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Tyson Smith (wrestler)
Encyclopedia
Tyson Smith is a Canadian professional wrestler
, best known by his ring name Kenny Omega. He primarily wrestles for several American
independent
promotions
, including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
, where he is a former PWG World champion
, Ring of Honor
and Premier Championship Wrestling and in Japan
for Dramatic Dream Team
, New Japan Pro Wrestling
and All Japan Pro Wrestling
, where he is the current AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion
. He was signed to a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment
in November 2005 and assigned to Deep South Wrestling, but later asked for and was granted his release in September 2006.
store. After training with Jay for a year, the 16-year-old Smith began working for Bobby Jay's Top Rope Championship Wrestling in Winnipeg
, where over the next two years he eventually developed the character of "Kenny Omega", a Hawaii
an surfer. The surfer aspect was later dropped and replaced with a gamer
/ otaku
character, which included Smith using the Hadouken
from Street Fighter
.
and attended by 1700 fans, he made an impressive debut against his former trainer Mentallo on March 3, 2002. The match was later named PCW's Match of the Year. Afterwards he went on to form a short lived tag team with Mentallo. By this time, he quickly became a rising star in PCW and the Canadian independent circuit. He was featured in director Guy Maddin
's short film Sissy Boy Slap Party, a teaser for 2003 film The Saddest Music in the World
.
The following year, Omega defeated Adam Knight for the PCW Heavyweight Championship on September 18, 2003. Although successfully defending the title against Chi Chi Cruz, he lost the title to Rawskillz on November 26. While in the Canadian Wrestling Federation later that year, he also won the vacant CWF Heavyweight Championship defeating TJ Bratt in a tournament final on December 29, 2003 before losing the title to Zack Mercury a month later. He also regained the PCW Heavyweight Title from Rwskillz less than two months later, however he was forced to vacate the title on March 18, 2004 after suffering an injury.
Later that year, he teamed with his former rival Rawskillz to defeat Shawn Houston and Chris Raine for the PCW Tag Team Championship on August 19. Their reign was brief, however, as they lost the title back to Houston and Raine the following month. On October 17, 2004, Omega appeared at the National Wrestling Alliance's 56th Anniversary Show, where he unsuccessfully challenged Petey Williams
for the TNA X Division Championship
. In March 2005, he lost to Tommy Knoxville at Millennium Wrestling Federation
's ULTRA card.
Omega won an 8-man tournament, defeating the likes of Nate Hardy, Chris Sabin
and Amazing Red
to win the first Premier Cup and the NWA Canadian X Division Title on June 2, 2005. On July 30, he made a one-time appearance for TCW Professional Wrestling when he teamed with The Scorpion to face The Axe and Bobby Jay at the Grand Beach Entertainment Center in Grand Beach, Manitoba
.
In August 2005, Omega attacked Christopher Daniels
and challenged him to a match, seemingly turning heel
as a result. Daniels declined the match, however. After losing the NWA Canadian X Division title to Rawskillz on September 15, Omega attended the Pro Wrestling Noah Camp
in Harley Race
's World League Wrestling in Missouri
. He later lost to Keith Walker
at a WLW show in Eldon, Missouri
, which was later aired on Japanese television.
After facing Johnny Devine
at an Action Wrestling Entertainment event on November 26, Omega made his final PCW appearance after announcing his developmental deal with World Wrestling Entertainment
and made a farewell speech to the crowd on December 1, 2005.
and other talent scouts. As a result of his performance, which included try-out matches observed by Johnny Ace
and Kenta Kobashi
, he was offered a WWE developmental contract and assigned to Deep South Wrestling on a full time basis. He made his debut on October 27, 2005, losing to Mac Daddy Johnson.
On May 4, 2006, Omega teamed with Heath Miller
in a losing effort against Team Elite (Mike Knox
and Derrick Neikirk). After losing to Matt Striker
, Eric Pérez
and Sonny Siaki
during the next few weeks, he scored his first victory after defeating Oleg Prudius
by countout in a dark match on June 1. Although he and Antonio Mestre lost to Urban Assault (Eric Perez and Sonny Siaki) in a dark match on June 15, he defeated Heath Miller in another dark match several days later.
