Plan Revealed For IWGP Heavyweight Title Had Kenny Omega Stayed In NJPW
Prior to Kenny Omega dropping the IWGP Heavyweight belt to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13 last month, there was apparently a much different plan in place for the championship, as Dave Meltzer revealed Sunday morning on Wrestling Observer Radio.
Meltzer interviewed Omega on Thursday evening after the ex-IWGP Heavyweight Champion appeared at the AEW Double or Nothing rally in Las Vegas. It was in that interview that Omega revealed he was tempted to simply stay with New Japan amid offers from AEW and WWE, but felt that New Japan wasn't as excited about re-signing him, as WWE and AEW were about acquiring his services.
Meltzer revealed this morning that prior to Thursday's interview, Omega told him what the plans for him and the belt were if he were to stay with NJPW.
Per Meltzer: "One of the things he mentioned was that originally he was going to beat Tanahashi (at Wrestle Kingdom). They wanted him to win. And the deal was he would lose to Okada in Madison Square Garden. That was the direction they wanted to go."
New Japan is scheduled to run Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 6 during WrestleMania weekend. The G1 Supercard will be a joint production with Ring of Honor.
Had the plan for Kazuchika Okada to defeat Omega in New York come to fruition, it would have marked the first time the IWGP Heavyweight title changed hands outside of Japan.
Meltzer interviewed Omega on Thursday evening after the ex-IWGP Heavyweight Champion appeared at the AEW Double or Nothing rally in Las Vegas. It was in that interview that Omega revealed he was tempted to simply stay with New Japan amid offers from AEW and WWE, but felt that New Japan wasn't as excited about re-signing him, as WWE and AEW were about acquiring his services.
Meltzer revealed this morning that prior to Thursday's interview, Omega told him what the plans for him and the belt were if he were to stay with NJPW.
Per Meltzer: "One of the things he mentioned was that originally he was going to beat Tanahashi (at Wrestle Kingdom). They wanted him to win. And the deal was he would lose to Okada in Madison Square Garden. That was the direction they wanted to go."
New Japan is scheduled to run Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 6 during WrestleMania weekend. The G1 Supercard will be a joint production with Ring of Honor.
Had the plan for Kazuchika Okada to defeat Omega in New York come to fruition, it would have marked the first time the IWGP Heavyweight title changed hands outside of Japan.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
