Every decade in pro wrestling is defined by a classic rivalry. The ‘70s had Santo vs. Aguayo, the ‘80s had Flair vs. Rhodes (or Flair vs. Steamboat, depending on who you ask), the ‘90s had Misawa vs. Tsuruta, and the 2000s had Angle vs. Lesnar. The pro wrestling rivalry of the 2010s is certainly the series between Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada in New Japan Pro Wrestling from 2017 to 2018.
A lot has been made of their rivalry, but why? Let’s take a look at the Omega/Okada series, which produced some of the most highly praised pro wrestling matches of the 21st Century.
10 Kenny Omega
Winnipeg-born Kenny Omega got his start in early 2000, working the indie scene and having a brief year-long run with WWE’s developmental territory, Deep South Wrestling. However, Omega wouldn’t achieve notoriety until hooking up with Japan’s DDT Pro-Wrestling, forming a tag team with Kota Ibushi and establishing himself with a whole new set of fans. This would eventually lead to Omega working with NJPW in their junior heavyweight division, taking part in the Best of the Super Juniors Tournament and even winning the IWGP Junior Tag Team Titles.
9 Kazuchika Okada
Before he ever trained at the New Japan Dojo, Kazuchika Okada traveled to Mexico and enrolled in Ultimo Dragon’s Toryumon wrestling school as a teenager, wrestling across Mexico, Canada, and the United States as he honed his craft. Eventually NJPW would sign him and send him on excursion to TNA, where he’d have an infamously disastrous run where he was renamed “Okato” that is credited for contributing to the King of Sport ending their working relationship with TNA.
8 The Rainmaker
Okada’s time with TNA wasn’t all for naught, as he learned the value of developing a gimmick for oneself, rather than “just” being a pro wrestler. As a result, he engineered a wrestling persona for himself, combining everything he learned in Japan, Mexico, and the US to become the swaggering Rainmaker.
Okada would make his big return to NJPW at Wrestle Kingdom VI in 2012, defeating YOSHI-HASHI and challenging NJPW Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Fans balked at this newbie stepping to the “Once in a Century Talent,” but soon realized that Okada was the real deal.
7 The Cleaner
Omega had been a known commodity in NJPW’s Junior Heavyweight Division when he officially signed with New Japan in 2014, but took a step further by joining the villainous gaijin faction Bullet Club. Dubbing himself “The Cleaner,” Omega adopted a hitman persona and ousted previous BC leader AJ Styles to become the boss of the stable. From there, he managed to capture the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship, as well as becoming the first gaijin to ever win the G1 Climax.
6 Wrestle Kingdom 11: The Six-Star Defense
Kenny Omega’s G1 Climax win earned him a title match against IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada at January 4, 2017’s Wrestle Kingdom 11. That match, lasting over 45 minutes, was highly praised not only by fans, but also by other pro wrestlers. Notably, the match broke wrestling journalism luminary Dave Meltzer’s five-star rating system, forcing him to give the epic match six stars. Okada would successfully defend his title, but that wasn’t the end of their feud.
5 Dominion: The Six And A Quarter Draw
Nearly half a year later, Okada would choose Omega as his next challenger for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, for a title match to happen in June at Dominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall. What followed was yet another epic, lasting a full hour to reach a time limit draw, yet somehow exceeding their Wrestle Kingdom 11 bout, forcing Dave Meltzer once again to break his rating system to give it 6.25 stars. But it was still a draw, so the rivalry couldn’t possibly be over.
4 The G1 Climax
In 2017, Okada and Omega would find themselves in the same block of NJPW’s annual round robin tournament, the G1 Climax. The match, which would determine who was the winner of Block B and advance to the finals, went nearly 25 minutes and resulted in a surprising win for Kenny Omega.
Omega would lose the tournament to Tetsuya Naito, and Okada would beat Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 12. However, the fact that Omega and Okada were tied with a win each and one draw would jam in The Rainmaker’s craw. A decisive rematch was in order.
3 Dominion: The Seven-Star Classic
Kenny Omega was chosen as Kazuchika Okada’s challenger for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall, the site of their draw match. However, to make this final the huge conclusion it needed to be, it was contested as a 2/3 Falls Match, with no time limit. There was going to be a winner, no matter what. And the match was suitably epic, going nearly 65 minutes, with Omega ultimately earning a decisive victory with a combination of his signature knee strike known as the V Trigger and his finishing maneuver, the One Winged Angel. It was instantly hailed as one of the greatest pro wrestling matches of all time, with Dave Meltzer giving it an unprecedented seven stars.
2 The Aftermath: Omega
Kenny Omega would hold the title for 209 days, defending the title against Cody, Tomohiro Ishii, and even his own partner/boyfriend, Kota Ibushi. Eventually Hiroshi Tanahashi would earn a Wrestle Kingdom 13 title match by winning the 2018 G1 Climax, prompting Omega to adopt a foreign heel persona in the process. Their feud would be based on a philosophical battle of Japanese vs. Western wrestling, with the ace Tanahashi winning the title back. Shortly after, Omega would leave NJPW and join Cody and other ex-Bullet Club compatriots in the formation of All Elite Wrestling.
1 The Aftermath: Okada
When Okada lost the title, he was the longest reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion at 720 days, exceeding that of Shinya Hashimoto by nearly 230 days. His title loss, combined with a disappointing showing at the 2018 G1 Climax, resulted in an onscreen nervous breakdown where he dyed his hair red, started carrying around a balloon, and fired his manager, Gedo. This would lead to a feud with Gedo’s new protege, “Switchblade” Jay White, whom Okada would eventually defeat for the IWGP Heavyweight Title.