Omega then briefly formed a tag team
with Tommy Suede, which included a loss against Urban Assault on August 3. However, they defeated Matt Striker and Cru Jones one week later. On August 17, Omega lost to Oleg Prudius and, after defeating Cru Jones several days later, he requested his immediate release from his contract to return to Premier Championship Wrestling.
In March 2007, Smith stated in an interview with Gerweck.net that his time spent with DSW was poor and was particularly critical of promoters Bill DeMott
and Jody Hamilton
.
, whom he also defeated in the main event the following week. He defeated Mike Angels and Rawskillz among others during the next several weeks before losing to A.J. Sanchez on February 15, 2007. Losing to Ozz on March 1, he and Nate Hardy lost to Team Impact (Robby Royce and Ozz) later that week. During the next few weeks, Omega won victories over Kraven and Nate Hardy before entering the third annual PCW Premier Cup tournament. Omega defeated Nate Hardy, AJ Sanchez and Petey Williams
to win the tournament for a second time.
Fighting to a no-contest with Mike Angels on June 30, he defeated AJ Sanchez on July 19 and defeated Mike Angels, AJ Sanchez and Adam Knight in a four-way match on August 23 for a match against Samoa Joe
on September 27. Omega lost his match to Samoa Joe in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In October, Omega appeared in Starting Point, the first pay-per-view for Wrestling Fan Xperience, wrestling Último Dragón in a match lasting 25 minutes. On January 31 Omega defeated Mike Angels to win the PCW Heavyweight Championship for the third time. On March 6 Angels regained his title in a three-way match, which also included Jon Cutler. However, just two weeks later Omega defeated Angels to win the Heavyweight Title for the fourth time.
. Omega returned to Pro Wrestling Syndicate on December 9, 2009 and picked up a singles victory against Davey Richards
. On March 22, Omega was one of 12 independent wrestlers selected to compete at the first "Majestic Twelve Tournament" hosted by Pro Wrestling Syndicate at the supercard Majestic Mayhem in Yonkers, New York
. At the event, Omega teamed with Jerry Lynn
to face Kevin Matthews and Tommy Suede. After defeating Jerry Lynn in the semi-finals, Omega fought to a no-contest with Devon Moore when they forced Jack Evans
to submit at the same time. On May 2, 2009 Omega lost to Devon Moore in a Ladder Match in Belleville, New Jersey. On May 17, Omega lost a 3-way match with PWS Heavyweight Champion Devon Moore and Danny Demanto at the Holy Cross High School in Queens, New York
.
on September 8, 2007, in a match, where he was defeated by Danny Demanto. After losing to "The Black Machismo" Jay Lethal
in a singles match and to Teddy Hart
in a three-way match with Xavier
, Omega scored his first JAPW victory on March 8, 2008, upsetting Low Ki and winning the JAPW Heavyweight Championship
in Jersey City, New Jersey
in only his fourth match with the promotion. That same day, he was one of several wrestlers in attendance at WSU's first anniversary show in Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey
. Others at the event included Steve Mack
, Danny Demanto, Ian Rotten
, Kevin Matthews, Vicious Vinny, Inferno, Don Johnson.
Omega's first JAPW Heavyweight title defense was on April 19, 2009, at Spring Massacre, where he retained his title against Frankie Kazarian
in a Champions Challenge. He defended his title against Danny Demanto and Grim Reefer during the next few weeks. During his match with the Grim Reefer, Omega's opponent was injured at the start of the match was nearly stopped by the referee twice when Reefer had difficulty breathing. After the match former two-time JAPW Heavyweight Champion Dan Maff
returned to the promotion and aligned himself with Omega.
