As we continue our look at the career of Kenny Omega leading up to his January 4th Tokyo Dome main event vs. Okada for the IWGP title, we pick up with the Canadian making his name in Japan, and the effect that it would have back home.
If you missed part 1, check that out first.
Omega and DDT fit like a glove right from the start. His creativity & personality were great assets when it came to the wackier side of the company, but when it came time to get serious and have main event bouts against the likes of HARASHIMA and KUDO, Kenny’s athleticism and technique made him perfectly credible in that role.
He was able to hang with whoever he was put in the ring with, but he wrestler he would be linked closest to was Kota Ibushi.
The “Golden Star” of the Japanese indy scene had so much in common with Omega as a performer: both in terms of their skillset, the way they moved, and their personalities. Kenny & Ibushi were a match made in heaven. They became an incredibly popular tag team as “The Golden Lovers” and their tandem 450 finisher (from the same corner) became famous not just for how impressive it was but also for its, well, nteresting name, the Golden Shower.
Omega’s success abroad started to gain him a lot of buzz online, and promoters in the States took notice. Kenny made his Ring Of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla debuts within months of becoming an attraction in Japan. At the time, ROH was in transition having just let go of Gabe Sapolsky, and the situation was not ideal for a talent like Omega to flourish. At the time, he was frustrated by a lot of things when it came to his dealings with them.
PWG on the other hand, fit like a glove.
2009 was the year that he became one of Reseda, CA’s favourite sons and he built up goodwill which is present even today despite only a small handful of appearances in recent years. At DDT 4 of that year, Omega formed a tandem with Chuck Taylor dubbed “Men Of Low Moral Fibre”. They were a massive hit and famously got so over in a match against top babyface team The Young Bucks that it essentially turned the Bucks heel and created the insane monster that is their current persona.
Omega also participated in some of the funniest skits you’ll ever see along with Taylor, El Generico, and referee Rick Knox. He won the Battle Of Los Angeles and in the process, he became PWG champion but would end up losing that belt in early 2010 to Davey Richards in an incredible match.
More to come on Omega’s path this week.