. That’s impossible. That’s Naive. Regardless as unrealistic as it is, I’m still taking steps because I don’t think it’s wasted effort,” said Omega.
He also doesn’t know he will see this change happen while he is alive, but Omega is hopeful that one-day promotions will all come together to do a supershow to display different styles of wrestling. Omega will remain dedicated to create unity in the wrestling community and hopes fans will follow along.
Kenny Omega believes there is unfinished business with Kota Ibushi.
Omega left NJPW following his Wrestle Kingdom 13 match against Hiroshi Tanahashi back in January 2019. He ended up signing with AEW and is the promotion’s current world champion. Before he left NJPW, Kenny realigned with Ibushi as the Golden Lovers back in 2018.
During an interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Omega said he doubts that he’s crossed paths with Ibushi for the final time.
“If I were a betting man, I would say, it’s safe to say…when real life is involved and it’s more than just the wrestling in the ring and now, as time goes by and promotions and fans are listening more and responding more to what they want to see in professional wrestling — we talk about the ‘forbidden door’ and this concept that if you wrestle for one promotion, there’s no way you get to mingle with another, slowly but surely those borders are evaporating. We’ve seen IMPACT talent and New Japan talent on AEW. We’ve seen our talent go elsewhere as well. Who knows where the future lies. There may be more special guests and surprises in the future.
“For me, I’m a storyteller. Way more than I like professional wrestling, I like telling stories. I love stories that have an ending. I love stories that have a beginning, middle, and end. I have a lot of stories that have yet to have a final chapter. That story is yet to close. I would love, with however long my health allows me to, I would love to have that book have the final chapter written. That goes for not only that but for quite a few other stories as well. I would love to close the book and look back and be proud that these stories that I pictured in my wacky little brain, they had a beginning, middle, and end and that I could close that book happily. For someone as influential as Ibushi was to my career, inside and outside, I feel it would be an injustice for it to die.”
Ibushi recently challenged for the IWGP United States Championship. He went one-on-one with titleholder Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome. Ibushi fell short in the match. Meanwhile, Omega had a successful AEW World Title defense against Christian Cage at All Out.
Will Ospreay called out Kenny Omega on Wednesday after the AEW World Champion was named the #1 pro wrestler the world on this year’s PWI Top 500 list.
Omega topped the list, while Ospreay charted at the #7 spot (behind Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Kota Ibushi and Jon Moxley.)
Ospreay was so put off by his placement on the list that he said, “I’d beat up number 1 any day of the week and twice on Wednesdays……just saying.”
This did not sit well with Kenny Omega. He replied by telling Ospreay that “his promotion” (New Japan Pro Wrestling) has been so “ice cold” since he left that not even Dave Meltzer can convince his followers that Ospreay should be in the conversation for Best in the World.”
“It hurts me, bruv,” said Omega. “One of you dorks should have been the guy. Turned out a bigger dog was my only competition.”
Your promotion has been so ice cold since I left that not even Meltzer can convince his followers that you were part of any BITW conversation.
It hurts me, bruv. One of you dorks should have been the guy. Turned out a bigger dog was my only competition. https://t.co/VhqRWQQh6Q
He also touted New Japan Pro Wrestling’s accomplishments since Omega left. “A pandemic put the breaks on & you know it. Open that door, let’s have this conversation.”
Last chat we had was “you need to be the guy”
Since then you left we sold out MSG, sold more tickets at the Tokyo dome than ever before, and put on banger after banger.
Needless to say, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay would be a banger of a match. With NJPW talent already wrestling on AEW programming, this is high on the light for potential ‘Forbidden Door’ dream matches we could see in the months ahead.
It was revealed on Busted Open Radio this morning that Kenny Omega is the #1 ranked wrestler in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated top-500 this year. Omega last earned the top spot in the rankings in 2018.
Omega earned the spot after spending much of the last year holding the AEW World Championship, AAA Mega Championship, and Impact World Championship. Omega ranked in at #13 in 2020.
Omega now joins Bret Hart, Steve Austin, Triple H, John Cena, and Seth Rollins as the only wrestlers to top the list on multiple occasions.
The annual edition of the magazine is available for pre-order here.
PWI Top-10 2021
The top-10 ranked wrestlers from this list year are as follows:
1) Kenny Omega 2) Roman Reigns 3) Bobby Lashley 4) Drew McIntyre 5) Kota Ibushi 6) Jon Moxley 7) Will Ospreay 8) Finn Balor 9) Shingo Takagi 10) Rich Swann
Kenny Omega Tops PWI Top-500 For 2nd Time
Omega joins a small list of wrestlers who have topped the list more than once.
AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega made his latest defense of the title against Christian Cage at Sunday’s All Out pay-per-view event.