On July 7, it was announced by Jersey All Pro Wrestling that Omega and several other wrestlers would take part in a fundraising event for the Beachwood Pine Beach Little League. Among those scheduled to appear were Rhino
, The Latin American Xchange, Sonjay Dutt
, Jay Lethal, Dan Maff, The Heavy Hitters (Monsta Mack
and Havok) and the JAPW New Jersey State Champion Grim Reefer. The event was held at the Toms River Intermediate South Middle School
in Beachwood, New Jersey
on September 19, 2008. On July 10, Omega successfully defended his title against Jon Cutler in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Cutler had previously won a tournament defeating "Outlaw" Adam Knight, Antonio Scorpio, Jr. and Mike Angels to win a title shot against Omega.
After a disqualification loss to Rhino and a match that went to no contest with B-Boy, Omega was scheduled to defend his title on December 13, 2008, in a rematch against Low Ki at JAPW's 11th Anniversary Show. Initially, Low Ki won the match, but the decision was reversed and Omega retained his title via disqualification due to Ki accidentally knocking down the referee prior to the finish. On February 28, 2009, at Jersey City Rumble Omega lost the Heavyweight Title to Jay Lethal, after his associate Dan Maff turned on him, ending his reign at 357 days. Omega's next JAPW appearance took place on December 10, 2010, when he competed in a six–way elimination match for the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship
. Omega was eliminated from the match by the eventual winner, Jushin Liger
. At the following day's show Omega defeated former rival Jay Lethal in a singles match. On May 15, 2011, Omega defeated Liger in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during New Japan's first ever tour of the United States, to win the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship.
debut, losing to Delirious
in Toronto, Ontario
. The following night, Omega made his Detroit debut at ROH New Horizons
, losing to Silas Young. After a losing streak, Omega gained his first victories in December and during his first year in ROH, scored two pinfall victories over the ROH World Champion
Austin Aries
. On November 14, 2009, Omega received a shot at Aries' World Championship, but was unable to beat him for the title. In 2010 Omega began working more regularly in Japan, making only six appearances for ROH throughout the year, with his match against Christopher Daniels on June 19 at Death Before Dishonor VIII
being his thus far final appearance for the promotion.
, where he would go on to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship with Kota Ibushi as the Golden Lovers. On January 31, 2010, Omega made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling
in a tag team match, where he and Ibushi defeated Gedo
and
Jado
via disqualification. During the match Jado suffered a legitimate neck injury from a suicide dive from Omega. On June 1, 2010, Omega entered New Japan's two week long Best of the Super Juniors tournament, where he would finish fourth in his block with four victories out of seven matches, thus failing to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. After defeating Ryusuke Taguchi
at a DDT show on August 29, 2010, Omega was granted a shot at his tag team partner Prince Devitt
's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
. On September 3 Omega made his return to New Japan, but was defeated by Devitt. On October 11 Omega and Kota Ibushi defeated Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
. On November 14 the Golden Lovers made their first successful title defense, defeating Devitt and Taguchi at a DDT show to set up a grudge match for the title with the 2010 Super J Tag League winners, Gedo and Jado. The match against Gedo and Jado took place at another DDT show on December 26 and ended with the Golden Lovers retaining the title. On January 23, 2011, at Fantasticamania 2011
, a New Japan and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
co–promoted event in Tokyo, Omega and Ibushi lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship back to Devitt and Taguchi. On May 26, Omega entered the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors and opened his tournament with a five match win streak, only to lose his last three matches and finish third in his block, narrowly missing the semifinals of the tournament. On August 14, the Golden Lovers received a rematch for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, but were again defeated by Devitt and Taguchi. On September 11, Omega made his debut for All Japan Pro Wrestling
, entering the 2011 Junior League. After three wins and two losses, Omega finished second in his block and did not advance to the finals. However, due to defeating eventual tournament winner KAI in his opening match, Omega was named the number one contender to his AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship
following the tournament. On October 23, Omega defeated KAI to become the new AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion.
debut as a villain
at the 2008 Battle of Los Angeles, but ended up being eliminated from the tournament in the first round by local talent Brandon Bonham. The next night, Omega was involved in a nine-man three-way tag team match consisting of wrestlers who had lost in the first round. In a memorable moment, during the match he was Irish whipped into the ropes by Davey Richards only for the force to snap the middle and bottom ropes, throwing Omega out of the ring.
