10 Reasons Why New Japan Pro Wrestling Had A Great 2016

So much can be said for how Kenny Omega transformed himself and New Japan over the past year. In January, Omega was defending his Junior Heavyweight Championship against Kushida. The next night, he was leading the Bullet Club in a beatdown of AJ Styles and declaring that he was no longer a Junior Heavyweight.

Within a few months, Omega was challenging Tanahashi for the vacated Intercontinental Championship and was becoming an absolute show stealer. As mentioned previously, Omega brought the ladder match into play for New Japan. To continue his ways, he needed to be a show-off. He had to be the North American who was cocky at the highest level and disrespected Japanese wrestling tradition. He did this in the ladder match with Michael Elgin for the Intercontinental Championship.

His real success comes after losing the championship to Elgin. Omega outlasted 19 other men to become the first non-Japanese wrestler to win the G1 Climax. Winning the G1 was a guarantee that Omega would main event Wrestle Kingdom 11 with Kazuchika Okada, as long as he could defend the championship shot until then. Omega did so with a decent match against Yoshi-Hashi and in a rematch of the G1 Final with Hirooki Goto.

Omega is becoming the in-between character that New Japan has needed for a few years. While Naito is getting there as well, Omega continues to use dirty tactics, while gaining support from the crowds all over Japan. He’s natural as the cool heel. He shoots on the crowd, is fluent in both Japanese and English, and continues to play the role of Attitude Era Stone Cold. Kenny Omega has been one of the best things going in New Japan and should continue to stay that way through 2017 and beyond.