NJPW New Japan Cup 2017: Early Favourites To Win
1. Kenny Omega
To say Kenny Omega has unfinished business in New Japan Pro Wrestling would be quite the understatement. 'The Cleaner' declared his intention to return to the promotion, and while he has remained coy throughout the course of his absence, expect him to pick up right where he left off.
Kenny's 2016 set the wrestling world on fire and brought a great deal of Western attention to the New Japan product. His efforts were rewarded with a G1 Climax victory and a main event spot at Wrestle Kingdom, and at no point did he drop the ball. Losing that match was enough to make him question leaving for the WWE, but Kenny simply could not walk away without claiming his bounty.
The New Japan Cup represents one more opportunity for Kenny to write the wrong that he suffered in the Tokyo Dome. The world demands a follow-up to Kenny and Okada's six-star showdown, and this is just the first potential mechanism to facilitate that. Kenny has not even competed in the New Japan Cup before, but just as he won his first G1 Climax, The Cleaner should walk into the tournament as the absolute favourite.