The match, which was the main event, had a hard start as the crowd was dead early on. Omega hit a moonsault off the barricade. There was a spot where Cage hit a spear off the apron through the table. There was some outside interference by Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Omega hit the one winged angel from the top rope for the win.
Cage is currently number one in the AEW World Title rankings and was mentioned as a potential contender for Omega’s title in the weeks leading up to the announcement of this match. However, AEW went in an interesting direction to get to this point.
This was actually their second match as Cage beat Omega on the first match in Rampage history to win the Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Title back on August 14th.
Many fans thought AEW was heading in a very different direction with Adam Page challenging Omega for the AEW World Heavyweight Title at this show. That thought process went away when Page and The Dark Order lost a six-man match on the July 28th edition of Dynamite to Omega and AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks. The stipulations that went along with that match was if the babyfaces won then they would get title matches.
The plan was always for Page to take some family time off in advance of his first child being born.
At TripleMania over the weekend, Kenny Omega defeated Andrade to retain the AAA Mega Championship. Shortly after, it was reported that AEW had asked AAA to not have Omega lose the title on the show. In an update to this story, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer is reporting that AEW eventually did say Omega losing the title was fine but AAA decided to keep the title on him regardless.
“The original idea was that Andrade was going to win the championship. That was AAA’s idea and then AEW said originally that they would prefer that not to happen. It was not a contentious thing,” Meltzer said. The idea was that AEW didn’t want their champion losing in another promotion. AEW’s stance on this reportedly changed after the decision was made to have Christian Cage beat Omega for the Impact title on Rampage.
Hey @AndradeElIdolo , I’ll admit it. You’re tough, you came close. But that stunt with @RicFlairNatrBoy ? Not in 2021, and not in my ring, pal. You made it personal.
“Essentially what happened, there was plenty of talk and in the end, AAA did come to the decision to keep it on Omega.”
Omega was not aware that Ric Flair was going to be at the show. When he found out about Flair, Omega suggested that he lose to Andrade. Ultimately, Dorian Roldan decided to keep the title on Omega. Meltzer then speculated this was done because they have Omega’s next championship match planned.
“It may be Omega and Psycho Clown, but I’m not sure of that. There were things that hinted at that but they wanted to do that match. So, in the end it was AAA’s decision,” Meltzer concluded.
I apologize. I was extremely irritated but these things needed to be said. https://t.co/moAc8qEhBV
Kenny Omega retained the AAA Mega Championship over Andrade El Idolo at Saturday night’s Triplemania XXIX event.
Andrade was accompanied to the ring by Ric Flair, who couldn’t help getting physically involved in the match. Flair roughed up Kenny Omega before slapping his figure four leglock on Konnan. You can see video of that altercation here.
Despite taking several chops and a punch from the Nature Boy, Omega was victorious. He commented on his match backstage after TripleMania and had some words for Ric Flair. As you can imagine, Omega was none too pleased that Flair roughed him up during the match.
Kenny Omega & Andrade Trash Talk
On Sunday morning, Kenny Omega sent Andrade a message on Twitter. The Best Bout Machine told Andade that he is a tough competitor and came close to winning the AAA Mega Championship. However, he crossed the line with that “stunt” involving Ric Flair. “Not in 2021, and not in my ring, pal.” Omega wrote.
Andrade paid respect to Omega as well, but said he’s glad the champion took things personal Saturday night.
Everyone, around the world says how good you are. Last night, I witnessed that first hand. #Respect@KennyOmegamanX
It’s clear that Andrade still has sights on Omega’s AAA Mega Championship. Since both men are signed to All Elite Wrestling, there’s a good chance they will cross paths again in the future.
Triplemania XXIX took place inside Arena Ciudad de México in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, Mexico. The event featured an AAA Megacampeonato title match between Kenny Omega and Andrade. Also featured on the card was a mask vs. hair match between Psycho Clown and Rey Escorpion.
Impact Knockouts Champion Deoanna Purrazzo shared the ring with AAA Reina de Reinas Champion Faby Apache in a title vs. title match. Also, Fenix and Pentagon defended the AAA Tag Team Titles.
The show even featured a surprise appearance from wrestling legend Ric Flair. Flair was recently released from his WWE contract. Flair was in Andrade’s corner after “El Idolo” had a disagreement with Konnan, who ended up cornering Omega.
Here are quick results for AAA Triplemania XXIX.
Mask vs. Hair: Psycho Clown def. Rey Escorpion
AAA Megacampeonato: Kenny Omega (c) def. Andrade
Lucha de Empresas: La Empresa (Puma King, Sam Adonis, & DMT Azul) def. Team AAA (Pagano, Murder Clown, & Chessman)
AAA Tag Team Championship: Fenix & Pentagon (c) def. Hijo del Vikingo & Laredo Kid, Taurus & Brian Cage
Deonna Purrazzo def. Faby Apache – For Impact Wrestling Knockouts & AAA Reina de Reinas Titles
The highly-anticipated title match between Kenny Omega and Andrade has wrapped up.
