The Cleaner, Kenny Omega has won the 26th New Japan G1 Climax Tournament after defeating one of the favourites, Hirooki Goto.
Omega is a top independent talent and put a number of match of the year candidates on his way to winning the annual August round-robin tournament. The G1 is split into two blocks of wrestlers, Block A and Block B with the block winners facing each other in the final.
The Canadian won six of his nine Block B matches on his way to topping the block with 12 points. He faced off against Block A winner Hirooki Goto on Sunday morning and picked up the win. Omega made history as he became the first non-Japanese winner of the tournament under the G1 Climax name.
As the winner, Omega now gets a shot at the IWGP World Title at New Japan’s biggest show, Wrestle Kingdom 11, on January 4th at the world famous Tokyo Dome.
As it stands, The Rainmaker Kazuchika Okada is the IWGP Champion but a lot can change from now until Wrestle Kingdom.
A huge win for Omega
In the past, Omega has been seen as a talented wrestler who could do a variety of things but a lot of his internet clips involved him during comedic bits. His win of the G1 Climax shows that Omega is being allowed to show off what he does best, wrestle.
A lot of people consider him the best professional wrestler in the world and he’ll get the chance to prove that at Wrestle Kingdom 11.
Omega has even helped evolve the Bullet Club in New Japan with the birth of The Elite, where he and the tag team of The Young Bucks, Matt and Nick Jackson, have already held a number of tag-team championships.
The Elite and the New Day
Omega is a huge fan of video games and has been involved in a rivalry of sorts with Xavier Woods and the New Day. The pair battled in Street Fighter at CEO 2016 event where Omega eventually came out on top.
The two teams have made it clear they’d love to take each other on at one point and have even referenced each other during shows for their respective companies.
The New Day have made a number of nods towards The Elite in their promos for the WWE and The Elite have even gone as far as mocking the New Day’s entrance before matches in New Japan.
A match between the two teams is something hardcore fans have been dreaming of since they started their internet rivalry.