One of the most anticipated matches of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 was the blockbuster title clash between IWGP United States Champion Will Ospreay and AEW’s Kenny Omega.
In the months leading to NJPW’s biggest event of the year, the pair engaged in a bitter war of words on social media and in interviews.
Things finally came to a head at NJPW x STARDOM Historic X-Over where Ospreay defeated Shota Umino to retain the IWGP US Championship. As Ospreay celebrated in the ring following the bout, the lights went out and Kenny Omega appeared on the video screen, marking his first appearance in NJPW since leaving for AEW almost four years ago.
Sitting on a throne, the Best Bout Machine ran down NJPW, claiming his “replacement”, Will Ospreay, was the cause of smaller and quieter crowds rather than the pandemic. He then proclaimed he would save the promotion and change the world by challenging Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom 17, a challenge Ospreay was all too happy to accept.
In the press conference ahead of the Tokyo Dome show, the Commonwealth Kingpin responded to The Best Bout Machine’s accusations in an impassioned promo about the hardships he went through during the pandemic before telling an unusually silent Omega that if he didn’t pass the torch, Ospreay would simply take it from him.
3 years of silence will drive anyone mad.
But to know in your heart I’ve out performed everyone on the planet but because of the restrictions in Japan I’m not recognised as a “main player”
That sacrifice has left me scarred.
But I’d do it all again.— ᵂⁱˡˡ ᴼˢᵖʳᵉᵃʸ • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) January 3, 2023
Did Kenny Omega defeat Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Championship?
The much-anticipated match began with grand entrances from both as Kenny Omega entered to Sephiroth’s One-Winged Angel theme from Final Fantasy VII while Will Ospreay brought back his classic Elevated theme and became The Aerial Assassin once again.
Things got off to a fast start with the two men fighting in and out of the ring. However, Omega took control of the early part of the match and slowed the pace down by keeping Ospreay grounded with big moves and hard strikes. Ospreay was able to mount a comeback after hitting a Cutter and taking to the ropes for some high-flying moves before an attempted OsCutter left him falling on the apron.
Kenny Omega took things to a new level when he brought out a table from under the ring before draping it over Ospreay and hitting a Double Foot Stomp on top of it. Ospreay came back again with a flurry of strikes before dropping Omega on the metal frame of the table followed by a Corkscrew Moonsault from the top turnbuckle to the outside. Back in the ring, he followed up with Hidden Blade from the top rope but Omega somehow kicked out and hit a Poisonrana and Neckbreaker for two.
Momentum once again swung in the Commonwealth Kingpin’s favour when hit an OsCutter and multiple Cheeky Nando’s Kicks against the exposed turnbuckle. When the two climbed to the top, Omega dropped Ospreay on the top turnbuckle with a DDT, busting him open. Things degenerated further when Omega rammed Ospreay’s head into the table multiple times before driving him to the mat with a DDT for two.
With Ospreay barely able to move, the Best Bout Machine landed a V-Trigger that sent him out of the ring. Back inside, Omega dropped Ospreay on the exposed turnbuckle before hitting a V-Trigger to it and then a massive Superplex for two. Omega followed up with multiple knees to the head. Ospreay got a second wind and hit a series of Kawada Kicks and a Sit-Out Powerbomb for another near fall.
Ospreay looked to end things with a Styles Clash and Hidden Blade to the face of Omega but it wasn’t enough. A Stormbreaker attempt was stopped by Omega but Ospreay hit the Hidden Blade again. The pair traded stiff strikes before Kenny Omega finally ended things with Kamigoye followed by One-Winged Angel to defeat Ospreay and become the IWGP United States Champion!