Undeniably one of the best wrestlers to ever live, Kenny Omega is looking to make a big-time comeback within AEW in the near future, as he has been missing in action since late 2021, after dropping the AEW World Championship to Hangman Page. In the time he has been gone, the working relationship between his own company and his former home, New Japan Pro Wrestling, has only grown, with the two headed for a collision at the Forbidden Door PPV in June 2022.
As The Best Bout Machine reemerges within AEW, fans will surely be fantasy booking cross-promotional matches for Omega against some of the top stars of current day New Japan, with a rematch against former rival Kazuchika Okada likely at the top of the list. For those looking to dive into Omega's historic run in NJPW, Cagematch's top New Japan matches for Omega is a good place to start!
10 Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi: 9.46 (Wrestle Kingdom 13)
Kenny Omega's legendary run in New Japan would come to an end in one of the most fitting ways possible; main-eventing Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome against Hiroshi Tanahashi, the Ace of New Japan. For fans, it seemed evident that Omega would likely lose the belt to Tanahashi as the announcement for Double or Nothing came just a few days beforehand.
In terms of match quality, it would be hard for the combination of Omega and Tanahashi to disappoint, and sure enough, they did not. It is a match that is absolutely worth seeking out for those who have never watched it, or for those who are feeling nostalgic while awaiting Omega's return to action.
9 Kenny Omega Vs Kota Ibushi: 9.55 (NJPW G1 Climax 2018)
Tied to each other since 2009 in the DDT promotion in Japan, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi's careers have been intertwined for quite some time, both in and outside of New Japan. The two would meet in a key match-up of the 2018 G1 Climax, with this being a deciding factor as to who would head to the finals against Hiroshi Tanahashi.
The two allies battled for just shy of 25 minutes in a match that saw Kota Ibushi pin Kenny Omega, who was the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion during this G1, having just beat Kazuchika Okada at 2018's Dominion show before the beginning of the tournament. Ibushi would head to the finals, but would fail to beat Tanahashi, who would win the G1 and would dethrone Omega the following January.
8 Kenny Omega Vs Tetsuya Naito: 9.56 (NJPW G1 Climax 2018)
While neither Omega nor Naito would make it to the finals in 2018, they would face off in the G1 Climax as they were placed in the same block during this year's event. More notably, they would be a part of a 4-way tie for the final spot within the B Block for the G1 lineup, with Omega, Naito, Zack Sabre Jr., and Kota Ibushi, the winner of B Block, all finishing with 12 points.
This match would be the third in a series of G1 matches between Naito and Omega, something that became an incredibly underrated yearly meeting with the two. Omega would walk away victorious during the 2018 G1, and it would also be the lowest rated of their three meetings.
7 Kenny Omega Vs Kazuchika Okada: 9.66 (Dominion 2017)
The summer of 2017 would see Kenny Omega challenging Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the second time, coming off of their first championship clash at Wrestle Kingdom earlier that year, at Dominion.
Somehow, the men would go longer and harder than their Wrestle Kingdom main event, with this Dominion match going the distance, with it ending in a 60-minute draw! This would set the stage for a third championship match between the two down the line.
6 Kenny Omega Vs Tomohiro Ishii: 9.67 (G1 Climax 2018)
The man that fans will always go to when talking about New Japan talents that deserved better, Tomohiro Ishii will go down as one of the best wrestlers to never hold a world championship. The man is consistency personified and has showcased great in-ring chemistry with nearly every talent he has stepped inside the squared circle with.
In somewhat shocking fashion, Omega would fall to Tomohiro Ishii after an intense, high octane, brutally violent bout that went upwards of 20 minutes. This is a match that anyone could watch and be entertained by, with it being two of the best, at their best.
5 Kenny Omega Vs Kazuchika Okada: 9.72 (G1 Climax 2017)
The third singles match between Okada and Omega would occur during the 2017 G1 Climax, with Kenny winning the match, he would gain a key victory over Okada, who was still the world champion, though neither man would win the G1.
Omega would beat Okada here, but would lose to Naito in the finals of the 2017 tournament, a match that is on the same level as this one to many. With this being a random G1 match, it tends to get overlooked by some, but it is still quite important to the Okada/Omega series.
4 Kenny Omega Vs Tetsuya Naito: 9.77 (G1 Climax 2017)
Coming hot off their final encounter the year prior in the G1 Climax, Tetsuya Naito and Kenny Omega would meet once again in the tournament, though this time it would be in the finals with both men finishing their respective G1 with 14 points in order to meet in the finals.
While Omega would not find victory at the end of this match, this is among some of the best work of his career, with he and Naito having unbelievable chemistry in the ring together. Despite losing here to the leader of Los Ingobernables, Omega would continue his historic run within New Japan for a few more years after this G1 Climax final against Naito.
3 Kenny Omega Vs Kazuchika Okada: 9.78 (Dominion 2018)
A year after their 60-minute draw at Dominion 2017, Okada and Omega would face off, once again for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. With their match a year prior going the distance to an hour-long draw, the stage was set, with this bout being a 2-out-of-3 falls match with the title on the line.
With such a big stipulation, and with the standard set so high in their previous encounters, fans expectations were at a fever pitch for this meeting, and rightfully so. While not as praised as the Wrestle Kingdom match, this still remains the duo's second-highest rated match together.
2 Kenny Omega Vs Tetsuya Naito: 9.78 (G1 Climax 2016)
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A match that is perfect for introducing new fans to New Japan, Kenny Omega and Tetsuya Naito's clash in the 2016 G1 Climax is a match that often gets overlooked when talking about The Cleaner's time in Japan, as most tend to talk about his legendary matches against Okada, but this tournament battle between Omega and Naito is a strong look at the beginning of Omega's elevation within New Japan after taking over Bullet Club.
While this would not be the final win for Omega's G1, it would help secure a Wrestle Kingdom main event in 2017, where he would face off against Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. For those who want to relive Omega's best days, this 2016 match still holds up greatly in 2022 and offers a look back at Kenny's major rise in New Japan following the exit of AJ Styles earlier that year.
1 Kenny Omega Vs Kazuchika Okada: 9.8 (Wrestle Kingdom 11)
January 4, 2017. This was the date of the legendary Wrestle Kingdom main event between Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega, a match that still holds the record of being Omega's highest rated match from New Japan, with it being an incredibly high 9.8 on Cagematch.net.
Omega and Okada would go nearly 50 minutes in the main event of the Tokyo Dome, with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line, as Omega would fail to capture the title from Okada at this point. Omega would look strong in defeat, taking four Rainmakers from Okada to put him down, and never landing his own One Winged Angel during the match, the key to victory for The Cleaner. This is a match that stands the test of time, and now fans can wonder when we will get the next entry in Okada vs Omega.