Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the
ring name Kenny Omega, is a Canadian-born
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
. Omega is an
executive vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
of
All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, ...
(AEW), in which he also performs. Omega is a former one-time
AEW World Champion
The AEW World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Unveiled on May 25, 2019, it is the promotion's top championship for male singles competitors, an ...
, one-time
AEW World Tag Team Champion, and was one-third of the inaugural
AEW World Trios Champions.
Prior to joining AEW, Omega was known for his tenure in
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV ...
(NJPW), during which he held the
IWGP Heavyweight Championship
The was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on June 12, 1987, in the final of an IW ...
, the
IWGP Intercontinental Championship
The was a professional wrestling championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was officially announced on January 5, 2011 and the Inaugural Champion MVP was c ...
, the inaugural
IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion
The is a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The current champion is Will Ospreay, who is in his first reign.
History Backgr ...
, as well as several other titles. Also known for his video games-inspired persona, he was a member of the
Bullet Club
(stylised as BULLET CLUB), sometimes shortened to BC, is a professional wrestling stable primarily appearing in the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). In the United States, the group currently appears on NJPW events run by the co ...
stable, later serving as the group's leader. Throughout his career, Omega has also performed as part of
independent promotions worldwide, including
DDT Pro-Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
,
Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, as well as larger national and international promotions, such as
Ring of Honor,
Impact Wrestling, and
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply ...
. While wrestling in the last two promotions, he held the
Impact World Championship
The Impact World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won via the result ...
and
AAA Mega Championship
The AAA Mega Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Mexican Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) promotion. Known officially in Spanish as the ''Mega Campeonato AAA'', it is sometimes referred to in the English ...
.
Hailed as one of the best professional wrestlers in the world,
Omega was named ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
''s Wrestler of the Year in 2017, and topped ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
''s
list of top 500 male wrestlers the following year and in 2021. He has also attained the latter publication's
Match of the Year distinction three times; one of those matches, in which Omega competed against
Kazuchika Okada
(born November 8, 1987) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Okada is a five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion where his fourth reign with the championship is the longest in history at 720 days. He also h ...
in a
two out of three falls match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
at
Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall in June 2018, received a
seven-star rating from combat sports journalist
Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
, the highest rating Meltzer has ever awarded a professional wrestling match. He was inducted into the
''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' Hall of Fame in 2020.
Early life
Tyson Smith was born in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
,
Manitoba
, image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg
, map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada
, Label_map = yes
, coordinates =
, capital = Winn ...
, on October 16, 1983.
He grew up in
Transcona
Transcona is a ward and suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba, located about east of the downtown area.
Until 1972, it was a separate municipality, having been incorporated first as the Town of Transcona on 6 April 1912 and then as the City of Tr ...
, a Winnipeg suburb.
As of 2016, Smith's mother works in family services while his father works for the Canadian government as a transport officer.
Smith's affinity toward
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
began during childhood when he watched tapes of
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
(then-WWF)'s ''
Saturday Night's Main Event
''Saturday Night's Main Event'' is an American professional wrestling television program that is produced by WWE (known at the time of launch as the World Wrestling Federation). Premiering in 1985, it originally aired on NBC in the United Sta ...
'', which became his favorite program.
Growing up, Smith played
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
as a goalie.
[ He also worked at branches of retailers IGA and ]Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation (Trade name, doing business as Costco Wholesale and also known simply as Costco) is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only Big-box store, big-box retail stores (warehouse c ...
.
Smith first became interested in a career in professional wrestling after one of his friends from Transcona Collegiate Institute
Transcona Collegiate Institute (TCI) is a secondary education institution located in the Transcona suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Transcona Collegiate teaches grades nine through twelve, with approximately 670 students and 60 staff members.
Trans ...
(TCI) began training with Top Rope Championship Wrestling (TRCW) in Winnipeg.[ Smith ended his ice hockey career plans and began training under TRCW promoter Bobby Jay,][ whom he met while he was stacking shelves at an IGA store.] After training with Jay for a year, 16-year-old Smith made his professional wrestling debut in the year 2000. He went on to wrestle as part of TRCW for two years, where he developed the gimmick of a Hawaiian surfer named Kenny Omega. The surfer aspect was later dropped and replaced with an otaku
is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in '' Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorat ...
-influenced gimmick. In 2001, he graduated from TCI and enrolled in university, but dropped out during his first year in order to fully pursue professional wrestling.[
]
Professional wrestling career
Independent circuit and WWE (2001–2011)
In 2001, Omega debuted in the Winnipeg-based promotion Premier Championship Wrestling (PCW). He won the PCW Heavyweight Championship and the PCW Tag Team Championship in 2003 and 2004, respectively. He unsuccessfully challenged Petey Williams
Peter Williams III (born August 26, 1981) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE as a backstage producer. He is best known for his time in Impact Wrestling, where he is a two-time X Division Champion. He is also ...
for the TNA X Division Championship
The Impact X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It debuted on June 19, 2002, at the taping of then-TNA's second weekly pay-per-view (PPV) event. The current champion is Trey ...
at the National Wrestling Alliance's 56th Anniversary Show on October 17. He later won an eight-man tournament, defeating Nate Hardy, Chris Sabin, and Amazing Red
Jonathan Figueroa (born April 26, 1982), better known by his ring name Amazing Red, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler and promoter. He is best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former three-time ...
, to win the Premier Cup and the NWA Canada X-Division Championship on June 2. After competing for Harley Race's promotion World League Wrestling
Harley Race's Wrestling Academy is a professional wrestling school located in Troy, Missouri. It was established in 1999 by former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Harley Race. Students of the school are incorporated into the professional wres ...
in September 2005, losing to Keith Walker in a match, Omega was invited to a week-long tryout by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).[
In October 2005, Smith was sent to ]Deep South Wrestling
Deep South Wrestling (DSW) is a professional wrestling promotion in the state of Georgia. Deep South worked in tandem with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a developmental territory from September 1, 2005, until April 18, 2007. Deep Sout ...
(DSW), WWE's then-developmental territory
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
for a tryout, after which he was offered a developmental contract and subsequently assigned to DSW full-time. In August 2006, he requested his release from his contract. Omega later stated that his time in DSW was poor, particularly criticizing promoters Bill DeMott
William Charles DeMott II (born November 10, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestler and road agent and trainer. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Hugh Morrus and World Wrestling Federatio ...
and Jody Hamilton
Joseph Hamilton (August 28, 1938 – August 3, 2021) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and trainer. He was best known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1". When the Assassins ended, He wrest ...
, and trainer Bob Holly
Robert William Howard (born January 29, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former auto racer and wrestling trainer/ host, better known by the ring name Hardcore Holly or Bob Holly. He is best known for his 16-year career wit ...
. Nevertheless, he expressed praise for trainer Dave Taylor. WWE has since reportedly approached him with contracts in the spring of 2014, three times in 2015, and in early 2019.
After his release from WWE, Omega intended to forge a career in mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
and entered Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments before deciding to return to professional wrestling.[ He then reinvented his wrestling persona and developed a new distinct move set.][ On March 8, 2008, Omega competed for Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) and captured the ]JAPW Heavyweight Championship
The Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling), championship in the United States of America, American Independent circuit, independent professional wrestling promot ...
by defeating Low Ki
Brandon Silvestry (born September 6, 1979) is an American professional wrestler of Italian and Puerto Rican descent, better known by his ring name Low Ki. He is known for his time with Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and Major League Wrestli ...
