Kenny Omega Pins Yota Tsuji at NJPW Power Struggle, Challenges for IWGP Heavyweight Championship

By: Noah Leatherland

NJPW Power Struggle saw the in-ring return of Kenny Omega to the promotion, and a triumphant one at that. Omega defeated both Yota Tsuji and Boltin Oleg in a three-way, and then declared his challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 21.

Kenny Omega managed to hit both men with the One Winged Angel, but it was one hit on the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Yota Tsuji, that brought about the end of the bout. Omega took the microphone afterwards, addressing both the crowd in the Hiroshima Sun Plaza and Tsuji himself. As the champion remained laid out on the blue canvas, Omega called his shot, declaring his challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 21 on January 4th in the Tokyo Dome.

Omega continued his comments backstage, speaking more on his position as challenger:

What I’m after is becoming champion. It’s about being number one. Tsuji, that belt you’re holding—it rightfully belongs to me. I’m the one who deserves it. Because I’m still the best in the world. And I’m better than any legitimate challenger in this company.

Helped to the back, Tsuji also made a brief comment to reporters backstage:

As the top wrestler in New Japan Pro Wrestling, I have to accept today’s result. And I can’t just stay silent about this, can I?

(Quotes translated via DeepL)

Omega’s upcoming match with Tsuji will be his first time competing for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship since 2019. That last instance was Omega as the champion defending against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13. Now, eight years later, Kenny Omega has a chance to reclaim the prize that cemented him as one of the greatest of all time.