Omega and Andrade did battle inside Arena Ciudad de México in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, Mexico. Omega’s AAA Megacampeonato Title was on the line.
Before the match, Konnan and Andrade had a disagreement backstage. Andrade told Konnan that he doesn’t want him in his corner. As a result, Konnan entered Omega’s dressing room with a business proposition that would ensure victory.
Late in the match, Konnan distracted the referee on the ring apron. Kenny capitalized, bumping the referee into Andrade. He went to hit Andrade with the belt but Flair thwarted this attempt. He and Andrade took turns chopping Omega’s chest. Konnan got in the ring and took a figure-four leglock for his efforts. At the same time, Andrade had his own figure-four on Omega.
It wasn’t enough for Andrade, however. Kenny Omega eventually was able to hit Andrade with the belt. He then nailed him with the One-Winged Angel to retain the gold. Omega remains a bit of a belt collector with the win, although he recently lost the Impact Wrestling World Title to Christian Cage.
Kenny Omega suffered a big loss at the premiere episode of Rampage where Christian Cage beat him for the Impact Wrestling world title in the opening bout of the night.
The now-former Impact champion took on his Twitter after the show to react to the loss. He made a tweet on his way to the airport, claiming that he feels cheated and disrespected after tonight’s events:
“Not a cheerful ride to the airport. Baggage is light and I feel so cheated and disrespected. You’re all on notice. I’m taking this personally.”
Not a cheerful ride to the airport. Baggage is light and I feel so cheated and disrespected. You’re all on notice. I’m taking this personally.
Kenny Omega defended the Impact world title against Christian in the opening match of the premiere episode of Rampage. The match saw both the competitors pulling some impressive offense.
Towards the ending of the bout, Don Callis came up on the apron. He distracted the referee, allowing Omega to hit a low blow on his opponent.
The Young Bucks then came out and slide a chair in the ring for Omega to finish the job. However, Christian countered Kenny’s attempt of a one winged angel.
The former WWE star hit Kenny Omega with a kill switch instead. As the referee brought his attention back to the match, Christian pinned Omega to become the new Impact world champion.
AEW loaded up the first episode of Rampage on TNT with three title matches including Kenny Omega defending the Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Title against Christian Cage.
The title bout, which was booked after Cage challenged Omega to it on this past Wednesday’s Dynamite, kicked off the episode from Pittsburgh, PA at the Petersen Events Center. The match saw Cage the majority of the offense before going back and forth down the stretch.
At one point, Omega hit a powerbomb then the V-Trigger for a near fall. Cage hit the Kill Switch on a chair while the referee was distracted by Don Callis for the win.
This comes before Cage challenges Omega for the AEW World Heavyweight Title at the All Out pay-per-view event on Sunday, September 5, 2021 from Chicago, Illinois at Now Arena.
Heading into this match, Omega’s reign surpassed 108 days after beating Rich Swann back in April at the Rebellion pay-per-view event.
Omega was supposed to defend the Impact Wrestling World Title against Brian Myers at the Emergence special at Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee next Friday on Impact Plus.
This episode of Rampage also featured Miro vs. Fuego Del Sol for the TNT Championship and Dr. Britt Baker, DMD vs. Red Velvet for the AEW Women’s World Championship.
All Elite Wrestling has announced the likely main event for their upcoming All Out pay-per-view event, which will see Kenny Omega defend the World Heavyweight Title against Christian Cage.
The promotion confirmed the match booking in the opening segment of Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite Omega as AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks made their way to the ring for a six-man tag team match.
Just a few weeks into Cage’s tenure in AEW, he had several run-ins with Omega including one of their segments that ended with Christian holding the AEW World Title. Up to this point, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion has worked nine matches under the AEW banner including a win over The Blade at the Homecoming show.
The AEW All Out pay-per-view event will take place on Sunday, September 5, 2021 from Chicago, Illinois at Now Arena.
The event is expected to begin at 8 p.m. ET and stream live on the Bleacher Report platform in the United States and FITE in International markets. All Elite Wrestling will be announcing more matches in the coming weeks.
August 11th Men’s Rankings
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega (6-0 in 2021, 48-12 overall)
AEW TNT Champion Miro (10-0 in 2021, 17-1 overall)
AEW Rampage premieres this Friday on TNT at 10pm (Eastern). The event will air live from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
All Elite Wrestling is pulling out all the stops to ensure Rampage gets off to a strong start. As previously announced, Dr. Britt Baker will defend the AEW Women’s World Championship in her hometown against Red Velvet.
We now know that AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will also be in action on the 1-hour broadcast. His opponent has yet to be announced, but his opponent could be be #1 contender Christian Cage.
