New Year Dash Brought a Golden Alliance

The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada was in the same ring as the IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega, but this time they wrestled as a team against the United Empire.

By: R. Faliani

The “One-Winged Angel” and the “Rainmaker” were bitter rivals back on the 2010s, but 2023 brought a new era for New Japan Pro Wrestling, and an unexpected alliance after all these years. Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada formed a team to face the United Empire, and they had surprisingly good chemistry as partners. If they truly decide to form a real tag team, we could be seeing two of the greatest wrestlers of all time dominate the tag team scene, but we know Kenny has only one tag team partner he wants to wrestle with, besides The Young Bucks.

READ: Q&A with Kenny Omega, his career journey and Japanese culture

IT'S HAPPENING!

For the first time EVER, KAZUCHIKA OKADA and KENNY OMEGA teaming in our main event!

LIVE, English: https://t.co/Y1GPkJYj27#njpw #njdash pic.twitter.com/qGEUwNLp3S

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 5, 2023

We also had a confrontation between the IWGP United States Champion and the fierce Jeff Cobb after the match, and we know that always means there’s a new contender in town. Whether is on Dynamite, Rampage or New Beginning, we hope to see that match sooner than later, because we know it will steal the show. We hope to see more collaborations between AEW and NJPW in the future, because what we have seen these days is the best pro-wrestling that we have seen on a long time.

.@rainmakerXokada & @KennyOmegamanX "Rainmaker + V trigger"

Watch Free⏩https://t.co/CcdQ1XamUA#njdash #NJPW #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/RexQWwDUEd

— njpwworld (@njpwworld) January 5, 2023