. On April 19, he retained his title against Frankie Kazarian
Frank Benedict Gerdelman (born August 4, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), performing under the ring name Frankie Kazarian. In addition, Kazarian also performs for Impact Wrest ...
at ''Spring Massacre''. Omega lost the JAPW Heavyweight Championship to Jay Lethal
Jamar Shipman (born April 29, 1985), better known by the ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Dubbed "The Franchise" of Ring of Honor, Lethal is a two-time ROH World Champio ...
at Jersey City Rumble on February 28, 2009.
Omega competed in a six-way elimination match for the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship
The JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship is a championship in the Jersey All Pro Wrestling promotion in the United States.It became official title on December 5, 1997 when Rik Rachet defeated Chino Martinez in a tournament final to crown the first ...
on December 10, 2010, during which he was eliminated by the eventual winner, Jushin Thunder Liger
, better known as and later , is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is the longest-tenured member of the NJPW roster, having wrestled for the company since h ...
. On May 15, 2011, he defeated Liger in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
during New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV ...
's inaugural US tour to win the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship. That same year, Omega wrestled in tapings for Wrestling Revolution Project, performing under the ring name Scott Carpenter. In a July 2013 interview, he said that although JAPW had not held a show since April 2012, he would be interested in returning to the company, citing how he still held the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship. JAPW declared the Light Heavyweight Championship vacant on September 12, 2014. He went on to make appearances during PCW events in October 2018 and March 2019.
DDT Pro-Wrestling (2008–2014)
In 2006, Omega became captivated by Japanese wrestler Kota Ibushi
is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), but is currently inactive due to suffering a shoulder injury. In March 2021, he became the company's inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion by ...
after watching him perform as part of Japanese promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
, so he uploaded videos of himself having a DDT-style match to YouTube, in hopes they would interest Ibushi into working with him. After seeing the videos, DDT invited Omega to Japan to wrestle Ibushi, which Omega accepted; he made his first appearance for the promotion in August 2008.[ Omega stated that wrestling in Japan had been one of his dreams, as the local scene appealed to his creative side, feeling that he was able to show his personality and express himself.][ He and Ibushi then formed a tag team named the ]Golden☆Lovers
was the professional wrestling tag team of Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi. The team was formed in January 2009 in the Japanese DDT Pro-Wrestling promotion, where, over the next five years, they won the KO-D Tag Team Championship on two occasions. T ...
.
In 2011, Omega competed in a match against a nine-year-old girl named Haruka. A video of the match went viral, making international news and receiving polarizing responses, after which Omega received death threats. Fellow professional wrestler Mick Foley
Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador.
Foley worked for m ...
, conversely, praised Omega's work as a heel, asking why he was not on national television. Omega later stated that he was asked to work with Haruka due to the safe nature of his work and that he personally trained her before their match. In the same year, Omega represented DDT in All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba ...
's 2011 Junior League, making his debut for the promotion on September 11. After three wins and two losses, he finished second in his block and did not advance to the finals.
On October 23, Omega defeated Kai to become the new World Junior Heavyweight Champion. He lost the title back to Kai on May 27, 2012, in his sixth title defense. On December 23, Omega defeated El Generico
Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline.
Prior to joi ...
to win the KO-D Openweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling world openweight championship and the top singles accomplishment in the Japanese promotion CyberFight currently defended in the DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand division. It is one of CyberFight's top major world tit ...
for the first time. On January 27, 2013, Omega defeated Isami Kodaka
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to Pro-Wrestling Basara (Basara). He originally started his career in the Kaientai Dojo (K-Dojo) promotion in July 2002, but later left the promotion to become a freelancer, before signing wi ...
in a title vs. title match, retaining his title and winning the DDT Extreme Championship
The is a singles title in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling. The title was established in 2006 and it is mostly defended in stipulation matches, with the defending champion being given the right to choose the sti ...
held by Kodaka. He lost the KO-D Openweight Championship to Shigehiro Irie
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist best known for his work in DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). Irie has also competed for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW), and a number of North American inde ...
on March 20, 2013. On May 26, Omega, Ibushi, and Gota Ihashi defeated Yuji Hino
, better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed by Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1). One of the most well-travelled heavyweights in Japan, Hino was trained by Taka Michinoku and made his debut for his Kaientai ...
, Antonio Honda, and Daisuke Sasaki
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where is a former two-time DDT Universal Champion. In addition to that, in DDT, he is also a former three-time KO-D Openweight Champion, one-time DDT Extreme Champi ...
to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship owned by the DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) promotion.
The title was first announced during DDT's year-end event on December 23, 2012, becoming the promotion's fifth active title. The first champions were c ...
. Omega's team lost the championship to Hino, Honda, and Hoshitango
is an Argentine-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler and current professional wrestler. His highest rank was ''jūryō'' 3.
Life and career
A former swimming instructor, Salomon was spotted by a visiting Japanese coach at a gym in Bue ...
. On August 25, Omega lost the DDT Extreme Championship to Danshoku Dino.
On January 26, 2014, the Golden☆Lovers defeated the respective teams of Kodaka and Yuko Miyamoto as well as Konosuke Takeshita
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to both All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in the United States and DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) in Japan. Takeshita was named the Rookie of the Year by '' Tokyo Sports'' in 2013 and is the youngest KO-D ...
and Tetsuya Endo in a three-way match to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship. The team of the Golden☆Lovers and Sasaki won the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship from Irie, Keisuke Ishii
is a Japanese professional wrestler trained by and signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). Ishii also competes for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is a former World Junior Heavyweight Champion.
Professional wrestling career
DDT (2008–p ...
, and Soma Takao in April but lost the title to Kudo, Masa Takanashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . Takanashi was trained by Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) and has worked for the promotion since his debut in September 2003, becoming a one-time KO-D Openweight Champion, a two-time ...
, and Yukio Sakaguchi
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, actor and judoka, who is currently signed with DDT Pro-Wrestling and has fought and competed for World Victory Road, DREAM, Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling, Pancrase, Pro Wrestli ...
the following month. On September 28, the Golden☆Lovers lost the KO-D Tag Team Championship to Takeshita and Endo. Omega returned to DDT for the promotion's ''Ultimate Party'' event on November 3, 2019, during which he and Riho
is a Japanese professional wrestler and idol currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). She is a former AEW Women's World Champion.
She was trained by Emi Sakura and debuted for her Ice Ribbon promotion in May 2006, at the age of nine. S ...
scored a victory over Honda and Miyu Yamashita
is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling. Yamashita was trained by DDT Pro Wrestling's Kyohei Mikami, and made her debut in August 2013 as one of the first members of DDT's all female Tokyo Joshi Pro sister promoti ...
in a tag team match.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2008–2014)
On November 1, 2008, Omega appeared for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) during the 2008 Battle of Los Angeles, where he was defeated in the first round of the tournament by local talent Brandon Bonham. The next night, during a three-way tag team match in which Omega competed, he was Irish whipped into the ropes by Davey Richards, only for the force to snap the middle and bottom ropes, throwing Omega out of the ring. Three months later, Omega returned to the promotion at ''Express Written Consent'', where he was defeated by El Generico after referee Rick Knox hit him with a leaping clothesline after Knox grew tired of Omega abusing him. At PWG's hundredth show on April 12, 2009, he lost to Bryan Danielson
Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he worked fro ...
