At the recent All In: Texas event, AEW showcased the fifth singles match between Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada, marking their first encounter in the All Elite Wrestling ring. This historic bout was pivotal in unifying titles, but insiders within AEW had envisioned a different major singles contest involving Tony Khan’s Executive Vice President.
In a 31-minute co-main event, Okada, known as The Rainmaker, defeated Kenny Omega—often referred to as The Cleaner—winning a Winner Takes All match to combine Okada’s Continental Championship with Omega’s International Championship. Following this loss, Omega has not appeared on AEW’s weekly show Dynamite. Commentator Excalibur mentioned Omega’s injury without further elaboration, while Don Callis dramatically described Omega as “dead.” Omega also missed AEW’s recent tapings, and Okada has since shifted his focus to a feud with Swerve Strickland. Although sources confirmed that Omega is currently on hiatus after All In, details about the exact reasons or length of this break remain undisclosed.
Support Within AEW to Renew Omega’s World Championship Pursuit
Kenny Omega was instrumental in AEW’s launch in early 2019 alongside Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, and Adam Page. Chris Jericho became the promotion’s first World Champion that year, with Jon Moxley dethroning Jericho after 182 days. Omega then captured the AEW World Championship 277 days after Moxley’s reign began.
Omega’s championship run lasted 346 days before Adam Page claimed the title, starting his first reign. Since then, Omega has had only one more World Championship opportunity, losing to MJF on Collision in October 2023. Despite this scarcity, many within AEW expressed a desire for Omega to challenge Jon Moxley and possibly secure a second AEW World Championship reign.
Following Omega’s return to in-ring action earlier in 2024, internal advocates pushed for him to become a two-time World Champion. Reports from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter indicate that if Omega were fully healthy, reclaiming the championship would have been a straightforward decision. Instead, Adam Page defeated Jon Moxley at All In in a chaotic main event, becoming a two-time World Champion himself shortly after Omega’s match with Okada.
Future Prospects for Omega’s Role and Championship Ambitions
Okada’s decisive victory at All In set the stage for potential rematches. Analysts speculate that Omega’s current hiatus and absence from main event title scenes could signal a shift in his career trajectory, possibly mirroring Japanese wrestling legend Kenta Kobashi, who distanced himself from constant championship pursuits later in his career. Whether Omega can continue to perform at the elite level necessary for championship contention will depend largely on his health and personal decisions moving forward.
The anticipated next singles encounter between Omega and Adam Page promises to be a conclusive bout in their trilogy. Omega claimed the first match during the 2020 World Championship Eliminator Tournament finals at Full Gear, while Page took the title from Omega one year later at Full Gear 2021. Staging a tie-breaker at a future Full Gear event would be fitting, though it may result in a relatively short title reign for the winner—potentially under four months, which is shorter than Omega’s previous 197-day tenure as champion.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Who defeated Kenny Omega?
A. Kazuchika Okada beat Kenny Omega to win the AEW International Championship. This made him the first AEW Unified Champion at AEW All In: Texas, an event at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