Three months later, Omega returned to the company at Express Written Consent, where he was defeated by El Generico
, after senior referee Rick Knox grew tired of Omega abusing him and hit him with a leaping clothesline. On April 11, 2009 at Ninety-Nine, Omega picked up his first victory in PWG by defeating Davey Richards after a Croyt's Wrath. The following day at PWG's hundredth show, Omega was defeated by Bryan Danielson
. At the event, Omega debuted his new tag team partner Chuck Taylor in a backstage segment, where they warned Generico to stay out of Reseda
, before he was rescued by Colt Cabana. On May 22, 2009 at the Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament, PWG's annual tag team title tournament, Omega and Taylor, known collectively as The Men of Low Moral Fiber, defeated the re-united Dark & Lovely (Human Tornado
and Scorpio Sky
) in the first round before being eliminated by the reigning World Tag Team Champions
The Young Bucks
(Matt and Nick Jackson) in the semifinals of the tournament. On June 28 at The Secret of Guerrilla Island, Omega wrestled Roderick Strong
first to a double pin finish and then a time limit draw, before refusing to continue the match and walking out. While Omega was touring outside the United States, Taylor defeated El Generico in a street fight on August 28 at Speed of Sound to earn the Men of Low Moral Fiber their second shot at the Bucks and the World Tag Team Title. The title match took place on October 2 in the main event of Against the Grain, where the Bucks once again came out on top.
On November 20, 2009, one year after making his debut for the company, Omega entered his second Battle of Los Angeles, which would this time be contested for the vacant World Championship
. In the first round of the tournament, Omega defeated Kevin Steen
, who was making his return to the company after a 15 month absence. The following day, he defeated Dynasty members Scott Lost and Joey Ryan in the quarter and semifinal rounds, respectively, to make his way to the finals, where he defeated Roderick Strong to win both the 2009 Battle of Los Angeles and the vacant World Championship. Following his title victory, Omega was attacked by Brian Kendrick
and The Young Bucks, who became villains in the process while also turning Omega into a fan favorite
, before being saved by his old foes El Generico, Colt Cabana and Rick Knox. Omega and his former rivals decided to put their past differences aside as they now shared a common enemy. On February 27, 2010, at As the Worm Turns Omega lost the World Title to Davey Richards in his first defense. He has not made an appearance for PWG since.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, best known by his ring name Kenny Omega. He primarily wrestles for several American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
independent
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
promotions
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
, including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla is a professional wrestling promotion that is run by wrestlers themselves as it was created by Southern California wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Joey Ryan, Scott Lost, Super Dragon, and Top Gun Talwar...
, where he is a former PWG World champion
PWG World Championship
The PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla professional wrestling promotion. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship...
, Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
and Premier Championship Wrestling and in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for Dramatic Dream Team
Dramatic Dream Team
Dramatic Dream Team, better known by its initials DDT or its logo reading D2T, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 1997 by Sanshiro Takagi...
, New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
and All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
, where he is the current AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion
AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The All Japan Pro Wrestling World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight The All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling...
. He was signed to a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
in November 2005 and assigned to Deep South Wrestling, but later asked for and was granted his release in September 2006.
Early career
Smith became involved in professional wrestling after he met promoter Bobby Jay while working at a local IGAIGA (supermarkets)
IGA is a brand of grocery stores active in more than 30 countries. Contrasting with the chain store business model, IGA operates as a franchise through stores that are owned separately from the brand. Many of these stores operate in small town markets and belong to families that manage them...
store. After training with Jay for a year, the 16-year-old Smith began working for Bobby Jay's Top Rope Championship Wrestling in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, where over the next two years he eventually developed the character of "Kenny Omega", a Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an surfer. The surfer aspect was later dropped and replaced with a gamer
Gamer
Historically, the term "gamer" usually referred to someone who played role-playing games and wargames. Since they became very popular, the term has included players of video games...
/ otaku
Otaku
is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...
character, which included Smith using the Hadouken
Hadouken
Hadouken may refer to:* Hadouken , a special attack in the Street Fighter series* Hadouken!, an English new rave band formed in 2006...
from Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
.