.
On November 20, 2009, Omega entered the year's Battle of Los Angeles, which was contested for the vacant PWG World Championship
The PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) professional wrestling promotion. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship. The inaugural champion was Frankie Kazarian. ...
, defeating Kevin Steen
Kevin Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kevin Owens.
Steen began his career in 2000, at the age of 16. Prior to joining WWE in lat ...
, Scott Lost
Scott Epperson (born June 8, 1980), better known by the ring name Scott Lost, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, which he founded with five other wrestlers and where he is a for ...
, and Joey Ryan in the first, quarter, and semifinal rounds, respectively. He defeated Roderick Strong
Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his name Roderick Strong, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand, as the leader of Diamond Mine, but is currently inactive due t ...
in the final round to win the tournament and become the PWG World Champion. On February 27, 2010, Omega lost the championship to Richards at ''As the Worm Turns'' in his first defense.
On October 27, 2012, Omega made his first appearance for PWG in over two and a half years at ''Failure to Communicate'' when he teamed with El Generico in a tag team match, where they defeated The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team and promoters, consisting of brothers Matthew and Nicholas Massie, who are known by their ring names Matt and Nick Jackson, respectively. They are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW ...
(Matt and Nick Jackson). Omega returned to PWG to compete in the 2014 Battle of Los Angeles
The Battle of Los Angeles tournament (the BOLA) is an annual independent wrestling tournament in North America, run and promoted by Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Over the years, the tournament has featured numerous notable wrestlers such as famous T ...
on August 29, advancing all the way to the semifinals until he was eliminated by the eventual winner of the tournament, Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
. He returned again for the 2017 Battle of Los Angeles on September 2, teaming with The Young Bucks and defeating Flamita
Flamita (born November 30, 1994) is a Mexican '' luchador enmascarado'' or masked professional wrestler. In addition to working for promotions such as Ring Of Honor, (ROH) Lucha Libre AAA World Wide, (AAA) and Desastre Total Ultraviolento (DTU) i ...
, Penta 0M, and Rey Fenix Rey may refer to:
*Rey (given name), a given name
*Rey (surname), a surname
* Rey (''Star Wars''), a character in the ''Star Wars'' films
* Rey, Iran, a city in Iran
* Ray County, in Tehran Province of Iran
* ''Rey'' (film), a 2015 Indian film
*The ...
in a six-man tag team match.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Ring of Honor
Sporadic appearances (2008–2014)
On July 25, 2008, Omega appeared for the promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), losing to Delirious
Delirious may refer to:
* A state of delirium
Film and television
* Delirious (1991 film), ''Delirious'' (1991 film), an American comedy directed by Tom Mankiewicz, starring John Candy
* Delirious (2006 film), ''Delirious'' (2006 film), an Americ ...
in Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. The following night, Omega competed at ROH New Horizons, losing to Silas Young. The following year, he defeated Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to the Control Your Narrative wrestling promotion. He is best known for his ...
, Jay Briscoe
Jamin "Jay" Pugh (born January 25, 1984) is an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Jay Briscoe. He is currently signed with Ring of Honor, where he is the current one-half of ROH World Tag Team Champions with Mark Briscoe ...
, and Roderick Strong in a Four-Corner Survival match. On November 14, 2009, Omega competed against Aries for the ROH World Championship but was defeated. At Final Battle 2009
Final Battle 2009 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH), which was only available online. It took place on December 19, 2009 from the Manhattan Center in New York City. Nine matches were aired live ...
, he competed in a Four-Corner Survival match, which was won by Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club stable. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Ho ...
. In September 2010, Omega competed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), losing to Prince Devitt
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
in a match for Devitt's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling world junior heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . Only wrestlers under the junior heavyweight weight-limit may ho ...
. On October 11 at Destruction '10, the Golden☆Lovers defeated Apollo 55
was the professional wrestling tag team of Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi. One of the most accomplished junior heavyweight tag teams in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) history, the team held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship ...
(Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi
is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, seven-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and three-time NEVER ...
) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on August 8, 1998, at an NJPW live event. The IWGP Juni ...
. On January 23, 2011, at '' Fantastica Mania 2011'', an NJPW and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre co-promoted event in Tokyo, the Golden☆Lovers lost title back to Apollo 55. He also competed in the 2010 and 2011 Best of the Super Juniors tournaments.
Omega returned to NJPW in May 2013 to take part in the 2013 Best of the Super Juniors, where he managed to win five out of his eight round-robin matches, advancing to the semifinals of the tournament. On June 9, Omega was defeated in his semifinal match by Devitt, following interference from Devitt's stable, Bullet Club
(stylised as BULLET CLUB), sometimes shortened to BC, is a professional wrestling stable primarily appearing in the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). In the United States, the group currently appears on NJPW events run by the co ...
. A year later, he took part in New Japan's 2014 Best of the Super Juniors tournament from May 30 to June 6, finishing with a record of three wins and four losses, with a loss against Taichi
Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called " shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. T ...
on the final day, which cost him a spot in the semifinals.
Bullet Club and various championship reigns (2014–2017)
On October 3, 2014, NJPW held a press conference to announce that Omega was set to sign with the promotion once his DDT contract expired on October 26. Omega, dubbing himself the Cleaner, made his debut under contract on November 8 at Power Struggle
In political science and political history, the term power vacuum, also known as a power void, is an analogy between a physical vacuum to the political condition "when someone in a place of power, has lost control of something and no one has repla ...
, where he was revealed as the newest member of Bullet Club, despite having previously dismissed the idea of joining the villainous foreigner stable, claiming that he did not consider himself a ''gaijin
is a Japanese word for foreigners and non-Japanese citizens in Japan, specifically being applied to foreigners of non-Japanese ethnicity and those from the Japanese diaspora who are not Japanese citizens. The word is composed of two kanji: and ...
''. Omega defeated Ryusuke Taguchi to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the first time at Wrestle Kingdom 9 in Tokyo Dome
Wrestle Kingdom 9 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2015. It was the 24th January 4 Tok ...
on January 4, 2015. He retained the title over Taguchi in a rematch on February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka
The New Beginning is an annual professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event has been held since 2011 as a pay-per-view (PPV). From 2013 to 2014, the event also aired outside Japan as an internet pay-per-view ...
. In the following months, he successfully defended the title against Máscara Dorada
Máscara Dorada (born August 24, 1988) is the ring name of a Mexican ''luchador'' '' enmascarado'' (masked professional wrestler) currently working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He is best known for his time in WWE where he perform ...
at Invasion Attack 2015
Invasion Attack 2015 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on April 5, 2015, in Tokyo at Ryōgoku Kokugikan and featured nine matches, four of which were contested f ...
and Alex Shelley at Wrestling Dontaku 2015
Wrestling Dontaku 2015 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on May 3, 2015, in Fukuoka, Fukuoka at Fukuoka Kokusai Center and featured nine matches, three of which w ...
.
Omega lost the title to Kushida
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, better known by his mononymous ring name Kushida. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as well as Impact Wrestling.
He is best known for his tenure in NJP ...
on July 5 at Dominion 7.5 in Osaka-jo Hall
Dominion 7.5 in Osaka-jo Hall was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on July 5, 2015, in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Osaka, at the Osaka-jō Hall. The event featured ten m ...
