10 Booking Steps For Kenny Omega's WWE Debut
Cleaning up the grandest stage of all...
The new year is only a couple of weeks old, but the biggest wrestling story of 2017 so far is the future of Kenny Omega.
At Wrestle Kingdom 11, Omega challenged Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in one of the greatest matches of all time. Just days later, though, he tweeted that he was taking a break from wrestling in Japan, keeping fans guessing as to what his next move will be.
We still don't know much. Omega told Tokyo Sports that he's missing New Japan's upcoming Fantasticamania tour and probably the following New Beginning tour as well, but his tone suggested he'd be back. At the same time, though, WWE has confirmed their interest in "The Cleaner," and they've got the deepest pockets of all. Omega has been vocal about not believing he needs a WWE run, but at the same time, he may want one if the money is right.
The bottom line is that Omega could very well end up in WWE - but if he does, how can the company insure that they get the most out of him? Like AJ Styles last year, they'd be getting a truly elite player in the sport, and there'd be an onus on the company to use him properly.
With that in mind, here are 10 booking steps for Kenny Omega's WWE debut:
10. A Record Win
John Cena and AJ Styles had one of the best WWE feuds of 2016, and it's set to be revisited in just a couple of weeks. At the Royal Rumble, Cena will challenge Styles for the WWE Championship, and if "Big Match John" wins, he'll have tied a record with 16 reigns as a world champion.
In order for this story to work, John Cena needs to win the championship at the Royal Rumble and head into WrestleMania as the defending titleholder. It will be sad to see Styles lose the belt after such an amazing year, and it'll also be disappointing to see "The Phenomenal One" eat some crow, but on the plus side, it's sure to be an amazing match - maybe they can even outdo their bout from SummerSlam.
As for Omega, there's no chance of him appearing at the Rumble. Even if he decides to leave New Japan, he's under contract until January 31, and the Rumble is on the 29th.
In any case, Cena must emerge from the show as the WWE Champion, making AJ Styles available for something else...