Tony Schiavone had high praise for Kenny Omega and his recent IWGP US Heavyweight Championship bout.
On June 25th at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling came together once again to present their Forbidden Door PPV event. The show saw Will Ospreay recapture the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship from Kenny Omega in a rematch of their Wrestle Kingdom 17 classic, with many fans praising the bout as one of the greatest matches of all time.
AEW’s legendary broadcast team member and Special Advisor, Tony Schiavone, recently touched on the match during What Happened When. He stated that, in many ways, it was the best match he’s ever been involved in, and with a career as tenured as his, that stands as the highest of praise.
“I’ve called so many matches, or been a part of so many matches, in my career. When peopel ask me, ‘Is that the greatest match you’ve ever been a part of, I would say, ‘Yes, it is.’ That’s kind of a difficult statement to make because I don’t recall every match I’ve done, obviously, because I’ve done so many. I’ve done a lot of great matches. Most of the matches that I remember doing are the bad ones, and the ones that have had issues, like for instance Sting and Hogan at Starrcade ‘97. That sticks in my memory because of the fucked up finish. But as far as guys being able to perform and drama and fans being a part of it, I would say Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay was the best match I’ve ever been a part of,”
-Tony Schiavone
Schiavone continued, highlighting several other Kenny Omega matches that he’s had the pleasure of being on the call for, including his AEW World Tag Team Championship bout alongside Hangman Adam Page against The Young Bucks.
He then went on to claim that Omega is one of the greatest performers he’s ever been around, and thus he had no doubt that his match with Ospreay would be special.
“I can also go back to Revolution 2020, right before the pandemic, when Omega and Hangman faced the Young Bucks. That was another one of the greatest matches. People ask me, ‘What’s my favorite match to call?’ It’s still Hogan and Bossman from Madison Square Garden. It was a great match, but not because the match so much as it was because it was my first time calling a big match at Madison Square Garden. So there’s a lot of reasons this is one of the best matches ever. To me, Kenny Omega is one of the best performers I’ve ever been around in my life. Will Ospreay, I’ve seen some of his matches, but not as many as a lot of people who have followed New Japan Pro-Wrestling. I have such a respect for both men, and I knew going in that this was going to be something special,”
-Tony Schiavone
Looking back on his thoughts prior to AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Schiavone further highlighted that he knew Omega vs Ospreay would steal the show, although he was also keen to point out that calling one of Kazuchika Okada’s matches is something he’ll never forget, and being in the booth for a Bryan Danielson match is always a special occasion.
“I do also want to say that being part of an Okada match was one of those moments that you’ll never forget, and being a part of any Bryan Danielson match is special, especially when he worked the last part of that match with a broken arm. He put that LeBell Lock on with a broken [arm], and we don’t know if he’s working of not, and he forces his hand to lock under that much pain. It’s an unforgettable moment, it really is, for me. I’ll remember that because I was right there, seeing him take the second hand and hook him and stretch that LeBell Lock on. I’ve seen the x-rays and I know how bad the break is. It’s a severe break,”
-Tony Schiavone
Elsewhere on the second instalment of Forbidden Door, SANADA defeated Jack Perry to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, whilst MJF successfully defended the AEW World Championship against NJPW legend Hiroshi Tanahashi.
As for what’s next for Omega, he’s set to take on Wheeler Yuta during tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite, with both the Elite and the Blackpool Combat Club gearing towards Blood and Guts on July 19th.
H/T to Fightful for the transcription.
