Kenny Omega and Gabe Kidd got into a backstage altercation at NJPW Power Struggle, having to be separated by officials.
Omega, who has been sidelined since December 2023 with diverticulitis, addressed the crowd at NJPW Power Struggle and said that he hoped to return at NJPW x AEW Wrestle Dynasty on January 5th.
Speaking to NJPW, Omega said that he will face Kidd at Wrestle Dynasty if that is what everyone wants.
"I’ve had time to reflect after Power Struggle, and I feel I would regret not being able to make things right. I would hate for this situation to cause a rift between AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. So after conversations I’ve had with President Tanahashi and other executives in NJPW, I’ve decided that if New Japan requests it, if Gabe requests it, and if the fans want it, then I will wrestle Gabe Kidd, as a professional at Wrestle Dynasty January 5," he said.
The altercation between Kenny and Gabe stemmed from Kenny forgetting Gabe's name in an interview and calling him Greg.
Speaking to Fightful on November 14, Kenny said that Gabe wasn't a suitable name for his return.
A week later, he explained why his tune has changed.
"I don’t doubt Gabe’s ability. He is here in NJPW for a reason. I just truly didn’t think that he was someone I should be facing at the moment. That isn’t for a lack of talent, it’s a lack of maturity… and yeah, professionalism. it’s the fact that he will do anything in his power to see his opponents in a hospital.
"Look, I want to make it very clear that I’m not taking this match to make anything other of Gabe than an example. I wasn’t even sure if I would be medically cleared for January 5, but what Gabe did and said was enough to push me over the finish line. I might have been known as the Best Bout Machine in the past, but my goal isn’t to elevate Gabe Kidd to a world class performance. My goal is to show Gabe Kidd the reality of the situation he’s in right now, and show what embarrassment in front of 20, 30, 40,000 people and many thousands more watching around the world looks like," Kenny told NJPW.
The bout between Kidd and Omega has not yet been made official.
Fans can read Omega's full comments toward Gabe here and check out the full interview below.
Fans can read Kidd's comments here and check out his interview below.
