10 Beautiful Moments Of Respect In Wrestling

4. The Young Bucks Make Their Choice

Golden Elite
NJPW

Ahead of Dominion 2018's greatest ever match, Kenny Omega revealed to new corner man Kota Ibushi that he had lost everything to get there.

Over the course of 64 minutes and 50 seconds of pulsating, jaw-dropping, unprecedented drama, Omega made himself whole again to win by piecing together fragments of his old life in the form of pro wrestling strategy. He blasted Okada with AJ Styles' Styles Clash, and missed with Ibushi's Phoenix Splash, in a bid to atone for the man he had become, the man who had alienated his friends and lost, also, himself. In the end, he overcame, to a reception so powerful that the fans in Osaka, frenzied, were now in tears. This was pro wrestling perfection - a transcendent night for the art - and in the post-match, Omega's former, estranged cornermen arrived on the scene.

They embraced Omega in a moment of both reconciliation and respect. The very premise and name of the Stable - the Elite - was based on their taking the industry to the next level. It's a wonderful moment of friendship, as much as respect.

Omega had just fulfilled that shared vision to an extent even they could never have foreseen, and realigned with him through sheer admiration for his accomplishment.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!