The Best Bout Machine is back in AEW.
Kenny Omega returned to the professional wrestling world in a big way at Worlds End when he resumed his Executive Vice President role and presented the Continental Championship to the winner of the 2024 Continental Classic, Kazuchika Okada. Perhaps it was a tease of what’s to come down the road?
Omega’s first match in over a year took place last weekend at WrestleDynasty in the Tokyo Dome, an absolute war with Gabe Kidd that saw Omega come away with a bloody victory after nearly 32 grueling minutes. Any concern about just how good Kenny could still be was erased by that performance.
And days later, Omega was back on Dynamite to address his absence and the very real danger that he wouldn’t be able to resume a normal life, muchless get back in the ring. Before he could say much more, Don Callis interrupted the proceedings, leading to Omega attacking Callis. It didn’t take long for Callis to get backup from Brian Cage, Lance Archer, and Kyle Fletcher, but luckily Will Ospreay ran out for the save and faced off with his old rival Omega.
We know Omega gets Cage next week on Dynamite, a first-time matchup both men have openly talked about going back to 2019, but it made me think about other Omega matches I wanted to see in AEW. These will be almost exclusively limited to never-before-seen one-on-one affairs, although a few matchups are worth revisiting. In no particular order…
Brody King
Previous meetings: Two AEW Trios Title Matches in March 2023
A showdown with Brody King should be a matter of when, not if for Omega. If you’re not on the King bandwagon by now, you’re being left behind. What kind of test would this be for Omega? Does King possess the right combination of size and speed to derail Omega’s offense? There’s a lot to explore between these two when the time is right.
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Bobby Lashley
Previous meetings: None
Even with an all-time resume, Omega hasn’t even come close to crossing paths with Bobby Lashley. Two great champions with widely different careers and only a single title shared, the Impact World Championship. This is about as fresh as it gets for both men and if the stars align, it’s the type of first-time offering that could headline a major show. Oh, and a bonus first of Omega vs Shelton Benjamin.
Daniel Garcia
Previous meetings: One AEW Trios Title Three-Way Match in March 2023
As a student of the game, I’m sure Daniel Garcia has wanted a match with Omega for as long as the two have both been in AEW. I’d argue he’s finally ready for that opportunity after breaking through to win the TNT Championship and an impressive Continental Classic performance that saw him stay alive until the final day of league action. There’s a pride in Garcia that urges him to take on all challengers, knowing that a win or a loss will be something to learn from in the end. There may be no better education for Garcia at this point in his career than his first shot at Omega.
Swerve Strickland
Previous meetings: One trios match in April 2017
I mean this one has to be for the AEW Championship, right? Obviously, either Swerve Strickland or Omega would have to regain the title for that to happen, yet it seems like this one needs big stakes. Both Swerve and Kenny are one-of-ones, and they wouldn’t want it any other way. Even though both men have had various forms of support throughout their AEW tenures, they will always command their own spotlight. This would be a dream match that should have massive implications whenever it finally goes down.
Komander
Previous meetings: None
Back in March 2023, Omega and El Hijo del Vikingo set Dynamite on fire with an unreal first-time battle, showing just how unique the combination of Omega and a modern-day luchador can light up a ring. Despite debuting in AEW in March 2023, Komander hasn’t crossed paths with Omega, although he’s certainly been in there with a lot of top names, especially in the Continental Classic. And we can’t forget about his emotional ROH TV Title victory last month. Let’s hope Komander gets his crack at Omega.
Read Matt Camp’s Bold Prediction for AEW in 2025
Orange Cassidy
Previous meetings: AEW Title Match vs Omega © vs PAC (Double or Nothing 2021)
Shockingly, despite both being cornerstones and members of the original AEW roster, Orange Cassidy and Omega have been in the ring together just one time. Yes, the focus of this column is about Omega’s future opponents, but I can’t help but wonder what two massively popular stars like OC and Omega would look like as a team. This feels like the type of meeting that could happen in a tournament final. A face-off between the two in the present would elicit a major reaction.
Beast Mortos
Previous meetings: None
This is a personal favorite, although I know I’m not alone in hoping this match happens sometime soon. Beast Mortos is one of the most versatile athletes in AEW and over the last year, his performances have created a lot of buzz. That includes a big spotlight in the Continental Classic. Omega seems to rise to the challenge when he faces a unique opponent and Mortos provides a great challenge. This feels like a Dynamite or Collision main event in the making.
Cope
Previous meetings: None
For Bret. For Owen. For Canada. The rich lineage of professional wrestling in the Great White North is a point of pride for Canadian wrestlers, and that’s been evident in both Cope and Omega. They’ve never met in the ring and their only interaction happened backstage on Dynamite in October 2023 just days after Cope made his AEW debut at WrestleDream. At that press scrum, Cope specifically mentioned Omega as a future opponent. Just two months after that, Omega would wind up out of action until his return earlier this month. These two will cross paths at some point again, but let’s hope that takes place in the ring.
Mark Briscoe
Previous meetings: 9 matches from 2008-2017, all various tags in ROH and NJPW
Omega and Mark Briscoe first met back in 2008, a tag match in ROH, which was Omega’s third appearance with the company. After a handful of battles in 2008 and 2009, Omega and Briscoe didn’t share the ring again until 2016 in Korakuen Hall in Japan as part of ROH/NJPW Honor Rising. It’s been almost eight years since these two fought, so it’s definitely time to see them mix it up in an AEW ring. In the right atmosphere, these two could have a match of the year candidate.
We Have To Wait For Injuries to Heal
Eddie Kingston
Previous meetings: Kingston/Jon Moxley defeat Omega/Michael Nakazawa, April 2021
On the surface, Eddie Kingston and Omega couldn’t be more different. However, their journeys throughout the independent scene are similar and both have taken a lot of influence from Japanese wrestling. Amazingly, these two missed each other for many years before coming together in AEW almost four years ago. We need this match. Get well soon, Eddie.
Darby Allin
Previous meetings: None
No, I didn’t forget about what might be the most anticipated first-time match on this entire list. Somehow, this pair of Day 1 AEW stars never shared a ring as opponents or partners. As we begin the seventh year of All Elite Wrestling, it’s wonderful to think there are still rivalries and new matches to look forward to with Darby Allin and Omega right at the top. The Death Riders recent attack on Allin means we’ll have to keep waiting for this dream match, but when it happens, the stars will align in the wrestling universe.
And just because I want this version of Omega to revisit some matchups, here are three bonus opponents:
Kyle Fletcher (Last Singles Match: October 2023)
Claudio Castagnoli (Last Singles Match: September 2009)
Samoa Joe (Last Singles Match: September 2007)
Until next time, when I’m back to talk about wrestling even more…
You can see Matt as a host and analyst on AEW’s social channels. Matt is also one of the hosts of Busted Open Radio on Sirius/XM. Matt hosts a pro wrestling stream every Monday-Thursday, 3pm ET for Bleacher Report.