Premier Championship Wrestling (2001–2005)
In December 2001, Smith joined another local Winnipeg-based promotion, Premier Championship Wrestling. Appearing on the promotion's official launch event, headlined by Eddie GuerreroEddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
and attended by 1700 fans, he made an impressive debut against his former trainer Mentallo on March 3, 2002. The match was later named PCW's Match of the Year. Afterwards he went on to form a short lived tag team with Mentallo. By this time, he quickly became a rising star in PCW and the Canadian independent circuit. He was featured in director Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin, OM is a Canadian screenwriter, director, cinematographer and film editor of both features and short films from Winnipeg, Manitoba...
's short film Sissy Boy Slap Party, a teaser for 2003 film The Saddest Music in the World
The Saddest Music in the World
The Saddest Music in the World is a 2003 Canadian film directed by Guy Maddin. It stars Mark McKinney, Isabella Rossellini, Maria de Medeiros, David Fox and Ross McMillan....
.
The following year, Omega defeated Adam Knight for the PCW Heavyweight Championship on September 18, 2003. Although successfully defending the title against Chi Chi Cruz, he lost the title to Rawskillz on November 26. While in the Canadian Wrestling Federation later that year, he also won the vacant CWF Heavyweight Championship defeating TJ Bratt in a tournament final on December 29, 2003 before losing the title to Zack Mercury a month later. He also regained the PCW Heavyweight Title from Rwskillz less than two months later, however he was forced to vacate the title on March 18, 2004 after suffering an injury.
Later that year, he teamed with his former rival Rawskillz to defeat Shawn Houston and Chris Raine for the PCW Tag Team Championship on August 19. Their reign was brief, however, as they lost the title back to Houston and Raine the following month. On October 17, 2004, Omega appeared at the National Wrestling Alliance's 56th Anniversary Show, where he unsuccessfully challenged Petey Williams
Petey Williams
Peter "Petey" Williams III is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a two time X Division Champion and a former captain of Team Canada. Williams Currently Wrestles for Lucha Libre USA...
for the TNA X Division Championship
TNA X Division Championship
The TNA X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily defended in TNA's X Division—a style based on a fast-paced, daredevil type of wrestling...
. In March 2005, he lost to Tommy Knoxville at Millennium Wrestling Federation
Millennium Wrestling Federation
The Millennium Wrestling Federation is a New England independent professional wrestling promotion based in Melrose, Massachusetts. Founded in January 2001 by promoters Dan Mirade & Neil Manolian, the MWF is one of the top promotions in the Northeastern United States along with Chaotic Wrestling,...
's ULTRA card.
Omega won an 8-man tournament, defeating the likes of Nate Hardy, Chris Sabin
Chris Sabin
Joshua Harter is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Sabin. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he currently teams with Alex Shelley as The Motor City Machine Guns.After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 for...
and Amazing Red
Amazing Red
Jonathan Figueroa is a professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Amazing Red, or simply Red for short. He is best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a former three-time X Division Champion, while also working on the American independent circuit...
to win the first Premier Cup and the NWA Canadian X Division Title on June 2, 2005. On July 30, he made a one-time appearance for TCW Professional Wrestling when he teamed with The Scorpion to face The Axe and Bobby Jay at the Grand Beach Entertainment Center in Grand Beach, Manitoba
Grand Beach, Manitoba
Grand Beach is a freshwater beach on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. It is located on the northern edge of the town of Grand Marais.-History:...
.
In August 2005, Omega attacked Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
and challenged him to a match, seemingly turning heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
as a result. Daniels declined the match, however. After losing the NWA Canadian X Division title to Rawskillz on September 15, Omega attended the Pro Wrestling Noah Camp
Pro Wrestling Noah
is a major Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling ace Mitsuharu Misawa. NOAH is broadcast weekly in Japan...
in Harley Race
Harley Race
Harley Leland Race is a retired American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 7 times...
's World League Wrestling in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He later lost to Keith Walker
Keith Walker
Keith Walker is an American professional wrestler who competes in North American and international promotions including Ring of Honor, Harley Race's World League Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah....
at a WLW show in Eldon, Missouri
Eldon, Missouri
Eldon is a city in Miller County, Missouri, United States. It is thirty miles southwest from Jefferson City. The population was 4,895 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Eldon is located at...
