Calling Kenny Omega the modern day Ric Flair is considered a sacrilege on certain circles of pro-wrestling, but if you analyze Kenny Omega as a wrestler, the more you’ll realize the similarities between both.
Kenny Omega’s latest match against Jungle Boy had a lot of similarities to those of Ric Flair during his prime. Any opponent that faces Omega always ends up looking better after having match with him, something that was very characteristic of Flair during his prime. Both wrestlers are able to bring the best out of their opponents. Jungle Boy vs. Kenny Omega had a similar feel to those legendary Ric Flair title matches and at the end of the day, Jungle Boy left the match as a bigger deal and beginning his ascension to the world title, very similar in some ways to Flair and Sting. In a few years, Jungle Boy will get his win back.
Match structure-wise, Flair is very similar to Kazuchika Okada, but Omega is very similar to Flair in their attention to detail and storytelling during portion matches. As mentioned before, Omega and Flair are able to bring the best out of their opponent on any giving night.
Another similarity both wrestlers share is that both know how to be over the top when needed, especially on matches or even when cutting a promo. Flair and Omega know how to use comedy in their favor while not looking like clowns. Being able to laugh at yourself and entertain people is a skill in wrestling very few have and both are masters of it.
Kenny Omega’s run as the belt collector is quite similar to that of Ric Flair at his prime. A travelling heel champion doing anything in his hands to to retain the belt, while making his opponent look like a million bucks. Omega has taken inspiration from Flair on several occasions during his career like the time he made an entrance on Dynamite on a helicopter (mimicking Flair and his Starrcade 1987 entrance) or how the Omega vs. Okada matches have several parallels with the Flair vs. Steamboat matches.
The similarities between both wrestlers are quite interesting to analyze and realize how the influence of Flair is present on today’s wrestlers, especially on those who are considered by some circles as terrible or bad because they don’t fit the mold of wrestling during a certain period of wrestling. Next time you watch an Omega match, follow it by checking out one of Flair’s matches and you’ll realize the similarities between both with your own eyes.
