On January 5th, 2025, at the AEW/NJPW supershow in the Tokyo Dome, Wrestle Dynasty, the wrestling world will witness a huge return of one of the greatest to lace up a pair of boots after a year.
Still, he has a huge challenge waiting in Japan in the form of a violent Brit. On one side of the ring, we have The Cleaner, the man who has dominated companies all over the world.
From NJPW to AEW, carving a dominant legacy by winning many championships and staging some of the most critically acclaimed matches of all time, Kenny Omega is undoubtedly the best bout machine.
Gabe Kidd and Kenny Omega –
The Journey Towards The Night, The War Dog, and The Best Bout Machine Battled
In the other corner, we have the Madman and a wrestler who has made waves over the past couple of years in Japan with his violent personality wreaking havoc all over NJPW to prove he is on his way to greatness.
He continues his path of destruction when he meets his biggest challenge yet on one of the biggest stages in the world. This is Gabe Kidd vs Kenny Omega: Never Crossed Paths
How The Cleaner Met War Ready
In December 2023, it was announced that Kenny Omega was to be pulled from in-ring action indefinitely due to a diagnosis of diverticulitis.
Throughout 2024, the Cleaner has not seen the inside of a wrestling ring outside of a medical update and a face-off with Okada on the May 1st, 2024, edition of Dynamite.
This would had concluded with Omega being beaten down and kicked out of the Elite. When it seemed that Omega may sadly never compete in pro wrestling again, at Power Struggle 2024, the show was interrupted with a Battle Cry.
At this point, the Best Bout Machine came back to his roots in NJPW to address the fans of his condition.
Gabe Kidd and Kenny Omega –
Confirmation of The First Ever Battle
This led to a confirmation that he would be making his long-awaited return at the AEW/NJPW/CMLL supershow, Wrestle Dynasty, but no opponent had been confirmed.
Everyone seemed to be pleased with the imminent return of the Best Bout Machine, except the British Madman, who felt a certain way about an AEW wrestler being given a huge spotlight when he didn’t even have a singles match on the show.
This led to a heated argument between the two backstage, which quickly dissolved into a savage brawl that truly blurred the work-and-shoot lines in pro wrestling.
On November 22nd, 2024, NJPW announced a match between Gabe Kidd and Kenny Omega at AEW Wrestle Dynasty on January 5th, 2025.
Both men have been engaged in heated social media promo battles, adding more fuel to the fire for the 2025 bout.
Gabe Kidd and Kenny Omega –
A Heated Dynasty Encounter
Not only will this match be a huge clash of styles, with Omega’s high-impact moveset, including his knees and explosive dives, mixed with Kidd’s violent ways of heavy blows and frightening suplexes.
But it will also be a catalyst to settle a very high score between the two athletes. Gabe Kidd has a strong ideology that NJPW is the best wrestling in the world.
He added that Omega is dragging down the integrity of AEW. This was leading to the attack on Omega, as well as slandering AEW in the media, calling the roster ‘a bunch of nerds’.
War Ready looks to settle a personal score on his animosity to AEW by taking out a former AEW World Champion, as well as a top EVP in the company.
As an EVP of All Elite Wrestling, Omega has not been taking kindly to the British Madman’s slander against the company, leading to the issues between the two stars and the eventual fight breaking out.
These comments and the handheld camera for the fight truly blurred the lines between work and shoot in pro wrestling, making more interest for the January 5th battle.
Gabe Kidd and Kenny Omega –
Proving Grounds In The Tokyo Dome
Despite Gabe Kidd being seen as the underdog in this matchup due to the experience edge being with the Cleaner, both men are looking to prove themselves in very separate ways to the wrestling community.
Kenny Omega has been consistently in and out of the ring since November 2021 with underlying injuries, which has raised concerns in the wrestling world.
The concern is whether the former AEW World Champion can compete at the same level again with a new wave of talent.
Omega is not only seeing this match as an opportunity to put on an instant classic once again in the Tokyo Dome after a year off, but to show that he can keep up with a dangerous opponent from a new crop of young wrestlers.
However, Gabe Kidd looks to play spoiler to the huge return of his adversary and to take Omega out in order to send a huge message.
Over the past couple of years, the War Ready Brit has been making huge waves in NJPW with his violent Puroresu style, as well as his controversial actions with his explosive promos and impulsive attacks on stars, labeling him in a negative light.
Wrestle Dynasty will be an opportunity for Kidd to put on a performance of a lifetime against one of the biggest names in wrestling today, and with a victory over the Best Bout Machine.
It could be an amazing start to 2025 with big opportunities later down the road in the year to propel him as a top player in NJPW.
This leads us to today. Two of the most high-profile wrestlers in the sport today will meet in an anticipated and heated grudge match, with not only a score to settle but also extra motivations to further their careers.
Gabe Kidd and Kenny Omega –
The War Dog Looks to Wipe out The Cleaner
The War Dog is looking to truly put himself on the map in the wrestling world. A win over a huge name such as Kenny Omega would open many eyes to his ability, creating an abundance of opportunities for the future.
In addition, The Best Bout Machine aims to prove that he can live up to the name despite being plagued with injury after injury.
He looks to start his journey back to being the best in the world, with his first stop going back to his roots in the Tokyo Dome against a dangerous opposition in Gabe Kidd.
So, will the Cleaner make an emphatic return by beating one of the best athletes in NJPW to start his return tour? Or will the British Madman get the upset on the biggest stage of his career to take his stock to a whole new level?
The match will prove to be as much a career-defining moment for Gabe Kidd as it will be a moment in time when Kenny Omega may question whether his return to the ring was the right choice.
“I wasn’t even sure if I would be medically cleared for January 5, (2025 )but what Gabe did and said was enough to push me over the finish line.
I’ve decided that if New Japan requests it, if Gabe requests it, and if the fans want it, then I will wrestle Gabe Kidd, as a professional, at Wrestle Dynasty.”
– Kenny Omega
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