"How important this moment was" - Kenny Omega recalls a historic callout by former WWE World Champion and how it helped AEW
Kenny Omega has recalled his iconic moment with Chris Jericho from New Japan Pro Wrestling's Power Struggle event four years ago. Taking to Twitter, Omega stated Jericho's callout of the then-IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion was an important moment for what was about to come.
Omega's tweet indicated the inauguration of All Elite Wrestling, which centered around Omega, Jericho, The Young Bucks, and other past members of the Bullet Club including Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, and more.
Here's the tweet from Kenny Omega:
Little did we know how important this moment was for all of us… twitter.com/ciaranrh2/stat…
At NJPW Power Struggle 2017, Kenny Omega defeated Beretta in a singles match. After the contest, Omega was in the ring celebrating with The Young Bucks when Chris Jericho made a surprise appearance in NJPW as he cut a promo via video.
It would be Jericho's first time in New Japan territory in years as he laid down a challenge to face Kenny Omega for the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom.
At WK 12 at the Tokyo Dome, Kenny Omega would go on to defend his IWGP US Heavyweight Championship against Jericho. In the lead-up to the match, Jericho also appeared in NJPW and attacked Omega.
Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho have been two important figures in AEW
Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho have been two important figures in AEW history since day one. Y2J was the first AEW World Champion after defeating Hangman Page.
To this day, despite not being able to win another title in AEW since losing the championship to Jon Moxley, Jericho has managed to keep himself relevant in the promotion. The former AEW World Champion is the leader of The Inner Circle and the group is currently feuding with prominent MMA gym American Top Team.
#theELITE with the heat. #AEWDynamite https://t.co/OeXiTArY7m
Meanwhile, Kenny Omega is also at the top of his game in AEW right now. The leader of The Elite has been on a different level since winning the AEW World Championship from Moxley and has already successfully defended his title against numerous top names.
Jericho and Omega have shared the ring in AEW and it can be said that their rivalry in NJPW helped set the foundation for what AEW was to become.