Impact Wrestling 8/5 featured Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers facing Eddie Edwards, Sami Callihan, and Kazarian in the main event. It also featured Mickie James unveiling Melina as Deonna Purrazzo’s opponent at NWA Empowerrr.
Impact Results 8/5:
Chris Bey defeated Juice Robinson
X-Division #1 Contendership Jake Something defeated Shawn Daivari vs Rohit Raju vs Trey Miguel
Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering defeated Fire N Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz)
Steve Maclin defeated Jah-C
Eddie Edwards, Sami Callihan & Kazarian defeated The Elite (Kenny Omega, Karl Anderson, & Doc Gallows)
Chris Bey Beats Juice Robinson, Officially Joins Bullet Club
Chris Bey faced Juice Robinson this week on Impact. He’d pick up one of the biggest wins of his young career but it was in part thanks to some distraction from the outside. Jay White got up on the ring apron, prompting his NJPW Resurgence opponent David Finlay to yank him off the apron. As the two began brawling, it distracted Juice who was then left vulnerable to a springboard cutter from Bey for the win.
After the match, as Bey and White were celebrating on the ramp, White gave Bey a Bullet Club t-shirt, seemingly officially inducting him into the famed faction.
Mickie James Reveals Melina As Deonna Purrazzo’s Empowerrr Opponent
Highlights of Drama King Matt and Deonna Purazzo winning the Homecoming King and Queen tournament from over the weekend were shown. As the two were cutting a promo this week, they were interrupted by Mickie James. Purrazzo wasn’t sure why James was out to interrupt her yet again but Mickie stated that it was to introduce her opponent on the Empowerrr PPV later this month, Melina. The contract is signed and the match is made official for St. Louis at the Chase.
We got a creepy little vignette featuring the former Kimber Lee and Susan. After enlisting the help of Father James Mitchell to bring back Su Yung, Kimber Lee appears to have been transformed into a disciple of hers now. This dark version of Kimber Lee promises to bring her “mother” Su Yung the souls she desires.
Jake Something Earns X-Division Championship Match
X-Division Champion Josh Alexander has defeated all challengers for his belt, even escaping the Ultimate X Match with his title recently. A new #1 contender for the belt was determined this week, however, when Jake Something won a fatal 4-way match against Rohit Raju, Shawn Daivari, and Trey Miguel.
After the match, Daivari challenged Alexander to a non-title match for next week. If he can beat the champion, he’ll be awarded a future title match.
Also, Rohit was mad about the result and tossed a bag backstage. The bag almost hit Chelsea Green, leading Matt Cardona to confront him. That will likely set up something for later.
Tasha Steelz Enlists Help Of Savannah Evans, Ends Tag Team With Kiera Hogan
And just like that, one of the most successful tag-teams in Knockouts history is no more. Fire N Flava are the only 2x winners of the Knockouts tag belts and held the titles for more combined days than any other team in history (aside from ODB and Eric Young, who held the titles for long after they’d stopped being used in the promotion.)
Rachael Ellering and Jordynne Grace are back on the same page, and they picked up a win over Hogan and Steelz this week, but the real story came after the match. Steelz, evidently seeing the writing on the wall for her team, enlisted the help of the debuting Savannah Evans, who attacked Hogan after the match. A rather mean looking Steelz and Savannah then left the ring area together.
Steve Maclin Is A Dastardly Heel, Petey Williams Makes The Save
Steve Maclin has shown a no-nonsense approach to being a dastardly heel thus far in Impact Wrestling. He made quick work of Jah-C in squash match style but decided to continue the attack after the match. This brought out Petey Williams with a chair to make the save, likely setting up a future match between the two.
Tenille Dashwood Not Impressed With Her Guests On “All About Me” This Week
Dashwood’s talk show where her guests as her questions rather than the other way around didn’t go quite as she planned this week. Scott D’Amore accused Dashwood of phoning border patrol agents to prevent Taylor Wilde from being able to cross the Canada-USA border to attend Impact shows. D’Amore then set up a match between Dashwood and Wilde for next week.
Longtime Impact/TNA veteran Kazarian teamed with Impact stars Eddie Edwards and Sami Callihan to go up against the Elite this week. Callihan and Edwards would have to put aside their long-running rivalry and work together. That’s exactly what they did. The finish of the match saw Callihan give Omega a piledriver on the ring apron while in the ring Eddie Edwards hit the Boston Knee Party on Anderson for the win.
Eddie Edwards defeated W. Morrissey in a hardcore match at Homecoming to even their head-to-head series at one win a piece. Morrissey let it be known their rivalry is not over yet, however, as he attacked Edwards after the main event. The show went off the air after Morrissey hit a powerbomb on Edwards.
X Division Champion Josh Alexander doesn’t know if he’ll ever get to face Impact World Champion Kenny Omega, but if he does, he thinks he beats Omega 99 times out of 100.
