AEW's Kenny Omega Looks Back On 2017 Match Against Kazuchika Okada

New Japan Pro Wrestling had something of a golden age during the 2010s thanks to better exposure overseas, Gedo becoming the company's head booker, and a fresh crop of talent that were willing to give everything they had in each of their matches. Arguably the moment that took NJPW to the next level was the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 11, where Kazuchika Okada successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Kenny Omega in a match that many consider as one of the greatest bouts of all time. Omega and Okada would go on to have three more matches after their initial bout in January 2017, but the first of their series holds a special place in Omega's heart as he opened up about how he felt going into it on a recent Twitch stream. 

"I thought 'man if AJ [Styles] never got his Wrestle Kingdom main event, and now I'm going to have it, I better show that I deserve it, or that their trust in me wasn't misplaced," Omega said. "So I made a promise to myself that this might be the only time this ever happens, I may never get trusted with the main event ever again. So I said 'I'm just going to give it my all, I want to tell a story that no one other than myself and Okada can tell, and I want to leave that ring knowing that not only that I gave my best, but I did my best with the best idea of a wrestling match."

Omega also explained that he had some worries going into the match, but after speaking to The Young Bucks who told him he was going to put on the match of the year, he went out and put on one of the most celebrated matches in modern history.

Please credit the original source when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.