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Kenny Omega Returns To NJPW, Challenges For IWGP Heavyweight Title

ByAndrew J.T. Gelinas
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Kenny Omega is back in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

“The Cleaner” made his shocking return to New Japan Pro Wrestling at their King of Pro Wrestling event in Tokyo this morning, coming out to challenge Yota Tsuji and later Oleg Boltin to a three-way match for the Tsuji’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at NJPW Power Struggle on November 3.

Omega made his presence felt following Tsuji’s incredible main event match against G1 Climax winner Ryohei Oiwa for the title. After he was able to put away “The Grip”, Tsuji took the microphone to thank the 6,422 fans packed into the Ryogoku Kokugikan. Tsuji would be interrupted initially by the video of Omega, who said he was confused that Tsuji was unwilling to wrestle at AEW’s recent Forbidden Door event.

He asked why Tsuji wasn’t willing to defend his belt around the world while the I in IWGP stands for “International”, and he offered to come to Japan to wrestle for the title, because AEW and NJPW had a “50/50 relationship” to show him the fire of NJPW’s new era. The full transcript can be found below.

“New Japan Pro Wrestling. This camera, this setup, most important, this performance, you know what it means? That’s right! I’m back. Now, I’ve been hearing that my beloved NJPW is doing pretty well. This year’s G1 final was exceptional, new stars have been born, and you have a champion the world can be proud of. Yota Tsuji. I’m talking to you. But I’m a little confused. Yota Tsuji. Yota Tsuji. You didn’t want to do AEW Forbidden Door, didn’t come to America, and I’m supposed to recognize you as the champion? IWGP. International. Wrestling. Grand. Prix. ‘International’ as in ‘the world’. As in ‘not just Japan’. Am I wrong here? So Yota Tsuji, sure, maybe you don’t want to come to America, but isn’t it odd, Tsuji, to call yourself the world champion without being even willing to travel the world? Without seeing what’s out there? Well as luck would have it, because of course this is a 50/50 relationship, I am willing to bring the challenge to you. Yota Tsuji, I’m not a hard man to find and I’ve got nothing but time. So you know the number, call up Mr. Berry, and let’s see if we can arrange this because I’m more than willing to show you why I believe in AEW, why I believe in the New Japan of old. Show me now why you believe in the New Japan of today, why you believe in yourself. Until then, you think about it. Get in touch with my people. I will bid you adieu. So goodbye and good night BANG.”

-Kenny Omega

Following the end of the video, Oleg Boltin came out to make his challenge for Tsuji’s belt. For those of you who don’t remember, Boltin all but earned his title opportunity during the G1, when he beat Tsuji. Just when it appeared this was the plan moving forward, Omega came out and attacked both men. He finished Tsuji off with a One Winged Angel to a chorus of boos from the NJPW faithful.

It seems that Tsuji will defend his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against both Kenny Omega and Oleg Boltin at NJPW’s Power Struggle show next month. If that does happen, it will be the first three-way match for the title sanctioned at a NJPW show in Japan since Kenny Omega defended his belt against Cody and Kota Ibushi at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2018.

King of Pro Wrestling full results:

  • Unbound Co. (Daiki Nagai & Shingo Takagi) def. Goto Revolutionary Army (Hirooki Goto & Tatsuya Matsumoto) in 6:20
  • El Desperado, TAICHI, & Yuya Uemura def. House of Torture (SANADA, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, & Yujiro Takahashi) in 8:21
  • Hechicero & Oleg Boltin def. TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Zack Sabre Jr.) in 7:03
  • Konosuke Takeshita & Toru Yano def. House of Torture (Ren Narita & Shun Skywalker) in 4:05
  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championships: Unbound Co. (Jeff Cobb, OSKAR, & Yuto-Ice) def. United Empire (Great-O-Khan, HENARE, and Will Ospreay) in 17:23 (Failed in First Defense)
  • NEVER Openweight Championship: Aaron Wolf def. Kosei Fujita in 15:05 (1st Successful Defense)
  • IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: Gabe Kidd def. Shota Umino in 22:25 (2nd Successful Defense)
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: YOH def. Robbie Eagles in 13:02 (4th Successful Defense)
  • IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Yota Tsuji def. Ryohei Oiwa in 35:10 (2nd Successful Defense)

Elsewhere on the show, tensions escalated between Will Ospreay and Callum Newman ahead of their major tag title match next month. You can catch up on that here.

As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on NJPW King Of Pro Wrestling as soon as we hear more.

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