. On September 23 at Destruction in Okayama, he regained the title from Kushida, following an interference from Bullet Club stablemate Karl Anderson. On January 4, 2016, Omega once again lost the title to Kushida at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome
Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on January 4, 2016, in Tokyo, Japan, at the Tokyo Dome. It was the 25th January 4 Tokyo Dome S ...
. The following day, Omega teamed with Bullet Club leader A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
to defeat Shinsuke Nakamura and Yoshi-Hashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He currently works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as Yoshi-Hashi (stylized in all capital letters), where he is a former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion alongside Hirooki Goto. As well as a former ...
in a tag team match. After the match, Bullet Club turned on Styles, with Omega taking over the leadership of the stable.
At The New Beginning in Niigata
The New Beginning in Niigata was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on February 14, 2016, in Nagaoka, Niigata, at the Aore Nagaoka. The event featured nine matches, four of which were ...
on February 14, 2016, Omega defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He works primarily for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, his accolades in NJPW include a record setting eight reigns as IWGP Heavywei ...
to win the vacant IWGP Intercontinental Championship
The was a professional wrestling championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was officially announced on January 5, 2011 and the Inaugural Champion MVP was c ...
. Six days later, he and The Young Bucks–the Bullet Club subgroup known as The Elite–won the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion.
The title was announced on December 21, 2015, with the first champions crowned on January 4, 2016. Through NJPW's relationship with Ring of Honor ...
from The Briscoe Brothers
The Briscoe Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Jay Briscoe (Jamin "Jay" Pugh) and Mark Briscoe (Mark Pugh). They are known for their 19-year tenure with the American promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). an ...
and Toru Yano
, is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the KOPW 2020 and the provisional KOPW 2021. He is a four time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion. He is also a three- ...
at Honor Rising: Japan 2016, an event co-produced by NJPW and ROH. That same month, Omega had signed on to become a regular competitor for ROH. The Elite lost the title to Tanahashi, Michael Elgin
Aaron Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He most recently worked for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he was a one-time GHC Tag Team Champion with Masa Kitamiya ...
, and Yoshitatsu on April 10 at Invasion Attack 2016
Invasion Attack 2016 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on April 10, 2016, in Tokyo at Ryōgoku Kokugikan, and featured nine matches, six of which were contested fo ...
. On April 27, Omega retained the IWGP Intercontinental Championship over Elgin, which marked the first time two Canadians main evented an NJPW event. On May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2016, The Elite regained the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. On June 19 at Dominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall, Omega lost the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to Elgin in NJPW's inaugural ladder match. On July 3, The Elite lost the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship to Matt Sydal
Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983), better known by the ring name Matt Sydal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Prior to signing with AEW, Sydal wrestled in WWE as Evan Bourne, and was ...
, Ricochet, and Satoshi Kojima
is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, but makes appearances for Pro Wrestling Noah. Considered to be one of the greatest Japanese professional wrestlers of the 21st century and of all-time, he was the first wrest ...
.
From July 22 to August 13, Omega took part in the round-robin portion of the 2016 G1 Climax, where he advanced to the finals after winning his block with a record of six wins and three losses. On August 14, he defeated Hirooki Goto
is a Japanese professional wrestler. Since his debut, he has wrestled primarily for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He is also known for being the longest reigning NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion with his Chaos stablemates, Tomohiro Ishii ...
in the finals of the tournament and earned an opportunity to compete for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
The was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on June 12, 1987, in the final of an IW ...
. Omega not only won the tournament in his first attempt, but also became the first non-Japanese G1 Climax winner in history. Towards the end of the year, despite having the opportunity to return to ROH, Omega was asked by NJPW not to take any outside bookings heading into Wrestle Kingdom 11
Wrestle Kingdom 11 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on January 4, 2017, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was the 26th January 4 Tokyo Dome Show, which is NJPW's ...
in Tokyo Dome. Due to this, Omega did not appear for ROH for the rest of 2016. He lost to IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada
(born November 8, 1987) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Okada is a five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion where his fourth reign with the championship is the longest in history at 720 days. He also h ...
in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 11 on January 4, 2017. At 46 minutes and 45 seconds, the match was, at the time, the longest in the history of the January 4 Tokyo Dome Show
The January 4 Tokyo Dome Show is a professional wrestling event produced annually on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), a Japan-based professional wrestling promotion. NJPW has promoted events in the venue every Janu ...
. This record was broken by a 2021 match between Kota Ibushi
is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), but is currently inactive due to suffering a shoulder injury. In March 2021, he became the company's inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion by ...
and Tetsuya Naito
is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the leader of the ''Los Ingobernables de Japón'' faction.
Tetsuya Naito began training for a professional wrestling career in 2000, initially under Anim ...
. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
gave the match a six-star rating in the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
'', adding that Omega and Okada "may have put on the greatest match in pro wrestling history". The match was also praised by fellow professional wrestlers Daniel Bryan, Mick Foley, and Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...
.
Dissension within Bullet Club and departure (2017–2019)
On January 6, 2017, Omega stated that he would be "stepping away from Japan to reassess isfuture", adding that he was "weighing all options". On January 26, Omega announced on '' Wrestling Observer Radio'' that he would be flying back to Japan in February to negotiate a new deal with NJPW for "at least one more year". He returned during the first night of Honor Rising: Japan 2017 in February. Omega competed against Kazuchika Okada in a match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on June 11 at Dominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall
Dominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on June 11, 2017, in Osaka, Osaka, at the Osaka-jō Hall and was the ninth event under the Dominion name and third i ...
, which ended in a 60-minute time limit draw. The match was rated 6 stars by Dave Meltzer, higher than their previous match, making it the highest-rated match by Meltzer at that time.
During the G1 Special in USA
G1 Special in USA was a two-day professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The two shows took place on July 1 and 2, 2017, in Long Beach, California, United States at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. ...
in July 2017, Omega defeated Michael Elgin, Jay Lethal, and Tomohiro Ishii in an eight-man tournament to become the inaugural IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion
The is a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The current champion is Will Ospreay, who is in his first reign.
History Backgr ...
. The event also saw signs of dissension between Omega and new Bullet Club member Cody
Cody may refer to:
People
*Cody (given name)
*Cody (surname)
* Cody (wrestler), a ring name of Cody Runnels
Places Canada
* Cody, British Columbia
United States
* Cody, Florida
* Cody (Duluth), Minnesota
* Cody, Missouri
* Cody, Nebraska
*Cody, ...
. On August 12, Omega won his block in the 2017 G1 Climax
The is a professional wrestling tournament held each August by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. Though it has sometimes been held as a single-elimination tournament, it is usually (and currently) held as a round-robin, with winners ...
tournament with a record of seven wins and two losses, advancing to the finals, where he was eventually defeated by Tetsuya Naito
is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the leader of the ''Los Ingobernables de Japón'' faction.
Tetsuya Naito began training for a professional wrestling career in 2000, initially under Anim ...
. He successfully defended his title against Juice Robinson
Joseph Ryan Robinson (born April 10, 1989), better known by his ring name Juice Robinson, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Robinson is also a member of the Bullet Club stable and also wrestles ...
on September 24 at Destruction in Kobe and against Yoshi-Hashi on October 15 at the NJPW and ROH-co-produced Global Wars: Chicago event.