SEScoops correspondent Mike Shalik spoke with the Walking Weapon last week about a wide variety of topics, including:
How Impact Wrestling has changed since he joined in 2019
His vision for the X Division, as champion
Injuries in wrestling and how his neck is doing
The feeling in the locker room about outside talent appearing in Impact
A possible Impact x AEW x New Japan super-show
Ambitions to wrestle in Japan
Josh Alexander vs. Kenny Omega?
We also asked Josh Alexander about his recent back encounter with Kenny Omega on Impact TV. He says fans blew up his social media at the prospect of this match, but he doesn’t think Omega would ever agree to fight him. If they did cross paths inside the squared circle, Alexander is convinced he beats the Belt Collector 99 times out of 100.
“I do not think Kenny Omega wants to face me,” he said. “I don’t think he has any intention of ever getting in the ring with me. So I think him chirping and saying his little comments like that, that’s just his way to try to get a rise out of me and everybody else.”
Alexander continued, “It gets people talking and wanting the match. I think my social media blew up more than probably anything ever has before, just in the anticipation for that possibly being a match, so it’s what people want to see. It’s good for business and it’s good for everybody else. I think it’s something that should happen. whether it does or not, not up to me, unfortunately. If that match ever were to happen, I would bet on me 99 times out of 100.”
At AEW Fight for the Fallen, The Elite defeated Hangman Page and the Dark Order in a 10-man elimination tag match. The loss knocks Page out of the title picture for All Out on September 5th. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Page vs Omega for the title had once been the plan for the show, however.
“Adam Page is not getting the main event for All Out with Kenny Omega. At one point it was the plan but plans change. The ten-man tag was designed to shock people when they veered off that match,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
As for who is getting the title shot at All Out, only speculation can be had. Christian Cage is ranked #3 and could possibly be in the mix. Other names thrown around include Eddie Kingston.
Darby Allin is ranked #4 as well. #1 Hangman Page is out of the running, #2 Jungle Boy was already defeated by Omega, and #5 Orange Cassidy was in a triple threat title match against Omega on the last PPV. It’s possible someone from outside the top-5 could earn a title shot between now and the PPV, however.
Page also fell out of title contention before the last PPV as well. After going several week ranked at #1, Page lost a key match to Brian Cage on Dynamite. He would go on to avenge that loss at Double or Nothing, however, putting him back in title contention.
“They were pushing Christian Cage for a title match next. Whether that’s for TV in a few weeks or PPV should be clear pretty soon.”
AEW champion and EVP Kenny Omega has spoken about AEW’s newest show Rampage. In little over two weeks the show will debut on TNT. Talking to Wrestling Observer Radio, Omega talked about how he would book Rampage if given the chance.
Also, I interviewed Dave for the upcoming Fight Game Pod (since I'll be on vacation & unable to record w/@LaRoccaJL). It's a history show that I think people will enjoy. @fightgamemediapic.twitter.com/JcREbcL00v
“The content I think we’re lacking is in our women’s division. I would love to see Rampage be home to more women’s wrestling.” Kenny Omega said.
It has long been documented that Kenny Omega is the biggest vocal for the AEW women’s division. In his role as EVP, he is the man who has the most involvement with the women’s division and female wrestlers. So, for him to make a comment such as that is not surprising.
However, he followed it up with an explanation that makes a lot of sense.
“I feel like we have incredibly gifted female wrestlers that have been working very hard and fighting for a spot and maybe it’s time for them to get more.”
Kenny Omega Wants to Avoid Over Feeding Fans the Same Wrestlers
AEW have a bulging roster and one that looks set to grow considerably in the next few months. However, Kenny Omega understands how important it is to avoid the common pitfall of showing the same wrestlers down fan’s throats each show.
Yes, AEW has some marquee names on their roster, but they do not need to appear on every show, every week. Instead, Omega would like to use the Rampage hour as a televised platform for other deserving stars.
“I think the extra hour with Rampage, rather than give them more Chris Jericho, more Kenny Omega, more MJF and the guys you know you’re going to see on Dynamite; I’d rather give them all of the extremely talented individuals that maybe you don’t see that week.
AEW have a large female roster, but often Dynamite only shows one or two female matches. Omega wants to see that change on Rampage.
It’s worth noting that Dark and Dark Elevation often feature multiple female matches, however, not everybody wants to watch wrestling on YouTube.
Kenny Omega plays a huge role in AEW, and his real role as EVP is a far cry from his in-ring character. He understands how wrestling works and is invested in not only growing his name but expanding the exposure of high-quality female wrestling to fans.
AEW vice president Kenny Omega recently made an appearance on Wrestling Observer Radio where he talked about a wide variety of topics.
All Elite Wrestling opened ‘The Forbidden Door’ last year. They have developed partnerships with many companies since then. The AEW champion himself has made appearances for a number of brands such as Impact Wrestling and AAA.
