One of wrestling’s longest-building matches goes down this Wednesday. IWGP United States Champion Will Ospreay puts his gold on the line against AEW’s Kenny Omega in a bout that means much more than just a title. Ospreay and Omega have been linked for over seven years, as the two did battle in a 2015 PWG match long before either reached the career heights that awaited them. From there, Ospreay and Omega passed each other like ships in the night, sharing a locker room in NJPW for multiple years but never meeting each other again in singles competition. When Omega moved on to AEW in 2019, he looked to Ospreay to fill his New Japan shoes, and has been critical of the Aerial Assassin’s abilities to succeed him in the years since.
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This feud reached a fever pitch this past summer, as Ospreay and Aussie Open battled Omega and the Young Bucks in the AEW World Trios Titles tournament. The Elite got the victory, but their celebrations were short-lived as the United Empire attacked the trio after AEW Dynamite went off the air.
Considering Ospreay has the back-up of his United Empire faction in NJPW, fans have speculated on whether Omega will enlist the assistance of his fellow stablemates come NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.
“I’m taking next week off,” Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks revealed on Being The Elite this week. “I’m not going to be in Seattle, obviously, or the [Tokyo] Dome [for Wrestle Kingdom 17]. I’m taking my family on a vacation, something I’ve been planning for a while. It is a Christmas idea. I’ve earned it. I’m happy.”
While this indicates that Matt and his brother Nick will not be atย WK17, it could be a red herring to throw fans off ahead of a potential surprise appearance. The Young Bucks have a storied history in New Japan, as they have won a combined eight IWGP Tag Titles during their six-year run in the far east. The Bucks have not been seen on NJPW programming since 2019’s Wrestle Kingdom 13.
The Bucks’ next confirmed appearance comes on the January 11th edition of AEW Dynamite, where they will team with Omega to challenge AEW World Trios Champions Death Triangle in their seventh and final match of the two trios’ best-of-seven series.
Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for coverage of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.