At Wrestle Kingdom 12
Wrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on January 4, 2018, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was the 27th January 4 Tokyo Dome Show, which is NJPW's ...
on January 4, 2018, Omega defeated the debuting Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
in a no disqualification match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to retain the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. The bout was credited as having grown international interest in NJPW, particularly from North America. On January 28, Omega lost the title to Jay White
Jamie White (born 9 October 1992), better known by the ring name Jay White (ジェイ・ホワイト ''Jei Howaito''), is a New Zealand professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is current IWGP World Heavyweight C ...
at The New Beginning in Sapporo. After the match, Bullet Club member Adam Page
Stephen Blake Woltz (born July 27, 1991), better known by his ring name "Hangman" Adam Page, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former AEW World Champion and ...
confronted White but was stopped by Omega, who accepted defeat, which brought out Cody. After months of tension over the leadership of the Bullet Club faction, Cody hit Omega with a rolling cutter. When Page attempted to assist Cody in attacking Omega, Kota Ibushi returned to the ring after having competed earlier in the night to save his former partner, leading to an embrace between Omega and Ibushi and a rekindling of their friendship. Omega returned to ROH for the Supercard of Honor XII
Supercard of Honor XII was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by American promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), which took place Saturday, April 7, 2018, at the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. Wrestlers from New Japan P ...
event on April 7, 2018, where he lost to Cody.
On June 9, Omega defeated Okada in a two out of three falls match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
with no time limit for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall, becoming the first Canadian wrestler to win the title in the process. The match received a seven-star rating from Meltzer, which remains the highest rating ever given to a match. Omega then defeated Cody to retain his title at NJPW's G1 Special in San Francisco
G1 Special in San Francisco was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on July 7, 2018, at the Cow Palace in the San Francisco suburb of Daly City, California. The event was broadcast on AXS ...
on July 7. Following the match, Bullet Club members Tama Tonga
Alipate Aloisio Leone (born October 15, 1982) is a Tongan-American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Tama Tonga (タマ・トンガ ''Tama Tonga''). He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is also known a ...
, Tanga Loa
Tevita Tu'amoeloa Fetaiakimoeata Fifita (born May 7, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, currently working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), under the ring name Tanga Loa (タンガ・ロア ''Tanga Roa'') (originally Tanga Roa).
Fif ...
, Bad Luck Fale
Simi Taitoko Fale (born 8 January 1982) is a Tongan-New Zealand professional wrestler and former rugby union player. He currently works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as . In NJPW, he is a three-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champio ...
, and King Haku attacked Omega, Cody, and every other Bullet Club member who tried to aid them, forming their own branch within the stable. Omega and Cody subsequently reconciled alongside the rest of Bullet Club.
In September 2018, Omega appeared at the independent event All In, where he defeated Penta El Zero. He successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Ishii at Destruction
Destruction may refer to:
Concepts
* Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger
* Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism
* Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kin ...
later that month as well as against Cody and Ibushi in a three-way match at King of Pro-Wrestling
King of Pro-Wrestling is an annual professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event has been held every October since 2012 and aired domestically as a pay-per-view (PPV). The event also aired internationally as ...
the next month. It was revealed in October that Cody, Page, and Marty Scurll
Martin Scurll (born 26 July 1988) is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Ring of Honor (ROH) as the leader of the stable Villain Enterprises, where he was a one-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship and a o ...
would be known alongside Omega and The Young Bucks as part of The Elite, with the group also stating that they were "no longer affiliated with Bullet Club". ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
'' named Omega the No. 1 professional wrestler of 2018 in its annual list of the top 500 male wrestlers. Omega lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13
Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on January 4, 2019 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was the twenty-eighth January 4 Tokyo Dome Show and the ...
on January 4, 2019, ending his reign at 209 days. He departed NJPW after his contract expired at the end of January.
All Elite Wrestling and Impact Wrestling
Early storylines and world championship reigns (2019–2021)
Omega signed a four-year contract with All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, ...
(AEW) on February 7, 2019. Along with Matt and Nick Jackson, Omega serves as an executive vice president of the promotion as well as one of its in-ring talents. He competed at the promotion's inaugural event, Double or Nothing
Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either the subject doubled to twice the amount as the original ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It ...
, where he lost to Chris Jericho in the main event, after which both men were attacked by Jon Moxley
Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wr ...
. The following month at Fyter Fest
AEW Fyter Fest is an annual professional wrestling event produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The event was established by the promotion in 2019 and is held during the summer; the first event was held in June but moved to July in 2020. The name, ...
, Omega attacked Moxley in retaliation for Moxley's previous assault. A match between Omega and Moxley was scheduled for the All Out pay-per-view, however, Moxley pulled out of the match due to a MRSA
Methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus'' (MRSA) is a group of Gram-positive bacteria that are genetically distinct from other strains of ''Staphylococcus aureus''. MRSA is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. ...
infection. Omega instead competed against Pac at All Out, where he was defeated. On the premiere episode of '' Dynamite'' on October 2, Omega was taken out by a returning Moxley during a six-man tag team match, with Omega's team later losing the contest. In the main event of Full Gear on November 9, Omega was defeated by Moxley in an unsanctioned Lights Out match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
.
At Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea Part Deux: Second Wave, which aired on the January 22, 2020, episode of ''Dynamite'', Omega and Adam Page defeated SoCal Uncensored
SoCal Uncensored (SCU) was an American professional wrestling collective that consisted of Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky. They are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Daniels and Kazarian are no longer able to team toge ...
(Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky
Schuyler Andrews (born April 2, 1983), better known by the ring name Scorpio Sky, is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Andrews is also known for his appearances with Ring of ...
) to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship
The AEW World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It is a standard tag team championship, being contested by teams of two wrestlers ...
, marking the first title change in the promotion's history. At Revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
on February 29, Omega and Page retained the championship against The Young Bucks. Omega, Page, and The Young Bucks competed alongside Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE.
With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team ...
against The Inner Circle–which comprises Jericho, Sammy Guevara
Samuel George Guevara (born July 28, 1993) is an American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society. He is a record tying three-time former AEW TNT Champion. He also app ...
, Jake Hager
Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society s ...
, and Santana and Ortiz
Santana (Mark Sanchez, born February 4, 1991) and Ortiz (Miguel Molina, born September 27, 1991), sometimes nicknamed Proud & Powerful, are an American professional wrestling tag team currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), but the team i ...
–in a Stadium Stampede match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
on May 23 at Double or Nothing
Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either the subject doubled to twice the amount as the original ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It ...
, where Omega's team was victorious. On September 5 at All Out, Omega and Page lost the AEW World Tag Team Championship to FTR (Cash Wheeler
Daniel Marshall Wheeler (born May 17, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Cash Wheeler. Wheeler is also known for his time in WWE, under the ring name Dash Wilder. ...
and Dax Harwood
David Michael Harwood (born June 30, 1984) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Dax Harwood, where he and his FTR tag team partner, Cash Wheeler, he also makes appearanc ...
).