Though the big question is still about WWE and fans wonder if we will ever see these two rivals working together. When asked about it, Kenny said that he wouldn’t hold his breath but at the same time, he wouldn’t say it’s impossible:
“The one huge crossover, will you ever see WWE team up with anybody? Who knows? I feel as the world evolves and changes and time goes by, people become more open-minded to everything,” said the cleaner, “Whether it be the wrestlers themselves, people in the office, the fans.
“I wouldn’t hold my breath but at the same time I would never say it’s impossible.”
– Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega also talked about their partnership with other wrestling organizations such as Impact wrestling and NJPW. He said that he wanted to open the floodgates and according to him, it’s a situation where only the fans win.
Apart from this, the wrestling veteran opened up about things such as the recent rumors about Daniel Bryan and CM Punk joining AEW in the future. You can check out his thoughts on the topic at this link.
Kenny Omega recently appeared on Wrestling Observer Radio and during the discussion, he spoke about possibly wrestling CM Punk and/or Bryan Danielson in AEW someday.
“It’s cool for me to think I am going to be able to get in the ring with these two possibly,” Omega said. “Because they were so prominent in WWE…for me, as exciting as the wrestling part is, the ability to tell a story is more exciting for me.”
Omega spoke specifically of Bryan and the success of the Yes! movement in WWE.
“He was able to kind of turn everything around and emerge as a megastar, because he is smart enough in a wrestling sense, in a business sense,” said Omega. “Just like in ROH, how he was able to have those fans in the palm of his hand, he was able to have the entire WWE Universe in the palm of his hand with one word. The only other person I can think of to do that was Austin.”
Omega also spoke about CM Punk and what he accomplished with his career.
“CM Punk, he probably has a different line of thinking than your current-day performer, the average performer,” Omega said. “He has this incredible reputation—he has fans to this day who would follow him to the end of the earth. Very dedicated fanbase and that fanbase believes he’s the best in the world and will be the best until the end of time.”
“Two extremely intelligent people who found a way to, I don’t want to say cheat the system, but it was a system that was not created for them there,” Omega continued.
Omega’s comments can be heard in the player below:
Game Changer Wrestling Champion Nick Gage recently appeared on the Wrestling Delorean Podcast. The ‘Deathmatch King’ discussed several topics whilst appearing on the podcast, including what it would take for him to have a match with AEW Champion Kenny Omega.
Nick Gage made a shocking appearance during this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Gage was revealed as the 2nd Labor of Jericho by MJF, with Gage now getting a No DQ match against ‘Le Champion’ next week on the show.
“Oh, I have no problem facing Kenny Omega, but it would be in a deathmatch,” Nick Gage began on the podcast, revealing the stipulations it would take for him to have a match with the AEW Champion.
Nick Gage vs Kenny Omega
“It wouldn’t be a regular match, ya know? Does he say he is the King of the Deathmatch? Well, let’s go with real glass and real barbwire. Do you know what I mean? Let’s go,” Gage continued, referring to the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch between Omega and Jon Moxley, where Omega proclaimed himself the King of The Deathmatch.
“I seen clips of it,” Gage revealed, talking about the contest from AEW Revolution. “I thought it was ok. Something happened at the end. Are you talking about that exploding barbwire one? I don’t know what happened there, man, I don’t know, man.”
“I just feel like they are using Hollywood glass, and they are snipping the barbwire because any barbwire I been in or get hit with it, I always get stuck in it”, the GCW Champion added.
“So I always start bleeding, and any glass I land in, my back starts slicing up, bleeding really bad. So for them not to have no blood on them, or blood just on their forehead, makes me second guess what they are using, ya know what I mean?” Nick Gage would conclude.
Nick Gage will be defending his GCW Championship this weekend against former WWE Superstar Matt Cardona.
Kenny Omega was recently interviewed on a variety of topics for Wrestling Observer Radio. During the discussion, Omega spoke about AEW lacking content in its women’s division. He’s hopeful that the addition of AEW Rampage will help improve the situation, however.
“The content I think we’re lacking in is our women’s division,” Omega said. “I would love to see Rampage be home to more women’s wrestling.”
He continued to talk about how he feels they have some incredibly talented women on their roster who perform on Dark. Omega hopes to put these matches in front of a wider audience with Rampage.
“I want people to see and appreciate and enjoy some of the talent that we have to offer,” Omega continued. “I hope that we can get out and show some of these matches that perhaps aren’t seen by enough people. We’ve got a lot of great talent on Dark. And people maybe don’t want to watch our YouTube channel. Maybe they just want to watch Dynamite or they want to see a television product and I get that.”
Omega is hopeful that Rampage will give some lesser-seen talent more exposure.
“I think the extra hour of Rampage, when we get the new program on TBS, I feel that rather than give them more Chris Jericho, more Kenny Omega, more MJF, and the guys you know you’re going to see on Dynamite, I’d rather give them all of the extremely talented individuals that you maybe can’t see that week.”
