10 Most Important Wrestlers In AEW’s History
3. Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega is one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time but had to prove himself to some extent when AEW began. His exploits in New Japan throughout the 2010s helped him rise to prominence and become the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, with his series of matches against Kazuchika Okada being regarded by many as the pinnacle of in-ring performance.
However, there was a slightly unfounded concern that Omega would not be able to lead a western wrestling promotion to success given that he had built up his career in Japan. This may be why he initially took a back seat to the likes of Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Cody Rhodes, who were familiar to fans who had been used to the WWE dominance of the last two decades.
Even in a reserved role Omega was incredible, with his AEW World Tag Team Championship run alongside Hangman Adam Page being an early highlight for the company. When he finally won the world title by cheating in his match with Moxley at the 'Winter is Coming' edition of Dynamite, it was clear that Omega was one of the biggest stars the company had and would go on to have a great title reign.