Chris Jericho to face Kenny Omega at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 12

The year 2017 has been a good one for professional wrestling. Great matches have taken place and companies outside of WWE have had a chance to shine. The end of the year is upon us, and it looks like 2018 will start off with a bang. It’s fitting that the former “Millennial Man” Chris Jericho is in the news. Hold onto your butts folks, because Y2J will be fighting Kenny Omega at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4th.

Surprised? Join the (Bullet?) club.

This is one of the most shocking developments I’ve covered since joining Double G Sports. Jericho, a loyal WWE guy, will wrestle for a company outside of Vince McMahon’s organization for the first time since 1999. It all started with Jericho and Kenny engaging in a Twitter war that many brushed aside. There was no possible way these two would cross paths. At the end of Kenny Omega’s match at NJPW’s Power Struggle event however, Kenny wanted another challenge. That’s when the lights went out and a familiar timer began playing. Jericho appeared on the screen to the surprise of many Japanese fans in attendance and challenged Omega.

httpss://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/927140603477086208

This is an interesting development for multiple reasons. First of all, did Vince know about this? How did it all turn about? According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, Jericho and NJPW came to a deal in August. Plans progressed when Jericho announced his Rock-n-Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise with various indie performers participating. He asked Triple H if any NXT talent could be involved but got denied. It seems he went rogue after that and took matters into his own hands,

If Jericho was seriously taking a break from WWE, this would be the move to prove it. If the company did know about this, was a special deal made in place for it to happen? It seems unlikely, especially after the Bullet Club invaded Raw a while back.

While fans would love to see Kenny Omega face former tag partner Kota Ibushi or even face Okada again, I believe they are truly fine with this decision. While he isn’t the young stud he once was, 2017 has been kind to Jericho. He has been rejuvenated, as seen with his run with Kevin Owens. It’s a dream match that will finally become a reality. It will also provide an opportunity to further legitimize Omega’s IWGP United States Championship. Having outside challengers will help make the belt a strong entity on it’s own.

Jericho’s return to Japan will also provide some much-needed exposure. It will be the first time since 1997 that Jericho wrestled for NJPW, and a lot has changed. Business has been booming for the company and it’s just getting better. Jericho can provide that star power that will get people around the world watching. If New Japan is lucky, it looks like Jericho will expose new fans to the fresh talent that they have. Fans would be able to watch an Okada match for the first time or get an opportunity to see the Young Bucks wrestle. It’s a solid plan that can change the landscape of the wrestling world.

From the look of things, the Tokyo Dome will host a variety of great matches on January 4th. The one between pro wrestling’s Alpha and Omega should be quite a treat to watch. 2018 can’t come fast enough!