At All In on Saturday, Kazuchika Okada triumphed over Kenny Omega, unifying the Continental and International Championships and thus becoming the inaugural AEW unified champion.
The history between Omega and Okada is one of the most celebrated in the world of professional wrestling, and their connection extends back to their tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Following multiple tag team encounters on opposing sides, Omega and Okada clashed in a singles match for the first time as the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 11 in 2017, with Okada prevailing over Omega in a memorable contest to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Later that same year at Dominion, Omega and Okada battled to a 60-minute draw, reaching the time limit in a match widely regarded as one of the finest ever.
At Dominion the following year, Omega and Okada concluded their series of matches, with Omega ultimately succeeding by defeating his rival and becoming IWGP world champion for the first time.
In 2019, Omega departed NJPW and played a role in the formation of AEW, serving as one of the executive vice presidents. Okada remained with New Japan, becoming the face of the company, until last year when he signed with AEW as a free agent.
Okada made a surprising debut as a villain, aligning himself with The Young Bucks and replacing Omega as a member of The Elite.
After successfully defending the Continental Championship at Worlds End in December, Okada was confronted by his longtime adversary in Omega, who made his return to AEW programming following a prolonged struggle with diverticulitis.
This set the stage for a future showdown between them, and when Omega defeated Konosuke Takeshita for the International Championship at Revolution in March, it became apparent that a unification match against Okada was inevitable.
Last month, the Omega vs. Okada match was officially announced for All In, and with Okada emerging victorious, he now holds a strong position as the No. 2 men’s champion in the organization, surpassed only by the AEW world champion.
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