“I feel that we have a lot of very gifted female wrestlers that have been working really hard, fighting for a spot, maybe it’s time for them to get some more and I think that would count as a variation in content, more women’s wrestling.”
Everyone in anticipation for when I knock some sense into these guys. Next week, everyone. Next week. https://t.co/gVBEuPqcNq
Impact Wrestling on 7/22 featured the fallout from an event Slammiversary PPV. Jay White, Mickie James, Chelsea Green, and FinJuice were all back in the Impact Zone for the show.
Impact 7/22 Quick results:
Chris Bey defeated Rohit Raju
Chelsea Green, Matt Cardona & Jake Something defeated Tenille Dashwood, Brian Myers, and Sam Beale
Knockouts Tag Team Championships Havok & Rosemary (c) defeated Fire N Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz)
What Happened After Slammiversary Went Off The Air?
The camera cut away at Slammiversary before fans could see if White aligned with the Elite. Footage of what happened was released by Impact and White did not, in fact, 2 sweet the Elite. Finjuice ran out and ran off both White and the Elite, although White returned to give Finlay his finisher to close the segment.
This week on Impact Wrestling, Chris Bey kicked things off with a singles victory over Rohit Raju. Before the match, highlights of Bey coming inches away from winning back the X-Division title at Slammiversary in the Ultimate-X match were shown.
After Bey’s victory, Jay White came up to Bey to ask him if he had gotten his message. Earlier this week, Impact put out a video on Twitter that featured Bey discovering that someone had left a Bullet Club shirt by his locker. White said that BC is always looking for new talent but Bey said he rides alone. White asked him how that was working out for him and asked him to think about what he said.
Deonna Purrazzo Accepts Mickie James Invitation, With Some Help From Gail Kim
After Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo defeated Thunder Rosa at Slammiversary, Mickie James came to the ring. James invited the Virtuosa to NWA Empowerrr next month but Purrazzo said that James was trying to steal her moment. This week, Mickie James came out again and attempted to smooth the situation over with the KO champ. Gail Kim came out as well and told Purrazzo that it was her idea for James to come out at Slammiversary and it wasn’t meant to steal the moment from her. In a rare occurrence in wrestling, this talking segment ended up with everyone coming to an agreement. Purrazzo and James shook hands and it looks like we’ll see the Knockouts title defended at NWA Empowerrr.
It’s been a big week for Drama King Matt. A vignette previewing his debut in Impact aired at Slammiversary, then he was announced for the broadcast team of NJPW Resurgence, and this week another vignette previewing his arrival was played.
Taylor Wilde’s Return Helps Chelsea Green Pick Up Another Win
At Slammiversary, Chelsea Green and Matt Cardona defeated the team of Tenille Dashwood and Brian Myers. This week on Impact, Green and Cardona would team with Jake Something while Dashwood and Myers would team with Sam Beale. Kaleb with a K tried to get involved from the outside, as he is one to do, but a returning Taylor Wilde thwarted his efforts. Wilde has been gone since Under Siege back in May. Green picked up the win on Beale with the UnprettyHer, giving her team two straight wins over Myers and his teammates.
Later on in the show, Dashwood told Myers she didn’t want to go to homecoming with him anymore, meaning she’s not going to team with him on the Homecoming Impact Plus show on the 31st. Beale said he’ll find Myers a new partner.
Eddie Edwards and W. Morrissey Brawl In The Parking Lot
Morrissey picked up the win over Edwards at Slammiversary after hitting him in the head with a fist wrapped with a steel chain. This week, Edwards challenged Morrissey to meet him in the parking lot. The two brawled until Edwards picked up two kendo sticks and beat the big man into retreat. A hardcore match between the two has since been scheduled for Homecoming on July 31st.
Jay White came out to cut a promo. He said that he was in Impact Wrestling for one man and that man is David Finlay. White and Finlay will meet at NJPW Resurgence for the NEVER Openweight title. Earlier this year, Finlay defeated White in the New Japan Cup. White then spoke about the Good Brothers and the Elite. He said that The Good Brothers weren’t good enough for the faction anymore and said their application for re-entry into Bullet Club was denied.
Don Callis, Kenny Omega, and the Good Brothers then hit the stage. Callis gave White some disingenuous compliments, as he is one to do, but then ran down the current incarnation of Bullet Club as being less important. Callis said it is White who should be applying to them for entry into the Elite.
The Good Brothers then hit the ring as Callis and Omega went to the back. Anderson and Gallows said that White should be thanking them for making Bullet Club the big thing that it is. Things turned into a brawl and while the Good Brothers had the numbers advantage at first, Chris Bey hit the ring to make the save for White.
Later in the show, The Good Brothers challenged White and Bey to a match for next week. The match was later made official.