Following the loss to FTR, Omega stated that he was going to return to singles competition. From October to November 2020, he participated in a tournament to determine the number one contender for the AEW World Championship
The AEW World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Unveiled on May 25, 2019, it is the promotion's top championship for male singles competitors, a ...
and won it by defeating Adam Page in the final round at Full Gear. At Winter Is Coming
"Winter Is Coming" is the series premiere of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. The first episode of the first season, it was written by series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, in an adaptation of the first ...
on December 2, Omega defeated Jon Moxley to become the AEW World Champion for the first time, with the help of Don Callis
Donald Callis (born October 13, 1963) is a Canadian professional wrestling manager, color commentator, and former professional wrestler and business executive. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he works as the on-screen manager of K ...
, and turned heel. Following the win, he appeared alongside Callis for Impact Wrestling on the December 8 episode of its program, '' Impact!'', establishing a partnership between the two. At the Hard To Kill pay-per-view in January 2021, he competed for the promotion, teaming with fellow former Bullet Club stablemates Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows
Andrew William Hankinson (born December 22, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Luke Gallows.
Hankinson began his career in 2005 and participated i ...
to defeat Rich Swann
Richard Allen Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling. He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Impact X Division Champion and Impact Digital Media Cha ...
, Chris Sabin, and Moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
. At Revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
in March, Omega retained the title over Moxley in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch
An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known ...
.
At Impact Wrestling's Rebellion pay-per-view in April 2021, Omega defeated Swann in a Winner Takes All match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to retain his AEW World Championship and also win the Impact World Championship
The Impact World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won via the result ...
. The following month, he successfully defended the AEW World Championship at the Double or Nothing
Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either the subject doubled to twice the amount as the original ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It ...
event against Pac and Orange Cassidy
James Cipperly (born May 4, 1984), better known by his ring name Orange Cassidy, is an American professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current AEW All-Atlantic Champion ...
in a three-way match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. At Slammiversary
Slammiversary is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the American promotion Impact Wrestling. It is one of Impact's “Big Four” PPV events (along with Hard to Kill, Rebellion, and Bound for Glory), and celebrates ...
, Omega defeated Sami Callihan
Samuel Alton Johnston (born September 1, 1987) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by the ring name Sami Callihan, currently signed with Impact Wrestling and is a former Impact World Champion. He also wrestled for Luch ...
in a no disqualification match to retain the Impact World Championship. On the premiere episode of '' Rampage'' on August 13, he lost the Impact World Championship to Christian Cage
William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Christian Cage. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Christ ...
. At All Out in September, Omega defeated Cage to retain the AEW World Championship. His victory celebration with The Elite–comprising Omega, The Young Bucks, Gallows, and Anderson–saw the debuts of Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH).
C ...
, who embraced the group, and Bryan Danielson, who joined Cage's side. He lost the title to Page in November at Full Gear. That same year, ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' ranked him No. 1 on its list of the top 500 male professional wrestlers for the second time. Omega took a hiatus from competing in November 2021 due to injuries. He underwent hernia and knee surgeries.
Return from injury and suspension (2022–present)
Omega returned on the August 17, 2022, episode of ''Dynamite'' as The Young Bucks' mystery partner in the inaugural AEW World Trios Championship tournament, where they defeated La Facción Ingobernable (Andrade El Idolo
Manuel Alfonso Andrade Oropeza (born November 3, 1989) is a Mexican professional wrestler who is currently signed to the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Andrade El Idolo (also stylized Andrade "El Ídolo"). He ...
, Rush, and Dragon Lee) in the first round. The following week, they defeated United Empire
, originally , is a professional wrestling faction, performing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and RevPro, the faction is led by Will Ospreay.
The group was formed in October 2020 by Ospreay and Great-O-Khan, when Ospreay turned on his Chao ...
(Will Ospreay
William Peter Charles Ospreay (born 7 May 1993) is an English professional wrestler who is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion in his first reign and leader of the ...
and Aussie Open
The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. ...
(Mark Davis Mark Davis may refer to:
Entertainers
*Mark Davis (talk show host), American radio talk show host
* Mark Jonathan Davis (born 1965), American actor/singer and creator of Richard Cheese
*Mark Davis, American bassist and founding member for the band ...
and Kyle Fletcher
Kyle Fletcher (born 24 December 1998) is an Australian professional wrestler currently appearing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he was an inaugural Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion and Revolution Pro Wrestling, where he is a two-time Undi ...
)) in the second round. At All Out on September 4, The Elite defeated "Hangman" Adam Page and The Dark Order
The Dark Order is a professional wrestling stable, currently performing in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The stable consists of Evil Uno, John Silver, Alex Reynolds, and Brodie Lee Jr.
The group debuted on the inaugural Double or Nothing pay-per- ...
(Alex Reynolds and John Silver) to become the inaugural AEW World Trios Champions.
After the All Out post-event media scrum
A media scrum is an improvised press conference, often held immediately outside an event such as a legislative session or meeting. Scrums play a central role in Canadian politics , Omega and The Young Bucks got into a legitimate physical altercation with AEW World Champion CM Punk and his friend Ace Steel
Christopher Guy (born January 25, 1973) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ace Steel. He is perhaps best known for his time with Ring of Honor and occasional appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment, as w ...
, following berating comments he had made about them and others during the scrum. As a result, AEW president Tony Khan
Antony Rafiq Khan (born October 10, 1982) is an American businessman, promoter, and sports executive. He is known for his involvement in American football, professional wrestling and soccer. He is best known as the founder and co-owner of All E ...
suspended all involved. On the September 7 episode of ''Dynamite'', Khan announced that both the World Championship and Trios Championship, held by Omega and the Bucks, were vacated.
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (2019–2021)
In 2019, AEW announced a partnership with Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply ...
, and Omega made his debut for the latter promotion at its Triplemanía XXVII
Triplemanía XXVII was a professional wrestling event produced and scripted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). The event took place on August 3, 2019, at the Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, M ...
event, teaming with Matt and Nick Jackson in a losing effort against Fénix, Pentagón Jr., and Laredo Kid
Laredo Kid (born December 30, 1986) is a Mexican '' luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler. He is currently signed to both Impact Wrestling and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, but is currently inactive due to abdominal surgery.
La ...
. At Héroes Inmortales XIII in October, Omega won the AAA Mega Championship
The AAA Mega Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Mexican Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) promotion. Known officially in Spanish as the ''Mega Campeonato AAA'', it is sometimes referred to in the English ...
from Fénix. He retained the title against Dragon Lee at Triplemanía Regia
Triplemanía Regia was a professional wrestling event produced and scripted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). The event took place at the Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico, Monterrey ...
in December and against Laredo Kid at Triplemanía XXVIII the following year. He defeated Andrade El Idolo to remain the AAA Mega Champion at Triplemanía XXIX
Triplemanía XXIX was a professional wrestling supercard event produced and scripted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). The event took place on August 14, 2021 at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico Cit ...
in August 2021. In November, Omega vacated the AAA Mega Championship due to injuries, ending his reign as the title's longest-reigning holder.
Professional wrestling style and persona
A fan of video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
, Smith incorporates ideas from the medium into wrestling maneuvers, entrance music, and gimmick concepts. The Kenny Omega ring name was originally inspired by the character Omega Weapon from the ''Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'' video game series. He named his finishing maneuver the ''One-Winged Angel'' (a reference to '' Final Fantasy VII'' character Sephiroth) and the running knee strike he employs as a signature maneuver the ''V-Trigger'' (a technique used in ''Street Fighter V
''Street Fighter V'' is a fighting game developed by Capcom and Dimps and published by Capcom for PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows, Windows in 2016. An Arcade game, arcade version exclusive to Japan was released by Taito in 2019.
