Kenny Omega vs Chris Jericho (WK 12) 01/4/18 | On This Day

Before Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho face each other at AEW’s Double or Nothing, let’s turn back the clock to their first-ever meeting at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 12, on January 4th, 2018. We present Kenny Omega vs Chris Jericho at Wrestle Kingdom 12 01/4/18 on this day.

Begin with the entrances: ‘The Alpha’ Chris Jericho enters the thunderous Tokyo Dome for the first time in many years. He comes to the ring with his band Fozzy’s song ‘Judas’ playing in the arena. Then he awaits the arrival of the Kenny Omega to his Alpha Chris Jericho, ‘The Cleaner,’ the IWGP United States Champion and fellow Winnipeg native Kenny Omega. Omega is accompanied to the ring by Matt and Nick Jackson.

With Omega in the ring, Jericho tells referee ‘Red Shoes’ Umino to be aware of Kenny and any potential trickery, though this is announced as a no disqualification match. Before the bell, Jericho attacks but they are separated. Once the bell rings both men trade punches right away. Omega gets the jump early on, but Jericho then gains the advantage with kicks and punches in the corner. Omega is thrown from turnbuckle to turnbuckle and then regains the advantage, only to be caught in ‘The Walls of Jericho’ after attempting a hurricanrana.

A Defiant Champion

Despite Omega being in the ropes, Jericho refuses to break the hold since it’s a no disqualification match. After Omega breaks free, Jericho blocks an attempted baseball slide but doesn’t on a second attempt. On the floor, Omega springboards over the barricade through a table, missing Jericho completely. Jericho then slaps on The Walls, then shoves ‘Red Shoes’ and locks the referee’s son, who is a ‘Young Boy’ at ringside, in the hold. It’s a new level of dastardly for The Alpha.’

Chris Jericho Kenny Omega
Photo / Cultaholic

Kenny Omega vs Chris Jericho (WK 12) 01/4/18

Omega mounts an attack utilizing everything can, throwing cameras and punches to the head and back of Jericho. As the match moves around the ring the two men exchange punches and kicks. Jericho attempts to catch his breath but it is short lived as Omega hoists him up and slams on the floor. climbs a stanchion and jumps down on his opponent who is prone on a table. The match then moves back into the ringside area. Jericho suplexes Omega over the barricade onto the floor. Back in the run, he slams the champions head into the corner turnbuckle. That appears to wake him up, and Omega begins to attempt a springboard attack, but he is dropkicked while in midair, injuring his knee in the process.

Omega is laboring on the floor while Jericho gets another table, and ‘The Cleaner’ tries to back away. Jericho attempts a powerbomb but it is blocked, so instead Omega is dropped on the floor. Jericho throws chairs in the ring while Omega tries to recover.  A pinfall attempt by Jericho only gets a two count. He sets up a chair as a prop and once again attacks the champion. When Omega is back on his feet Jericho hits a dropkick off the second rope. The champion comes back with an array of chops, only to have them blocked and Jericho hits the Lionsault. He covers for a count of two.

A Dominant Alpha

Jericho continues to dominate the match until Omega hits a hurricanrana out of nowhere. He follows that up with a clothesline sending his opponent to the floor. He follows with a tope suicida over the top rope. Back in the ring Omega hits one of his signature moves, the ‘Kotaro Krusher.’ He follows with a vertical suplex into a neckbreaker. Suddenly Omega is caught in a pin attempt. Jericho then locks in ‘The Walls of Jericho’ again. Omega crawls to the corner turnbuckle, grabs an aerosol spray can and sprays Jericho in the eyes. Omega then uses the spray all over his own body much to the amusement of the NJPW faithful. Jericho can’t see but instinctively whips Omega into a turnbuckle that has a chair propped in it.

After Jericho clears his eyes he regains control. He acts like he is soaking in all the adulation of the crowd, though he is clearly the heel here. Omega is busted open and Jericho beats on him in the corner.  A bloodied Omega attempts to fight back only for Jericho to once again regain control. Fist after fist onto the forehead and face of Omega, who is under siege. Both men stagger back regaining their senses.  Omega hits a snapdragon suplex on more than one occasion. Omega then hoists up Jericho and attempts a ‘One-Winged Angel,’  Jericho escapes, another snapdragon suplex is attempted but Jericho whips a steel chair into the face of his opponent.

Kenny Omega vs Chris Jericho (Wrestle Kingdom 12)

He hits the back of Omega with the chair again and again. The frame of the chair is driven into the back of the neck of ‘The Cleaner.’ Jericho then mocks the NJPW Fans who are chanting ‘Kenny.’ Omega then dropkicks a chair that was in the hands of Jericho and follows it up with a running knee. Jericho looks out as he lays on a table that is split in half. Omega wipes off the blood with water and brings his opponent back into the ring. He follows up with stiff knee after stiff knee, the third one nearly ripping off Jericho’s head. Omega picks him up and drives him with a piledriver/powerbomb like maneuver.

A fourth ‘V-Trigger’ knee by Kenny Omega seems to finish Chris Jericho, but it doesn’t. A second attempt of a ‘One-Winged Angel’ results in a roll up into a ‘Walls of Jericho.’ Omega tries to get to the ropes but Jericho drags him back in and has a knee pressing on the back of the head and neck. Kenny finally makes his way to the bottom rope and uses the leverage to escape. He recovers to hit two ‘V-Triggers’ and then finally hits the One-Winged Angel. He covers for a one…two…Jericho grabs the bottom rope!

Omega begins to recover!

Both men appear exhausted but Omega gets to his feet first. He climbs to the top rope but Jericho stops him, first laying in chops and punches and then attempting a hurricanrana, but Omega reverses it and drives him face-first into the steel pole. Omega attempts a ‘You Can’t Escape,’ a rolling fireman’s carry slam into a moonsault from the middle rope, but Jericho catches him in mid-air with the codebreaker. He covers him but only gets a count of two. He takes a chair and hits Omega with it, telling him to stay down. But Omega catches him, hits another One-winged Angel, this time on the steel chair, and gets a three count win.

Winner: And still IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega.

These two men went to war, with victory only coming after a second One-winged Angel on a chair. Will this happen again when these two men face each other at AEW’s Double or Nothing?

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