When thinking of the greatest rivalries in pro wrestling history, fans usually think about the matches and moments that defined both stars and their connection to one another.
The influence of these feuds can completely alter the talents’ careers, but do not always have a significant impact on the industry. When a rivalry can change how the audience views pro wrestling, this is when they become transcendent, generational and legendary.
That is the best way to look at what Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega were able to accomplish through their rivalry in NJPW that completely changed the wrestling business and took it to new levels of the artform.
Across four bouts that accumulate to 204 minutes, Okada and Omega showcased what made them two of the greatest pro wrestlers of their generation and why New Japan Pro Wrestling became the premier place to see world class in-ring action in the mid-2010s.
Now with their fifth match and first to take place in the United States at AEW All In Texas on the horizon, it feels like the perfect time to look back on Okada and Omega’s revolutionary series of encounters that changed the wrestling world and how it helped to create All Elite Wrestling.
It’s Saturday, August 14 in Japan!#onthisday in 2016, Kenny Omega became the first non-Japanese wrestler to win the G1 Climax!
Relive history with @njpwworld!https://t.co/qKEpoxrVsX#njpw pic.twitter.com/IZ8bJvwWBu
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) August 13, 2021
After a widely panned excursion in the United States for TNA Wrestling, Kazuchika Okada returned to NJPW and immediately positioned himself a new rival to Hiroshi Tanahashi. Shockingly beating “The Ace” at New Beginning 2012, Okada began a meteoric rise as a top star in the company.
Over the course of the next four years, Okada and Tanahashi waged war in a rivalry that defined New Japan Pro Wrestling. In the process, “The Rainmaker” became the face of NJPW and captured the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
With four reigns under his belt, Okada sat atop the promotion while Kenny Omega rose to prominence. Becoming a member of The Bullet Club in 2014, Omega skyrocketed up the ladder of New Japan before eventually usurping AJ Styles as the leader of the faction two years later.
Making history by becoming the first gaijin, or foreigner, to win the prestigious G1 Climax tournament in 2016, Omega set his sights on the top prize in the promotion and faced Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 11 in the Tokyo Dome on January 4th, 2017.
In front of over 40,000 fans in attendance, the two warriors did battle in a near 47 minute instant classic that many called one of the greatest matches ever.
Built on the idea that Omega just had to hit his signature One Winged Angel finisher once due to no one ever kicking out of the move, Okada was able to come up with several different ways to escape or reverse the maneuver time after time.
From the crazy back drop over the top rope through a table to Okada hitting two Rainmakers to finally retain his title, this main event showdown is fondly remembered for putting Kenny Omega’s name on the map and helping launch New Japan Pro Wrestling to unprecedented heights of popularity.
Getting an unreal six-star rating from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, this match is responsible for putting new eyes on NJPW with their app getting new subscribers off the bat of this and helping set the groundwork for newfound popularity for promotions outside of the top pro wrestling company in WWE.
After the critical and financial success of Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 11, it felt like it was only a matter of time before these two stars would meet inside the squared circle once again.
Following Okada’s victory over The Bullet Club’s Bad Luck Fale at Wrestling Dontaku 2017, the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion issued a challenge to Omega for a rematch at the next major event, Dominion 2017.
Despite “The Rainmaker” picking up the win in their first meeting, it was “The Cleaner” who received the majority of the praise for the Wrestle Kingdom 11 epic encounter. Omega’s endurance, strength, speed and precision were lauded in the face of the man who won the bout.
Taking this praise personally, Okada wanted to prove that he could beat Omega once more and cement his superiority over his new rival. However, Dominion 2017 proved to be the toughest test of Okada’s entire reign.
Marking the one year anniversary of his current run with the title, Okada faced Omega in Osaka-Jo Hall on June 11, 2017 in front of 11,756 fans in attendance. The two men put on yet another breathtaking contest that somehow met and even exceeded the expectations set from their first bout.
MORE: Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada Winner Take All Match Official For AEW All In 2025
Over the course of 60 minutes, the hard hitting and sensational action on display between Okada and Omega had every fan on the edge of their seat. Adding to the story, Omega’s Bullet Club stablemate and current top WWE babyface Cody Rhodes would make his presence known during the match.
While The Young Bucks were in Omega’s corner just like they were in the first meeting at Wrestle Kingdom 11, it was Cody who came out to seemingly throw the towel in when it looked like Omega was being destroyed by the dominant champion.
