Gabe Kidd had a meteoric rise in 2024, establishing himself as one of the top guys in NJPW by winning the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship.
At NJPW x AEW Wrestle Dynasty, Kidd stepped up to the plate against Kenny Omega in Omega's first match in over a year. Kidd has since gone to war with Tomohiro Ishii and Yota Tsuji in the New Japan ring.
Clark Connors has been there through the highs and lows with Kidd, and he commented on Kidd's rise while speaking to Jeremy Lambert & SP3 on In The Weeds.
"It was only a matter of time. Last year, when the War Dogs were getting going, we said it to each other all the time. It was around this time last year when we beat United Empire in the cage match and we took out [Will] Ospreay, we said right before that, ‘Just give it a year. Give the War Dogs a year.’ That goes for all of us. It was only a matter of time before we were given the opportunity, Gabe was given the these opportunities to step up and show his emotion and show who he is as a performer and let people latch onto that. Once he’s been given the ball, he’s been rolling with it. That match with Kenny was a long time in the making in his own head. I know that for a fact. As one of his best friends in the world, I’ve been with him through everything he’s gone through, not everything, but since New Japan. I’ve seen him grow so much. We always talk about it and I always tell him, ‘You, that’s the franchise. That’s the future. That’s the star.’ Everything I’m doing, everything Drilla [Moloney] is doing, everything everyone else is doing, we’re all coming up with him. In my opinion, I’ve always told Gabe, ‘You’re the one.’ His mind is locked in and focused on everything. It makes me, almost as an older brother figure, and one of his best friends, it makes me so fucking happy to see that for him. I’m always so proud," said Connors.
Elsewhere during the interview, Connors commented on stepping in on short notice at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2022. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
Check out the full interview with Connors in the video above.
