Kenny Omega Forgives Recent Opponent

Kenny Omega faced off against Will Ospreay at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 17 in a battle for more than just Ospreay's IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship — as it was a match built for quite a while on the story of Ospreay staying in NJPW while Omega left the company. Following their brutal and bloody encounter, Omega tweeted out: "Yesterday at [Wrestle Kingdom 17] we desperately raced towards the same goal and were willing to break our bodies for it. That kind of passion I can respect. I forgive you."

Omega defeated Ospreay to win the title after nailing the now former champ with a One-Winged Angel for the victory. During the match, Ospreay was busted open, and Omega smashed his head through a table on the outside repeatedly. Ospreay was not the only man to come out wounded, as one of Omega's eyes was very swollen by the end of the match, causing some fans to question if he was okay. The Wrestling Observer later reported that Omega's eye injury was not a serious one, and occurred following a kick from Ospreay.

Their rivalry truly started on Omega's last night in NJPW before leaving to help create AEW, Wrestle Kingdom 13. Prior to Omega losing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the main event, Ospreay took on Kota Ibushi, one of Omega's best friends, in the opening match, and wound up seriously concussing Ibushi. When Omega referenced forgiving Ospreay in his tweet, this may well be what the new US champion is referring to.