Kenny Omega will be returning to professional wrestling on January 5, 2025 when he faces Gabe Kidd at Wrestle Dynasty. Wrestle Dynasty is considered a co-promoted event between New Japan Pro Wrestling, World Wonder Ring Stardom, All Elite Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It isn’t considered a pure AEW event. Unless you’re Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer.
the January 5 show is an AEW show with New Japan. So he's returning on an AEW show. https://t.co/g8NUDKHwca
— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) November 27, 2024
If it was an AEW event, or treated as important as AEW pay per view, you would have seen Kenny Omega already in an All Elite Wrestling ring building up the match against Gabe Kidd. Kidd would have been on AEW television talking about the importance. None of that has happened. Not only hasn’t that happened, but Kenny Omega hasn’t been in an AEW ring at all. He hasn’t made his AEW return. He isn’t talked about much on AEW television unless in reference.
So where is the return of Kenny Omega?
It’s possible this was something worked out between AEW and Kenny Omega and New Japan Pro Wrestling to give Wrestle Dynasty a major match to promote. Something special you couldn’t get anywhere else. It’s possible Kenny Omega wants that big NJPW return like he got when he faced Will Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom 17, complete with the One Winged Angel entrance. It’s also possible, like what Kenny Omega said in interview, that AEW doesn’t need his return as much.
I doubt that last one.
All Elite Wrestling absolutely needs Kenny Omega. It doesn’t just need Kenny Omega. It needs Kenny Omega at his very best. It needs Kenny Omega treated like the biggest wrestling star in the promotion. It doesn’t need a Kenny Omega tag teaming with Chris Jericho to build up a match against the Young Bucks or a Kenny Omega losing to Konosuke Takeshita to help put him over, something that will never work if Tony Khan doesn’t follow through with Takeshita as a program focus.
They need The Cleaner. They need the Best Bout Machine. They need one of the best professional wrestlers of the 21st century in what could be his last great run before his body truly can’t handle the pressure of the big bout.
When Omega went out with diverticulitis, he was kicked out of The Elite and replaced by Jack Perry and Kazuchika Okada. It’s clear the plan was for him to one day return against those two, especially after The Elite beat him down on the May 1, 2024 episode of AEW Dynamite. I’m sure AEW still wants to do that match with Okada. I’m sure they also want the match with Jack Perry. But it’s honestly not enough.
Maybe Okada is. That’s a big dream match you can do in All Elite Wrestling that isn’t referencing old Ring of Honor of Extreme Championship Wrestling history. The Omega versus Okada matches were in the past decade but still fresh in the minds of all wrestling fans. You could absolutely headline a pay per view just on that match alone and even if it isn’t to the level of the first three? It would absolutely sell tickets and subscriptions to MAX.
But the return of Kenny Omega will probably include the return of Kota Ibushi, and while I know Kenny would love to tag team with Kota in the Golden Lovers to face The Young Bucks, that can’t be his crutch every time he returns. I’m sure it’s a comfort zone for him, and even a comfort zone for AEW (Tony Khan knows he can book whatever he wants at the top if he has Omega and the Bucks in a program together to keep people happy lower in the card) but it’s time to break that comfort zone.
WON: Kenny Omega wants to take it slow before going back full-time in the ring.
— Drainmaker 🌧️ 💵 (@DrainBamager) November 29, 2024
With the idea of easing into a full-time schedule down the line, hoping everything holds up. pic.twitter.com/NdSwzGCCEm
Now I’m not advocating to push Kenny Omega beyond his limits. We will have to see in the match with Gabe Kidd how his health is and if he’s 100% back from the diverticulitis that put him on the shelf. But the moment Kenny is ready to handle the pressure and duty of being the centrepiece of All Elite Wrestling again? You go for it.
Every single plan in AEW’s story book is going to be better involving Kenny Omega. Will Ospreay’s eventual rise to the top? Needs a Kenny Omega match. Hangman Adam Page back in the main event? Better with a Kenny Omega rematch. Swerve Strickland heading up for the crown? Big time Kenny Omega program writes itself.
Jon Moxley and the Death Riders?
Eventually, Darby Allin is going to climb to the top of the mountain, defeat Jon Moxley, and become AEW Men’s World Champion. Once that happens, you’re going to need a Kenny Omega to help stop the Death Riders from ruining the ascent of Darby Allin. Once Darby is up there? Is there anyone better to face than Kenny Omega himself?
Am I advocating for Kenny Omega to be AEW Men’s World Champion after Darby Allin? Absolutely. If you need Moxley to beat Darby again and then have Omega beat Mox? Do it. If you just go straight up with Kenny Omega putting Darby Allin out and becoming the champion? You do it.
Forget your WWE tribute acts. Forget your ROH tribute acts. Forget your November Rain. Forget your Pillars. All crumble compared to Kenny Omega back at the top of All Elite Wrestling. AEW fine without Kenny Omega? This company has called itself “For the Sickos” without him, but now it’s just ill. Omega is the cure.
The very first Dynamite of 2025 is Fight for the Fallen and will be the first episode of AEW Dynamite simulcast on TBS and the MAX streaming service. That’s the latest we should see Kenny Omega for the first time in AEW. It’s the perfect time to introduce new viewers and returning viewers that it’s okay to come back to the product, or check out the product now.
That needs to be the first time we see Kenny Omega back in All Elite Wrestling. Intro or no intro, the first or next thing should be the Battle Cry.
