WWE/NJPW News: Kenny Omega comments on blood being used in rivalry with Chris Jericho
What’s the story?
In an interview with RollingStone.com, Kenny Omega opened up on his upcoming Wrestle Kingdom 12 match against Chris Jericho.
Expounding upon the use of blood in his rivalry with Chris Jericho, Omega asserted blood is a faux pas in NJPW. The Cleaner added he often tends to take NJPW out of their comfort zone and intends to make Alpha vs Omega different than anything else in recent memory.
In case you didn’t know
The recent announcement of Chris Jericho going to NJPW in order to compete against one of the Japanese promotion’s biggest stars sent shockwaves through the professional wrestling community.
With Y2J being one of the WWE’s most recognizable faces, and on good terms with Vince McMahon, his venture for NJPW came as a surprise to many. However, it was later revealed by Jericho that the venture had Mr McMahon’s blessing.
Kenny Omega was busted open by Chris Jericho after Y2J attacked The Cleaner, leaving the IWGP North American Heavyweight Champion a bloody mess at NJPW’s World Tag League Finals in Fukuoka, Japan on December 11th.
The heart of the matter...
With the use of blood in pro wrestling being considered too niche or hardcore in this day and age, Kenny Omega was probed as to whether a top organization such as NJPW was fine with him using blood in his rivalry with Chris Jericho. Omega addressed the issue stating he’s lucky to be trusted by New Japan and knows how risky such decisions are, especially with so much money and reputation on the line.
“A lot of times I really forced them to step out of their comfort zone. Between last year's G1 and now with Jericho, I have done a lot of things the company isn't necessarily comfortable with, but they're seeing positive growth from it. Drawing blood is a faux pas. They don't like it at all. Our parent company makes its money through anime and card games.”
Furthermore, Omega was asked about his feud with Jericho being a tad different from NJPW’s generally family-friendly content. In response, Omega explained they don’t intend to simply present this as a WWE legend invading New Japan, but rather aim to build and execute this feud in a unique fashion completely different from anything in recent memory.
What’s next?
Kenny Omega vs Chris Jericho, the battle promoted as Alpha vs Omega, will take place at Wrestle Kingdom 12 which will go down at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4th, 2018. But you can luckily catch it on New Japan World which is the company's streaming video service. AXS TV will also air this match a short time later on their popular NJPW television show.
Author’s take
Omega’s upcoming match against Jericho is without a doubt one of the biggest in the sport of professional wrestling today.
Hats off to both Alpha and Omega for using blood in their ongoing feud further accentuating the intensity of their rivalry and the big fight feel this Wrestle Kingdom matchup brings for fans the world over. Wrestle Kingdom 12 was already eagerly awaited by the pro wrestling community and now everyone is chomping at the bit to see this match go down.