50 Best Wrestlers Of The 2020s (So Far)
9. Kenny Omega
Both ace and architect, Kenny Omega was an AEW founding father who was required to take his 'Best Bout Machine' persona and make an entire promotion embody that exact vibe as an iconic NJPW run came to an end just before the new decade begun.
A high concept wrestler at the expense of himself at times, Omega was tabling his best-of-all-time work for much of the early days of the company in order to credibly sell the need for an alliance with Hangman Page in a story that might have been the organisation's best ever, The juice was worth the squeeze, but it wasn't until he became World Champion and top heel did he truly feel locked in to his new life as a weekly television regular.
The fabled 'New Japan Kenny' was on display bell-to-bell while a newer, hilariously obnoxious ran the rule over AEW babyfaces on the microphone. Yet more injuries piled up thanks to the style that had made him a star, but returns to the Tokyo Dome in the years that followed also gave flashes of what still lay beneath the 'Best Bout Machine' that had become the familiar face of TBS ever since.
Then, real life (more specifically diverticulitis) could have ended it. Omega faced the kind of health scare that has shelved careers permanently. Instead, he fought back. Quietly, without fanfare, he turned recovery into resolve. Even while off-screen, his absence was felt and a reminder of the presence he always commanded. Back with a bang in 2025 and embracing what he can't do as much as what he can, the latest chapter could be his most profound yet.