Similar to th ...
'');[ integrated the ]Hadouken
The is a special attack from Capcom's ''Street Fighter'' series of fighting games. Game designer Takashi Nishiyama credits an energy attack called Hadouho (lit. the "Wave Motion Gun"), from the 1970s anime ''Space Battleship Yamato'', as the o ...
attack from the ''Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as ''SF'' or スト (''Suto''), is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Capcom. The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by six ...
'' series as a signature move; and used of variations of '' Mega Man'' antagonist Dr. Wily
() is a video game character and the main antagonist of the original ''Mega Man'' series, as well as Mega Man's archenemy and is also the creator of Bass and Zero. He appeared in the first ''Mega Man'' video game and later in promotions and oth ...
's theme music as entrance themes. For his final appearance for NJPW at Wrestle Kingdom 13, Smith collaborated with ''Undertale
''Undertale'' is a 2015 2D role-playing video game created by American indie developer Toby Fox. The player controls a child who has fallen into the Underground: a large, secluded region under the surface of the Earth, separated by a magical ...
'' creator Toby Fox
Robert F. Fox (born October 11, 1991), known professionally as Toby Fox (previously Toby "Radiation" Fox), is an American video game developer and video game composer. He is known for developing the role-playing video games ''Undertale'' and ...
to create a custom entrance video in the style of the game. In addition to video games, Smith also draws inspiration from the television show '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and superhero cartoons to develop elements of his in-ring persona. At Fyter Fest in June 2019, Smith also donned ring gear that references the character Akuma from the ''Street Fighter'' series.
During his run in Bullet Club, Smith did his interviews entirely in English, refusing to speak Japanese. In an interview, he stated that he was told that his otaku gimmick was "too bubbly" for Bullet Club, which led to him adopting the Cleaner nickname as a reference to people who clean up crime scenes. Smith cited the character Albert Wesker
is a fictional character in ''Resident Evil'' (''Biohazard'' in Japan), a survival horror video game series created by Japanese company Capcom. He is first introduced in the original ''Resident Evil'' (1996), in which he is the captain of the R ...
from the ''Resident Evil
''Resident Evil'', known in Japan as is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
'' video game series as well as Sylvester Stallone's character, Marion "Cobra" Cobretti, from the film '' Cobra'' as inspirations for the Cleaner gimmick. Although Smith originally intended to embody the gimmick straightforwardly, he later integrated comedy into the persona as a response to people who thought he was portraying a janitor, doing so by coming out for his matches holding a mop and a broom.
Personal life
Smith considers himself straight edge, as he abstains from alcohol, tobacco, and drug consumption. He has a younger sister. Smith has suffered from vertigo
Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
since 2018. He is close friends with fellow professional wrestler and former tag team partner Michael Nakazawa
, better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler and judoka signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Early life
Nakazawa attended Tokai University before studying abroad in the United States were he obtained an MSc Sports Scienc ...
.
Smith is fluent in Japanese, and as of August 2018, he resided in the Katsushika
is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan. The ward calls itself Katsushika City in English.
As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 444,356, and a population density of 12,770 people per km². The total area is 34.80 ...
ward in the east end of Tokyo. Smith told ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc.
History
Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...
in October 2016 that he "loved Japanese culture before even realizing it was, in fact, Japanese culture" and that his favorite video games and cartoons were Japanese. He has since obtained Japanese citizenship. Regarding his life outside of wrestling, Smith said in 2016 that he had no time to think about relationships because he was completely focused on his wrestling goals.
A self-professed avid gamer, Smith hosted a YouTube series called ''Cleaner's Corner'', in which he played some of his favorite video games. He also attends video game conventions during his spare time. On June 26, 2016, he made a special guest appearance at Community Effort Orlando
Community Effort Orlando (often shortened to CEO) is an annual fighting game event held in Daytona Beach, Florida. Prior to 2018, CEO was held in Orlando, Florida. Introduced in 2010 and organized by Alex Jebailey, the event is known for its stro ...
, defeating fellow professional wrestler Xavier Woods
Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT (WWE brand), NXT WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Xavier Woods. He app ...
in a game of ''Street Fighter V''. Smith portrayed the character Cody Travers in a live-action portion in a trailer for ''Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition'' in 2018.
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 4–3
, Brett Jensen
, Submission
, UCE: Round 32 - Episode 2
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 0:42
, Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 4–2
, Travis Fulton
Travis Jon Fulton (May 29, 1977 – July 10, 2021) was an American mixed martial artist and a professional boxer in the heavyweight division of both sports. Known as a longtime veteran in mixed martial arts, he competed in over 300 sanctioned ...
, TKO (punches)
, CVFA: Return of the Champions
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:24
, Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 4–1
, Clayton Swanson
, KO (punch)
, Whiskey Junction Beatdown 8
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 0:42
, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–1
, Larry Zykstra
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, Whiskey Junction Beatdown 4
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:43
, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–1
, Jeremy Homan
, TKO (submission to punches)
, rowspan=2, Whiskey Junction Beatdown 3
, rowspan=2,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 0:24
, rowspan=2, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–1
, Mark Cantrell
, TKO (punches)
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:43
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 0–1
, Dan Severn
Daniel DeWayne Severn (born June 8, 1958), nicknamed "The Beast", is an American professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler. A UFC Hall of Fame member, Severn is considered one of the leading pioneers of mixed mart ...
, Submission
, Action Wrestling Entertainment
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:12
, Canada
,
, -
Championships and accomplishments
* 4 Front Wrestling
4 Front Wrestling (Sometimes acronymed as 4FW) is a pro wrestling company based in the South West of England, established in 2004 by former professional wrestler Dave Sharp. Since 2005, the company has promoted a range of shows; utilising events t ...
** 4FW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, ...
** AEW World Championship
The AEW World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Unveiled on May 25, 2019, it is the promotion's top championship for male singles competitors, a ...
( 1 time)
** AEW World Tag Team Championship
The AEW World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It is a standard tag team championship, being contested by teams of two wrestlers ...
( 1 time) – with Adam Page
Stephen Blake Woltz (born July 27, 1991), better known by his ring name "Hangman" Adam Page, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former AEW World Champion and ...
** AEW World Trios Championship
The AEW World Trios Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It is a specialized tag team championship, being contested by teams of three wrestle ...
( 1 time) – with Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson
** AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament (2020)
** AEW World Trios Championship Tournament (2022) - with Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson
** AEW Dynamite Awards
The AEW Awards, also known as the AEW Dynamite Awards, are annual awards presented by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) to its professional wrestlers recognizing their accomplishments, along with the best and most viral moments from the preceding year. T ...
(3 times)
*** Bleacher Report PPV Moment of the Year (2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
)
*** Biggest WTF Moment (2021) –
*** Wrestler of the Year (2022)
* All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba ...
** World Junior Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time)[
* Canadian Wrestling's Elite
** CWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with ]Danny Duggan
Daniel Warren (born March 23, 1987) is a Canadian professional wrestler and business entrepreneur who works for independent promotions all over Canada and United States under the name "Hotshot" Danny Duggan. He has worked for such promotions a ...
* Canadian Wrestling Federation
** CWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* CBS Sports
CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W ...
