Kazuchika Okada Wins AEW Continental Classic, Confronted By Kenny Omega At Worlds End

Kazuchika Okada is still AEW Continental Champion and it didn’t take long for him to be confronted by a former rival as Kenny Omega made his return to All Elite Wrestling at Worlds End. 

Okada remained Continental Champion following his win over Will Ospreay in the final of the 2024 Continental Classic. Ospreay had already been busted open in his semi-final win against Kyle Fletcher and Okada reopened that wound following a Rainmaker and some brutal kicks to the head.

Ospreay managed to fight back and looked to have the match won following a Stormbreaker but Okada became one of the few wrestlers to ever kick out of the move. A flurry of counters followed but Okada managed to connect with two more Rainmakers for the victory.

Okada and Ospreay shook hands following the match and after Ospreay headed backstage, Christoper Daniels appeared on the entrance ramp and announced he was no longer an AEW EVP. This led to the return of Kenny Omega, who entered the arena to a huge reaction from the fans in Orlando, Florida.

Omega and Okada then came face to face in the ring as Omega presented the AEW Continental Championship to The Rainmaker. Not a single word was spoken between the two men before Omega headed back up the ramp.

Okada made it to the final of the Continental Classic following his win over Ricochet in the semi-final earlier in the night at Worlds End. Okada reached the semi-finals by finishing second in the Blue League with 10 points and a 3-1-1 record. The Rainmaker lost to Kyle Fletcher and drew with TNT Champion Daniel Garcia but managed to advance in the tournament following wins over Mark Briscoe, The Beast Mortos, and Shelton Benjamin.

Kenny Omega had been out of action for a year after being diagnosed with diverticulitis in December 2023, an illness that was life-threatening. He made a one-night return to AEW in May 2024, only to be laid out by The Elite.

Omega announced in November at NJPW’s Power Struggle event that he would be returning to the ring soon. He will take on Gabe Kidd at NJPW x AEW Wrestle Dynasty on January 5 inside the Tokyo Dome. Omega returning in NJPW instead of AEW was a goodwill gesture from Tony Khan’s promotion to New Japan. 

A programme between Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada has been planned ever since Okada signed with All Elite Wrestling in early 2024. The two talents had a legendary feud in New Japan Pro-Wrestling over the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 2017 and 2018. 

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