Kenny Omega will return to New Japan Pro-Wrestling at Wrestle Kingdom 17, and a new report offers details about how it came together.
Omega, a former AEW World Champion, appeared in a taped promo during the NJPW x STARDOM Historic X-Over event on November 20, and he challenged Will Ospreay to a match at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4. This will mark Omega’s first match for NJPW since January 2019.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports that the match was discussed as early as this summer. Sapp noted that Rocky Romero, who played a vital role in the collaboration between AEW and NJPW ahead of the Forbidden Door pay-per-view in June, helped get the match cleared. In addition to Forbidden Door, Romero has been instrumental in NJPW’s working relationships with other companies as well. He was said to be in frequent communication with AEW president Tony Khan in order to make deals happen at one point.
As for the match between Omega and Ospreay, Sapp cited sources who noted that the bout was only finalized in the past two or three weeks, though the conversations spanned multiple months. Omega getting suspended after The Elite’s reported brawl with CM Punk after AEW All Out is believed to have slowed down the process.
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