Kenny Omega Regains IWGP United States Championship At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17

NJPW

Kenny Omega is IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion for the first time in five years, having bested Will Ospreay at NJPW Wrestle Kindom 17 today.

The much-hyped dream match and first-time-ever singles collision concluded with a defiant, bloodied Ospreay spitting at Omega before dying on his shield. His wrists already trapped, Ospreay succumbed as Kenny summoned Kota Ibushi, blasting his skull with a Kamigoye. The pinfall was then elementary as Omega hit Ospreay with the One-Winged Angel.

Wrestle Kingdom 17 was Omega’s first New Japan match since January 2019, when he dropped the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi on his way out of the promotion. This preceded AEW’s launch. Weeks later, Omega was announced as the nascent group’s latest Executive Vice President, joining Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks, putting his Japanese wrestling career on ice for the time being.

Eyebrows were then raised as Ospreay and Omega started taking shots at each other through the media in the summer of 2022. It became clear, after a while, that they were building to a singles bout, which accelerated through The Elite’s win over Ospreay’s United Empire on AEW television in August.

Nothing has been confirmed yet, but Omega winning the United States Championship suggests further NJPW dates are on the horizon for him. Given NJPW booker Gedo’s usual patterns, which rarely waver, we will likely get Omega/Ospreay II before long.

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