Did Chris Jericho Vs. Kenny Omega Live Up To Expectations?

NJPW played host to a first-time dream match today, as global wrestling idol Chris Jericho challenged the most buzz-worthy wrestler on the planet, Kenny Omega.

Taking place at NJPW's answer to WrestleMania, Wrestle Kingdom 12, Alpha vs. Omega wasn't the closing bout, but was marketed as a co-main event alongside Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito, and featured heavily in the show's marketing campaign. The two Canadians were front and centre throughout the build, with the hope being that the presence of an international star like Jericho would attract western viewers.

A smart move from a business standpoint, but would it deliver between the ropes?

Could Jericho, at 47 years old, keep up with an athletic phenom like 'The Cleaner,' or would his physical decline leave him exposed on Japan's biggest stage? This is NJPW, after all - a promotion that values world-class action above all else. Expectations were astronomical, and meeting them would be a monumental task for the ageing icon.

Fortunately, Jericho vs. Omega didn't just meet expectations: it blew them out of the water. The bout was an unqualified success on every conceivable level, one of Wrestle Kingdom's biggest highlights, and Jericho's best showing since he wrestled CM Punk at WWE Payback 2013.

'Alpha' put forth a masterful performance. Attempting to match Omega athletically would've ended in failure, but 'Y2J' is smarter than that. He stuck to classic heel tropes throughout, and gradually turned the crowd against him with trash talk, taunts, and underhand tactics. Sure, the 'No DQ' stipulation's smoke and mirrors helped mask his deficiencies, but he was the most hated man in the Tokyo Dome by the end. What more could anyone ask?

Omega took the bulk of the big bumps, enduring multiple chairshots, dives, and the stiffest Codebreaker you'll ever see, but Jericho upheld his end of the bargain too. Kenny's V-Trigger knees struck like concussive blows, with one sending 'Y2J' tumbling from the top rope and through a table. The finish was brutal, too. Jericho's was Lionsault countered into Kenny's One Winged Angel finisher, driving the former WWE Champion's head, neck, and shoulders into a chair.

The pre-match build-up promised that this wouldn't be a conventionally great bout, but an all-out war. It turned out to be both. Chris and Kenny delivered a slow-burning epic simmering with hatred, venom, and bile. They gave their all over the course of a 35-minute runtime, and while Kenny whose hand was raised in the end, both men felt like winners.

NJPW are due a victory lap. 'Omega vs. Jericho' was trending worldwide during the show, social media was buzzing for hours, and Wrestle Kingdom drew a reported 34,995 fans to the Tokyo Dome - an increase of 8,000 on the previous year. The white-hot Okada vs. Naito feud obviously had much to do with this, but Alpha vs. Omega's appeal can't be denied.