After almost a year on the shelf, Kenny Omega is set to make his professional wrestling return in a match against Gabe Kidd at AEW x NJPW’s Wrestle Dynasty at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
But why there? Why for New Japan, where he’s been appearing in person and via vignettes instead of AEW, and why against Kidd, who technically has the Bullet Club connection but not much else?
Well, in an interview with the King of Sports, Omega broke it all down, including why he’s giving the nod to the NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion.
“I’ve had time to reflect after Power Struggle, and I feel I would regret not being able to make things right. I would hate for this situation to cause a rift between AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling,” Omega told NJPW. “So after conversations I’ve had with President Tanahashi and other executives in NJPW, I’ve decided that if New Japan requests it, if Gabe requests it, and if the fans want it, then I will wrestle Gabe Kidd, as a professional at Wrestle Dynasty January 5.”
Alright, making things official is all well and good, but why Kidd? Well, Omega explained that, too, noting that he wants to set an example of what an NJPW international star should look like.
“Look, I want to make it very clear that I’m not taking this match to make anything other of Gabe than an example. I wasn’t even sure if I would be medically cleared for January 5, but what Gabe did and said was enough to push me over the finish line,” Omega noted. “I might have been known as the Best Bout Machine in the past, but my goal isn’t to elevate Gabe Kidd to a world class performance. My goal is to show Gabe Kidd the reality of the situation he’s in right now, and show what embarrassment in front of 20, 30, 40,000 people and many thousands more watching around the world looks like.”
Does Omega have a lot to prove in his first match since 2023? You bet, but in his opinion, it’s Kidd who has everything to gain from a strong showing, as this match could make or break his career.
Gabe Kidd has everything to gain by beating Kenny Omega
Asked by NJPW if this match could also serve as a chance for AEW to scout Kidd, Omega particularly laughed them off, noting that it would take a lot to get to that point.
“I can tell you as someone that knows: someone like Gabe Kidd will not set foot in AEW. Maybe if we’re passing through town, grab your boots kid, have a dark match. He will never see the light of TV unless he gets a very positive review from yours truly. I would love to forgive and forget one time years from now, but I don’t see it happening,” Omega noted.
“For anyone that thinks that Gabe might end up the same way as Jay White, or Kazuchika Okada, or Will Ospreay? Gabe Kidd is all your responsibility. Look, I’m throwing my hat in here, I’m taking the bigger step. I’m saying to NJPW that if this is what the company wants, if it’s what’s the fans want and if it’s what Gabe wants. If this is what’s most interesting, then let’s do it, I’ll give you that chance, Gabe. Let’s see what your answer is.”
Does Kidd have what it takes to become a television star in America? Potentially so, but Omega is right about one thing: if Kidd drops the ball in this match, it will seriously impact his career in the worst possible way.
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