, which was later aired on Japanese television.
After facing Johnny Devine
Johnny Devine
John Peter "J.P." Parsonage is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Hot Shot" Johnny Devine...
at an Action Wrestling Entertainment event on November 26, Omega made his final PCW appearance after announcing his developmental deal with World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
and made a farewell speech to the crowd on December 1, 2005.
Deep South Wrestling
In October 2005, Smith was sent to Deep South Wrestling, a developmental territory for World Wrestling Entertainment, to be evaluated by Bill DeMottBill DeMott
William Charles "Bill" DeMott II is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment as Hugh Morrus and Bill DeMott respectively and as Crash The Terminator in Extreme Championship Wrestling and Japan...
and other talent scouts. As a result of his performance, which included try-out matches observed by Johnny Ace
John Laurinaitis
John Joseph Laurinaitis is the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE and appears on WWE's Raw Brand as interim General Manager. He was previously a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Ace, and wrestled for such promotions as the National Wrestling Alliance and All...
and Kenta Kobashi
Kenta Kobashi
Not to be confused with his protégé Kenta Kobayashi is a Japanese professional wrestler currently under contract to Pro Wrestling Noah. He worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling from 1988–2000, where he became one of the promotion's top stars....
, he was offered a WWE developmental contract and assigned to Deep South Wrestling on a full time basis. He made his debut on October 27, 2005, losing to Mac Daddy Johnson.
On May 4, 2006, Omega teamed with Heath Miller
Heath Miller (wrestler)
Heath Miller is an American professional wrestler working for WWE. He performs on the SmackDown brand under the name Heath Slater. He was a contestant in the first season of WWE NXT, where he finished fourth...
in a losing effort against Team Elite (Mike Knox
Mike Knox
Michael Shawn Hettinga is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment as Mike Knox. He is also an avid fisherman, and fishes in his spare time.-Independent circuit :...
and Derrick Neikirk). After losing to Matt Striker
Matthew Kaye
Matthew Kaye is an American actor, wrestling commentator and semi-retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Matt Striker. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as the host of WWE NXT....
, Eric Pérez
Eric Perez
Eric Alexander Pérez is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler who currently performs under the ring name Eric Escobar. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment , where he spent most of his career in developmental territories...
and Sonny Siaki
Sonny Siaki
Sonny Siaki is a retired American professional wrestler. Unlike many Samoans in professional wrestling, he is not part of the large Anoa'i or Fatu family.-Early life:...
during the next few weeks, he scored his first victory after defeating Oleg Prudius
Oleg Prudius
Oleg Aleksandrovich Prudius is a Ukrainian American professional wrestler, also known by his ring name Vladimir Kozlov . Since competing for WWE, he won the WWE Tag Team Championships with Santino Marella on one occasion...
by countout in a dark match on June 1. Although he and Antonio Mestre lost to Urban Assault (Eric Perez and Sonny Siaki) in a dark match on June 15, he defeated Heath Miller in another dark match several days later.
Omega then briefly formed a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
with Tommy Suede, which included a loss against Urban Assault on August 3. However, they defeated Matt Striker and Cru Jones one week later. On August 17, Omega lost to Oleg Prudius and, after defeating Cru Jones several days later, he requested his immediate release from his contract to return to Premier Championship Wrestling.
In March 2007, Smith stated in an interview with Gerweck.net that his time spent with DSW was poor and was particularly critical of promoters Bill DeMott
Bill DeMott
William Charles "Bill" DeMott II is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment as Hugh Morrus and Bill DeMott respectively and as Crash The Terminator in Extreme Championship Wrestling and Japan...
and Jody Hamilton
Jody Hamilton
Joseph "Jody" Hamilton is an American retired professional wrestler and current wrestling promoter and trainer. In his active days Hamiltion was best known as known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1"...
.