** Match of the Year (2018)
* DDT Pro-Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
** DDT Extreme Championship
The is a singles title in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling. The title was established in 2006 and it is mostly defended in stipulation matches, with the defending champion being given the right to choose the sti ...
( 1 time)[
** ]KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship owned by the DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) promotion.
The title was first announced during DDT's year-end event on December 23, 2012, becoming the promotion's fifth active title. The first champions were c ...
(2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
) – with Gota Ihashi
, better known by his ring name Gota Ihashi, is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT).
Professional wrestling career
Independent circuit (2006–present)
I ...
and Kota Ibushi
is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), but is currently inactive due to suffering a shoulder injury. In March 2021, he became the company's inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion by ...
(1),[ and ]Daisuke Sasaki
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where is a former two-time DDT Universal Champion. In addition to that, in DDT, he is also a former three-time KO-D Openweight Champion, one-time DDT Extreme Champi ...
and Kota Ibushi (1)[
** ]KO-D Openweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling world openweight championship and the top singles accomplishment in the Japanese promotion CyberFight currently defended in the DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand division. It is one of CyberFight's top major world tit ...
( 1 time)[
** ]KO-D Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the Japanese promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). The title was established in 2001. In its early days, DDT occasionally referred to the title as the . It is currently the only tag te ...
( 3 times) – with Kota Ibushi (2) and Michael Nakazawa
, better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler and judoka signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Early life
Nakazawa attended Tokai University before studying abroad in the United States were he obtained an MSc Sports Scienc ...
(1)
** Sea of Japan 6-Person Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Mr. #6 and Riho
is a Japanese professional wrestler and idol currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). She is a former AEW Women's World Champion.
She was trained by Emi Sakura and debuted for her Ice Ribbon promotion in May 2006, at the age of nine. S ...
** King of DDT Tournament
__NOTOC__
The is an annual single elimination professional wrestling tournament held in DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT).
After the first two editions in 2004 and 2005, DDT produced four annual King of DDT events from 2006 to 2009 which featured no tourn ...
(2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
)
** Best Match Award (2012)
* Impact Wrestling
** Impact World Championship
The Impact World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won via the result ...
( 1 time)
* Japan Indie Awards
The are Japanese professional wrestling, or ''puroresu'', awards that have been handed out annually since 2007 by the program '' Indie no Oshigoto'', broadcast on the Fighting TV Samurai TV channel. Unlike the more widely publicized and recognized ...
** Best Bout Award (2008)
** Best Bout Award (2012)
** Best Bout Award (2014)
* Jersey All Pro Wrestling
** JAPW Heavyweight Championship
The Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling), championship in the United States of America, American Independent circuit, independent professional wrestling promot ...
( 1 time)
** JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship
The JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship is a championship in the Jersey All Pro Wrestling promotion in the United States.It became official title on December 5, 1997 when Rik Rachet defeated Chino Martinez in a tournament final to crown the first ...
( 1 time)[
* ]Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply ...
** AAA Mega Championship
The AAA Mega Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Mexican Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) promotion. Known officially in Spanish as the ''Mega Campeonato AAA'', it is sometimes referred to in the English ...
( 1 time)
* New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV ...
** IWGP Heavyweight Championship
The was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on June 12, 1987, in the final of an IW ...
( 1 time)
** IWGP Intercontinental Championship
The was a professional wrestling championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was officially announced on January 5, 2011 and the Inaugural Champion MVP was c ...
( 1 time)
** IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling world junior heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . Only wrestlers under the junior heavyweight weight-limit may ho ...
(2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
)
** IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on August 8, 1998, at an NJPW live event. The IWGP Juni ...
( 1 time) – with Kota Ibushi
** IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The current champion is Will Ospreay, who is in his first reign.
History Backgr ...
( 1 time)
** NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion.
The title was announced on December 21, 2015, with the first champions crowned on January 4, 2016. Through NJPW's relationship with Ring of Honor ...
(2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
) – with Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson
** G1 Climax
The is a professional wrestling tournament held each August by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. Though it has sometimes been held as a single-elimination tournament, it is usually (and currently) held as a round-robin, with winners ...
(2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
)[
** IWGP United States Championship Tournament (2017)][
** New Japan Pro-Wrestling Best Bout (2016)
** New Japan Pro-Wrestling Best Bout (2017)
** New Japan Pro-Wrestling MVP (2017)
* '']Nikkan Sports
is the first-launched Japanese daily sports newspaper founded in 1946.
It has a circulation of 1,661,000, and is an affiliate newspaper of the ''Asahi Shimbun''.
Companies and regions
;Nikkan Sports News (Tokyo)
:Tokyo HQ: 5-10, Tsukiji Sanc ...
''
** Match of the Year Award (2016)
** Match of the Year Award (2017)
** Match of the Year Award (2018)
** Best Tag Team Award (2010)
* Premier Championship Wrestling
** NWA Canadian X-Division Championship (1 time)
** PCW Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
** PCW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Rawskillz (1) and Chris Stevens (1)
** Premier Cup (2005, 2007)
* Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
** PWG World Championship
The PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) professional wrestling promotion. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship. The inaugural champion was Frankie Kazarian. ...
( 1 time)[
** ]Battle of Los Angeles
The Battle of Los Angeles, also known as the Great Los Angeles Air Raid, is the name given by contemporary sources to a rumored attack on the continental United States by Imperial Japan and the subsequent anti-aircraft artillery barrage which ...
( 2009)[
* '']Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
''
** Ranked No. 1 of the top 500 male singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
'' in 2018 and 2021
** Ranked No. 2 of the top 50 tag teams in the '' PWI Tag Team 50'' in 2020
** Feud of the Decade (2010s)
** Feud of the Year (2017)
** Match of the Year (2017)
** Match of the Year (2018)
** Match of the Year (2020)
** Wrestler of the Year (2021)
* Ring of Honor
** ROH Year-End Award (1 time)
*** Feud of the Year (2018)
* SoCal Uncensored
** Match of the Year (2017)
** Match of the Year (2018)
* ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
''
** Wrestler of the Year (2017)
* ''Tokyo Sports
is a Japanese daily sports newspaper founded in 1960.
See also
* Tokyo Sports Film Award
* Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards
The are Japanese professional wrestling, or ''puroresu'', awards that have been handed out by the ''Tokyo Sports'' ma ...
''
** Best Bout Award (2010)
** Best Bout Award (2017)
** Best Bout Award (2018)
** Technique Award (2016)
* ''Weekly Pro Wrestling''
** Best Bout Award (2010)
** Best Bout Award (2016)
** Best Bout Award (2017)
** Best Foreigner Award (2016–2018)[
** Best Tag Team Award (2010) ][
* '']Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
''
** Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON) Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling and mixed martial arts hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to their professions. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of t ...
(Class of 2020)
** Best Wrestling Maneuver (2016–2018, 2020)
** Feud of the Year (2017)
** Feud of the Year (2021)
** Japan MVP (2018)
** Most Outstanding Wrestler (2018, 2020)
** Pro Wrestling Match of the Year (2017) [
** Pro Wrestling Match of the Year (2018) ]
** Pro Wrestling Match of the Year (2020)
** United States/Canada MVP (2021)
** Wrestler of the Year (2018, 2021)
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Omega, Kenny
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