Chris Jericho announces 29-year-old star's AEW debut for the first-ever UK show this year
Former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho seems to consider himself someone who has a good eye for talent and is excited to showcase a British performer who he thinks has a very bright future.
The star in question is 29-year-old Michael Oku, a six-year veteran of the business who has featured in high-profile promotions in the UK, including Progress and RevPro, the latter of which he held the promotion's Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship for over two years.
Having already featured in New Japan Pro Wrestling and GCW, his most notable performance to date came against Will Ospreay in January 2022, a match that was considered one of the best matches of last year by fans across the world.
A year ago today ...
Match of the year 2022 in my opinion ...
Will Ospreay vs Michael Oku at RevPro High Stakes, York Hall, London on 29 January 2022 https://t.co/Cia18YW00U
Speaking on his Talk is Jericho podcast, Chris Jericho stated that after seeing Oku perform, he told him personally that he would be booked on AEW's shows when they make their first trip to the United Kingdom in 2023.
“You’ll be on the (UK) show for sure, I’ll guarantee you that. I’ll guarantee it. No problem at all. That’s easy. That’s easy to do. Done. Done deal.” (H/T WrestleTalk)
While AEW has officially announced it will be making its debut in the UK in 2023, no dates have been confirmed yet.
Michael Oku has already crossed paths with Chris Jericho in the ring
Despite never featuring on AEW TV, the 29-year-old has already had the chance to mix it up with Chris Jericho and other members of the Jericho Appreciation Society recently.
This happened at PWG's Battle of Los Angeles event in January 2023, where the JAS arrived as special guests to compete in a ten-man tag team match which featured Oku.
Cluster tag is up next
Michael Oku, SBK, EVIL UNO, Jonathan Gresham, Kevin Blackwood vs … the Jericho Appreciation Society…
#aew #pwg #bola https://t.co/qmgZUYttEp
Michael Oku was also an entrant into the Battle of Los Angeles Tournament itself but was unfortunately eliminated by eventual finalist and AEW standout Konosuke Takeshita.
Which other independent stars would you like to see in AEW? Let us know in the comments section below!