Who is Kenny Omega: An All Elite Wrestling primer

Kenny Omega has the reputation for being the best wrestler in the world, and he looks to help put All Elite Wrestling on the map as the face of the franchise.

Kenny Omega will have the task of leading All Elite Wrestling to relevance in the early stages of the promotion. Unlike his friends in The Elite, there was some doubt from the wrestling world that Omega would take the risk of placing everything he worked for in a new basket. Omega was the top foreign talent for New Japan and one of the most beloved superstars at the end of his contract in early 2019.

The reputation of being the best wrestler in the world adds some instant respectability to the AEW roster. A wrestler with all the momentum in the industry decided that riding with his trusted friends and helping change the wrestling world was worth it. Omega proved that top wrestlers with a great situation are willing to make the change for the opportunity that comes with the start of AEW.

There was a time when Omega was part of the WWE developmental system in 2005 as a part of Deep South Wrestling after a few years on the Canadian independent circuit. Omega has spoken without hesitation that he disliked his time in the WWE world, where his creativity was stifled. The bad experience on his path to WWE ended with him requesting his releasing and working on a new goal of finding success in Japan.

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Omega’s love of the culture in Japan made it easy to make the country his home for many years while he tried to rise up the rankings as a top star in a new country. There were many hardships for Omega before he received a full-time spot in New Japan. The comedic promotion DDT was a great alternative that also happened to feature some of the best wrestlers in the world, like Sami Zayn and Omega’s Golden Lover partner Kota Ibushi.

In DDT, Omega delivered a couple of unique attraction matches like wrestling a blowup doll and a nine-year-old girl, stunts that added some buzz to his name. The reaction was polarizing, as many pundits claimed Omega had no business wrestling while others just felt it showcased his level of talent to tell compelling stories in unlikely situations.

New Japan would finally bring in Omega as part of the Golden Lovers tag team with Ibushi. The fanbase gravitated towards him and it led to a huge opportunity to get a full-time spot and a singles push as part of the Bullet Club in 2014. Omega was slated to dominate the Junior division as a secondary member behind AJ Styles, the Young Bucks, Karl Anderson and a few others.

The bond between Omega and the Bucks built a special chemistry that created The Elite. Things would get to the next level when Omega received the biggest opportunity of his career. AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows all left NJPW for WWE, which opened new top spots for other wrestlers on the roster.

Omega was the chosen one to replace Styles as the leader of the Bullet Club, and it worked to perfection for all involved. The Bullet Club found new success in North America with merchandising deals with Hot Topic and Funko adding more credibility to their drawing power. It was no coincidence that Omega was the leader during this time, and he emerged into a massive superstar for NJPW.

The classic bouts against Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, Tetsuya Naito and others created a strong case for Omega as the new best wrestler in the world. Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer broke his five-star match rating scale due to Omega’s matches succeeding in a level Meltzer believed has never been showcased in wrestling before.

Omega achieving his dream of winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship led to fans wondering if he would dare give up his main event spot in Japan to start fresh for AEW. But the lure of the new company ended up winning out. When Omega’s New Japan contract expired earlier in 2019, AEW named him an Executive Vice President, joining the Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes in holding in-ring talent and front-office positions for the company. Omega not only plans to lead the promotion in the ring, but he is playing a huge role in the talent scouting for the women’s division, especially when it comes to the talent from Japan.

WWE offers were a huge story for Omega at the start of the year as his NJPW deal expired. Omega however went with what he believed in, and that was a chance to make a change in the wrestling world with his best friends. The opportunity to start a new major promotion will see Omega having to prove he’s still the best wrestler in the world in new and uncharted waters.

Omega consistently says his goal as a professional wrestler is to change the world. AEW gives him that platform on a major level, one where he can continue to try to change in the wrestling world for the better while getting a shot with a new mainstream promotion.

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The main event of Double or Nothing will feature Omega vs. Chris Jericho in a highly anticipated rematch from Wrestle Kingdom. Another classic is needed, and it is now Omega’s job to come through in the clutch. We will find out if Kenny can start a new chapter in wrestling with a bang on May 25.

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