Getting his second wind, Kenny fired off a poisonrana, nailed Okada with a V-Trigger and hit the One Winged Angel unlike he was unable to in the first contest. However, he was too close to the ropes, so Okada was able to get his foot onto the bottom rope to save his title.
One of the key moments of the clash saw Okada go for a deadly Rainmaker, which an exhausted Omega avoided by collapsing to his knees. The selling of exhaustion and desperation compelled everyone in attendance to go on this ride the entire hour.
It’s Friday, June 11 in japan!#onthisday in 2017, Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega went the 60 minute distance over the IWGP heavyweight Championship in Osaka!
Relive history with @njpwworld!https://t.co/vFaXyDjD4B#njpw pic.twitter.com/Y2XWPUcwVA
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) June 10, 2021
Okada was finally able to hit one last Rainmaker, but he was unable to make it to Omega for the cover before the 60-minute time limit ran out. This time, Okada and Omega received six and a quarter stars from Dave Meltzer in what many called the greatest IWGP Heavyweight Championship match in NJPW history.
After this bout, it became clear that Okada and Omega stood head-and-shoulders above anyone in the industry as the two very best that pro wrestling had to offer. This made the fans relish the chance to see the two warriors go at it one more time, and they wouldn’t have to wait long.
The G1 Climax tournament is widely regarded as the premier pro wrestling tournament that the business has to offer. Pitting 20 competitors in a two block, round robin format, the series has produced some of the most extraordinary bouts anywhere in wrestling.
Just two months after their 60-minute “Fight For The Ages” at NJPW Dominion 2017, Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega once again found themselves in a high stakes bout in front of a raucous crowd.
In front of 7,591 fans in Ryogoku Sumo Hall on August 12, 2017, “The Rainmaker” and “The Best Bout Machine” clashed for the third straight that year.
Unlike their past two clashes, this contest had a 30 minute time limit unlike the traditional 60 minutes for an IWGP Heavyweight Championship match. With no title on the line, the two men would instead be battling to determine who made it to the G1 Finals the following day against Tetsuya Naito.
This bout was much different from their previous meetings because of the timing involved. Going at breakneck pace from the opening bell and feeling the wear-and-tear from a grueling tournament, Okada and Omega brutalized one another from the opening bell.
6 years ago today:
Kenny Omega defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the B Block in G1 Climax 27! This was Omega’s first win over Okada following the loss at Wrestle Kingdom 11 and the 60 minute draw at Dominion.
➡️https://t.co/PsTaVDo73J#njpw @KennyOmegamanX pic.twitter.com/DpRl0HbP1H
— Ciarán (@CiaranRH93) August 12, 2023
Okada came in with a bandaged neck that became an immediate target for Omega who executed a wince-inducing poisonrana on the floor that put the IWGP Heavyweight Champion behind the eight ball.
With a relentless attack that saw him destroy the neck of his opponent, Kenny would not be denied on making his second straight G1 Climax Final. In the end, it only took the One Winged Angel in the center of the ring this time for Omega to finally pin and defeat Okada.
Receiving some more praise for how different this one felt, the two men once again received another six star rating from Meltzer to conclude what he called the greatest trilogy in pro wrestling history.
7️⃣DAYS to #njdominion!
DOMINION FLASHBACK
The 2018 main event saw Kenny Omega finally fell Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title classic!
Watch Dominion LIVE in English June 15 on @njpwworld!#njpw pic.twitter.com/E6CUS2dEWb
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) June 8, 2025
It would be almost one year before Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega would cross paths once again. In their time apart, both stars went on long journeys to find their way back to their storied rivalry.
“The Rainmaker” broke every record as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, reaching 12 successful title defenses and holding the title for 720 days heading into his next showdown with “The Cleaner.”
Meanwhile, Omega was betrayed by Cody Rhodes who attempted to usurp him as The Bullet Club leader in the same fashion Kenny did to AJ Styles. Waging a Bullet Club Civil War, Rhodes caused a major rift between Omega and The Young Bucks, which threatened the future of The Elite.
After Cody delivered a Cross Rhodes to Kenny and looked to end him once and for all back at New Beginning 2018, it was Omega’s long time partner and Golden Lovers teammate Kota Ibushi who made the save, bringing the long separated best friends back together.
Now renewed by the love from Ibushi and feeling the only mountain left to climb was the top prize in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Omega found himself once again called out by Okada, who wanted to avenge his loss in the G1 Climax by defeating his rival in one final battle.
