10 Unthinkable Masterminds Behind Legendary Wrestling Ideas
3. Who Opened The Forbidden Door?
While it may not seem unthinkable, since Kenny Omega forged a unique path to super stardom and never seemed content to work one fixed style or dedicate himself to one wrestling promotion, or one booker's vision, his relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling had deteriorated badly by the time he left in January 2019.
He was paid less, significantly so, than his role should have dictated. He revealed on the short-lived 'Wrestlers On The Road Ordering Room Service' YouTube series that "for about a year and a half", he was the lowest paid guy on the roster. His monthly cheque from ProWrestlingTees cleared his earnings the month that he worked Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 11.
Moreover, in the weeks ahead of Wrestle Kingdom 13, Omega was blocked from the telling his story with Hiroshi Tanahashi the way he had intended. He was unhappy, and this was reciprocated by NJPW; the Young Bucks, Cody, and Hangman Page had announced the formation of US competitor All Elite Wrestling on Being The Elite with the Tokyo Dome as the backdrop.
It was nonetheless Kenny Omega's idea to collaborate with Impact Wrestling during his run as the 'Belt Collector' across 2021, and, per Rocky Romero, it was Omega who pitched to bring in NJPW's KENTA at Beach Break. KENTA was US-based, was working a programme with Jon Moxley for the IWGP US title on Strong, and Omega spotted an opportunity to open the door ajar.
The ripple effect of Omega's idea has drastically informed professional wrestling for the better; more AEW Vs. NJPW matches were promoted on Dynamite, the seminal Forbidden Door pay-per-view was promoted in June last year, and, as so often happens in wrestling, the trend caught on elsewhere. NJPW's collaboration with Pro Wrestling NOAH has already yielded spectacular results.