Is There Something Brewing Between Kenny Omega and Josh Alexander?
Kenny Omega walked in on Josh Alexander’s interview this week. Omega had some words for Alexander but Callis encouraged him to just keep walking. Alexander seemed unfazed but we’ll see what this potentially leads to.
Juice Robinson and David Finlay picked up a win in tag-team action this week against Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. After the match, however, Rohit Raju and Shera hit the ring and joined Austin and Fulton in a 4-on-2 attack.
Havok & Rosemary Retain Knockouts Tag Titles Over Fire N Flava
Havok and Rosemary won the Knockouts tag team titles from Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz on the Slammiversary pre-show. This week, the rematch would headline the show. The finish of the match saw Hogan and Steelz uncharacteristically fall out of sync with one another. Hogan ended up accidentally kicking Steelz off the apron, leaving her vulnerable to a double team from Decay. Rosemary hit her with a spear and picked up the victory to retain the titles. Decay would celebrate to end the show.
Next Week On Impact Wrestling
The following matches have been booked for next week’s show:
The Good Brothers vs Jay White & Chris Bey
Violent by Design (Deaner and Rhino) vs. Willie Mack & Rich Swann
Kenny Omega retained the Impact World Championship over Sami Calihan this past weekend at Slammiversary.
The next challenger to Omega Impact title was determined at Monday night’s television tapings from Nashville, TN. (Spoilers)
In the final match of the second set of tapings, Brian Myers won a #1 contender’s battle royal to earn the championship opportunity. This episode of Impact is expected to air Thursday, August 12th on AXS TV.
Kenny Omega vs. Brian Myers will headline Impact Wrestling’s next special event, Emergence. Impact has not yet confirmed the date(s) for Emergence, which took place over two weeks last year.
AEW Champion Kenny Omega appeared in the main event of the IMPACT Slammiversary PPV this weekend against Sami Callihan.
Omega successfully retained his IMPACT World Championship at the show, and IMPACT seemed to push the ‘forbidden door’ angle even further with a tease of AAA, AEW, IMPACT and NJPW all being represented at the upcoming Bound For Glory PPV event.
During the Slammiversary event, Don Callis would say that Omega was ‘tougher’ than GCW Champion and Deathmath King, Nick Gage. After hearing this on the broadcast, Game Changer Wrestling would invite Kenny Omega to take part in their Homecoming event next weekend.
“GCW tweeted, “Omega “tougher” than Gage? @TheDonCallis what are you smoking pal?” The promotion responded.
Kenny Omega vs Nick Gage
“You and Kenny are welcome to come and prove it but you have to get in line & the line starts this Saturday at #GCWHomecoming Weekend in AC… Saturday: GAGE vs CARDONA Sunday: GAGE vs OMEGA??? See ya there???” GCW added.
It is not confirmed if this is part of the ongoing forbidden door angle, or if Game Changer Wrestling are attempting to just get some more buzz for the PPV shows next weekend.
GCW Homecoming Night 1 (July 24) and Night 2 (July 25) takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Nick Gage will be defending his GCW Championship against Matt Cardona/Zack Ryder on night 1. Both shows will be available to view on FITE TV.
When Jay White showed up at IMPACT Slammiversary, the wrestling world sat up straight and paid attention. The history between Jay White and Kenny Omega is rich and prime for a re-visit. The idea of another match between them would be television gold. Their last match, in 2018 is a criminally underrated affair that saw Jay White pick up a huge victory.
That loss remains a sore point with Kenny Omega, who took to Twitter following his successful title defence against Sami Callihan. Omega seems eager to put to bed any idea of a fight between him and White.
Not denying the loss or anything, but we don’t need to revisit this. It was a one time thing. That’s it. https://t.co/8VmYhen9If
However, in pro-wrestling terms that means it’s a done deal, and now we just have to sit back and enjoy the ride.
Omega has been a dominant champion, holding belts in three different companies. While he doesn’t defend the belts week in week out, he has been in regular action. This mentality follows the thinking echoed in NJPW. Saving title matches for big occasions.
Kenny Omega and Jay White is a Story That Runs Deep
There is far more to the story between Kenny Omega and Jay White than just the IMPACT Heavyweight Championship. That is not to dismiss the belt, but a simple fact.
The pair have met in singles competition twice before. Both coming during Kenny Omega’s NJPW run. They hold one victory apiece. A third match between the pair would be a spectacle without a doubt. To make the pot even sweeter, both men currently hold a championship. Could a belt vs belt clash be on the cards?
Jay White replaced Kenny Omega as the leader of the Bullet Club and the animosity between the pair runs deep. Especially with the way the Elite left NJPW after the ‘Civil War’ between them and the OGBC.
Should Kenny Omega and White square off, whether it is for one title, both titles, or just retribution, it will be a firecracker of a match.