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In modern day wrestling, a truly special finishing move can be hard to come by. With professional wrestling having existed for so many years now, it's hard to find a finishing move that actually feels unique, and isn't just another iteration of an already established move from years gone by.
Not only that, but more and more wrestlers are seeing their finishing moves become watered down as they fall victim to the growing trend of never ending kick outs. There just aren't many finishers left today that still feel impactful and special to fans, but Kenny Omega's One Winged Angel is certainly one of the few left.
The Best Bout Machine is one of the best wrestlers in the world today, and as such, it's quite fitting that his finisher is still regarded as one of the most important and special in the business today. From its unique name, to the respect it's been shown from wrestlers throughout the entire industry, the move is significant for bucking the trend that most modern finishers have been forced to follow.
Kenny Omega's One Winged Angel Is Named After A Video Game
It's become common knowledge over the years that Omega is a huge fan of video games. What isn't quite as obvious to audiences is that he took inspiration from the medium when naming his finisher.
The one-handed setup for the move bares a resemblance to a character from Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth, an angel who's known to only possess one wing, and the rest, they say is history. This isn't the only example of Omega taking inspiration from video games and incorporating it into his wrestling career, but it is perhaps the most significant one he ever used, as it helped set him apart from wrestlers all over the world.
Not only does the name originate from a video game, but the almost ungodly power the move has been portrayed to behold, and its ability to vanquish almost any opponent Omega has ever come across, is almost a tale ripped from a game itself, but more on that later.
This also isn't the first time Omega borrowed from a video game when naming his signature moves, with his earlier finishing move, Hadouken, named after a move from Capcom's Street Fighter video game.
The One Winged Angel Was Built Up To Legendary Status In New Japan Wrestling
While it wasn't always Omega's finishing move, he created the One Winged Angel after several years in the business, and it really took on a life of its own during his tenure in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
The move was hyped up as a devastating maneuver and really put over heavily by both wrestlers and commentators in Japan, and it really helped solidify its place as one of the best finishers in wrestling today.
Since the creation of AEW, the move has impressed mainstream American audiences just as much as it once did the Japanese fans, but without the star treatment it received in New Japan, it may have never reached this level of legend.
Only Kota Ibushi Has Ever Kicked Out Of The One Winged Angel
While the name, and the setup obviously, helped create the mythical aura surrounding the One Winged Angel, it was the respect it was shown throughout the industry that cemented how special it was.
Only Kota Ibushi has ever kicked out of Omega's finisher, a remarkable notion considering how many wrestlers are seeing their finishers kicked out of these days.
Even The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver hasn't been shown this level of respect in recent years, and with Ibushi still being the only man to kick out of the move when Omega does it, it's safe to say it's still one of the most special finishing moves in the business.