After they went to a 60 minute time limit draw one year prior, additional stipulations were added in no time limit in a best two-out-of-three falls match. The NJPW fans were buzzing and awaiting just how could Okada and Omega outdo their efforts from 2017.
At NJPW Dominion on June 9, 2018, the biggest and most anticipated main event in New Japan Pro Wrestling took place when Okada defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Omega.
With Ibushi in his corner instead of Matt and Nick Jackson, Omega came refreshed and focused on finally reaching the mountaintop against what many fans considered the greatest champion in New Japan history.
The two men set an incredible pace that made it feel like they wouldn’t be going as long as their previous two IWGP Heavyweight Title meetings, but it set the tone for the later falls superbly. After a fast paced opening 30 minutes, it was Okada who pinned Omega reversing a sunset flip for the three.
With an insurmountable task of having to beat “The Rainmaker” twice in a row, the second fall started to display the exhaustion of a physically intense war. Pulling out the one move he knows he could beat the champion with, Kenny hit the One Winged Angel to tie the falls at one each.
Both men were showcasing tremendous selling and storytelling as Okada could barely stand when the third fall started. Omega exploded and put the full court press on his rival only to be met with a crushing Rainmaker out of nowhere.
The callbacks to their previous bouts and nearfalls down the stretch had the 11,832 fans in attendance on bated breath, waiting to see who would win this amazing encounter. Every Rainmaker made it seem like Okada could pick up the victory, but Omega was able to survive every time out.
In the closing moments, Kenny reversed a Rainmaker into a flash One Winged Angel. He then followed up with an eye popping V-Trigger and finally finished things out with a third One Winged Angel to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Before he could be handed the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Omega was greeted in the ring by his best friends in The Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi who put all the past issues aside to celebrate his accomplishment and milestone.
Dominion 2017 | Dominion 2018. @KennyOmegamanX is saved from a Rainmaker two times by exhaustion: the first time his own, the second time Kazuchika Okada’s. pic.twitter.com/XtI8WpdgJu
— Mith Gifs Wrestling (@MithGifs) June 12, 2018
Dave Meltzer broke his five star rating scale once again by giving this two-out-of-three falls match seven stars. This fourth match between Okada and Omega showcased unbelievable endurance, brilliant storytelling and fantastic in-ring work that has never been seen before.
The Okada vs. Omega rivalry capped things off in grand fashion and became the stuff of legend. Fans all wondered when they would see these two all time greats clash one more time and when they would face in the United States.
Kenny Omega would leave New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2019 when he alongside The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes and Tony Khan started All Elite Wrestling.
Becoming one of the EVPs and top stars of the company, Omega continued his legacy in pro wrestling by creating the first major alternative North American pro wrestling company to WWE since WCW.
The notoriety and legacy built during the rivalry with Kazuchika Okada helped launch AEW and completely transformed the pro wrestling industry into what it is today.
Meanwhile, Okada remained on top of his mantle in NJPW, winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship three more times following these series of matches against Omega.
EVP Kenny Omega presents Kazuchika Okada his Continental Championship, but is that his only motive?
Order #AEWWorldsEnd LIVE on PPVhttps://t.co/JlBXZPLNGj@KennyOmegamanX | @RainmakerXOkada pic.twitter.com/tTasDWmt4t
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) December 29, 2024
Eventually, “The Rainmaker” went on to sign with All Elite Wrestling in 2024 where he has become a top star for the company and replaced Omega as the newest member of The Elite alongside Matthew and Nicholas Jackson.
At AEW Worlds End 2024, Kenny Omega made his return to the company after a serious bout with diverticulitis that kept him sidelined for over a year. On that night, he confronted Kazuchika Okada after “The Rainmaker” won the 2024 Continental Classic tournament.
Giving AEW fans the first tease for their eventual fifth battle and first in the United States, Okada and Omega would have several other confrontations until it became clear that it was time at the biggest stage for the company.
At AEW All In Texas in front of the largest North American audience in company history, Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada will face each other in a Winner Takes All Match to unify the AEW International and Continental Championships.
WINNER TAKES ALL!
The first look at the new AEW Unified Championship!
Watch #AEWSummerBlockbuster LIVE on TBS & MAX pic.twitter.com/M538343yM9
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 12, 2025
With the opportunity to become the inaugural AEW Unified Champion, Omega and Okada will once again make history and should change the wrestling world one more time in front of a record crowd.
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