After much social media hype, Tony Khan’s surprise announcement on the April 20th episode of AEW: Dynamite proved to be the unveiling of the June 26 ppv Forbidden Door. A joint venture with New Japan Pro Wrestling, the anticipation of AEW’s and NJPW’s stars crossing paths has given way to much speculation about what the ppv’s card will look like. Andy H Murray of What Culture reports that it wouldn’t be unrealistic to expect an appearance from Kenny Omega at Forbidden Door.
Omega’s name is indelibly associated with New Japan Pro Wrestling. During Omega’s tenure with New Japan, he achieved several of its key accolades, including the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, and was the inaugural IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion. As the leader of the BULLET CLUB heel stable, Omega became known for his melodramatic promos, cosplay inspired ring gear, and obnoxious antics like dancing around with a broom in reference to his nickname, “The Cleaner”-all in the name of cultivating the ire of the audience. However, he eventually became sensationally popular. This popularity culminated in his electrifying feud with Kazuchika Okada in 2018.
The next year, he departed NJPW for AEW, where he eventually became a tag team and world heavyweight champion, respectively, as well as serving as an executive vice president for the company. After dropping the world heavyweight title to Adam Page at November 13’s ppv event Full Gear, Omega took a leave of absence to address several health issues. While he originally planned to return to action in March 2022, Omega himself admitted that he was then still waiting to undergo scheduled surgeries for his various medical issues. He is also not expected to appear at May 29’s installment of Double or Nothing.
If Omega is in shape to appear, he may be reunited with his old NJPW nemesis, Okada. Whomever he faces, and in whatever capacity he appears, Omega’s return to AEW has been long awaited.
If you enjoy Bodyslam’s content, you can help donate to the site here. You can also visit our PWTees store and buy Bodyslam official merchandise here. You can listen to all of Bodyslam’s podcasts by following us on Spotify and subscribing to our YouTube Channel.
Follow us on Twitter: @BodyslamNet