Return to PCW (2006–present)
On September 14, 2006, Omega made his return to PCW, defeating Rawskillz to earn a match with A.J. StylesA.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, whom he also defeated in the main event the following week. He defeated Mike Angels and Rawskillz among others during the next several weeks before losing to A.J. Sanchez on February 15, 2007. Losing to Ozz on March 1, he and Nate Hardy lost to Team Impact (Robby Royce and Ozz) later that week. During the next few weeks, Omega won victories over Kraven and Nate Hardy before entering the third annual PCW Premier Cup tournament. Omega defeated Nate Hardy, AJ Sanchez and Petey Williams
Petey Williams
Peter "Petey" Williams III is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a two time X Division Champion and a former captain of Team Canada. Williams Currently Wrestles for Lucha Libre USA...
to win the tournament for a second time.
Fighting to a no-contest with Mike Angels on June 30, he defeated AJ Sanchez on July 19 and defeated Mike Angels, AJ Sanchez and Adam Knight in a four-way match on August 23 for a match against Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
on September 27. Omega lost his match to Samoa Joe in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In October, Omega appeared in Starting Point, the first pay-per-view for Wrestling Fan Xperience, wrestling Último Dragón in a match lasting 25 minutes. On January 31 Omega defeated Mike Angels to win the PCW Heavyweight Championship for the third time. On March 6 Angels regained his title in a three-way match, which also included Jon Cutler. However, just two weeks later Omega defeated Angels to win the Heavyweight Title for the fourth time.
Pro Wrestling Syndicate (2007–2008)
Kenny Omega made his debut for Pro Wrestling Syndicate (PWS) on September 7, 2007 in a match where he was defeated by Danny Demanto in Garfield, NJ. After the match Omega was involved in a confrontation with Commissioner Necro ButcherNecro Butcher
Dylan Keith Summers is an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Necro Butcher. Throughout the years he has worked for various promotions, including Beyond Wrestling, Firestormpro, Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, IWA-Mid South, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Big Japan Pro Wrestling,...
. Omega returned to Pro Wrestling Syndicate on December 9, 2009 and picked up a singles victory against Davey Richards
Davey Richards
Wesley David Richards is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Davey Richards.Richards is currently under contract with Ring of Honor, where he is the current ROH World Champion, but also wrestles for several companies on the independent circuit, including Pro Wrestling...
. On March 22, Omega was one of 12 independent wrestlers selected to compete at the first "Majestic Twelve Tournament" hosted by Pro Wrestling Syndicate at the supercard Majestic Mayhem in Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
. At the event, Omega teamed with Jerry Lynn
Jerry Lynn
Jeremy "Jerry" Lynn is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
to face Kevin Matthews and Tommy Suede. After defeating Jerry Lynn in the semi-finals, Omega fought to a no-contest with Devon Moore when they forced Jack Evans
Jack Evans
Jack Edward Miller is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jack Evans. He currently performs for the Mexican-based promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, where he is the current World Cruiserweight Champion and a former World Tag Team Champion. He is the cousin...
to submit at the same time. On May 2, 2009 Omega lost to Devon Moore in a Ladder Match in Belleville, New Jersey. On May 17, Omega lost a 3-way match with PWS Heavyweight Champion Devon Moore and Danny Demanto at the Holy Cross High School in Queens, New York
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
.
Jersey All Pro Wrestling (2007–2009, 2010–present)
Omega made his debut for Jersey All Pro WrestlingJersey All Pro Wrestling
Jersey All Pro Wrestling is an independent wrestling promotion based in New Jersey.-1997:Jersey All Pro Wrestling is an independent wrestling promotion that was founded by "Fat" Frank Iadeavia on April 19, 1997. This promotion was born out of a dream of "Fat" Frank. He wanted to take the promotion...
on September 8, 2007, in a match, where he was defeated by Danny Demanto. After losing to "The Black Machismo" Jay Lethal
Jay Lethal
Jamar "Jay" Shipman better known by his ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Ring of Honor , where he is the ROH World Television Champion...
in a singles match and to Teddy Hart
Teddy Hart
Teddy Annis , is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Teddy Hart. He is currently working on the American independent circuit for promotions such as Jersey All Pro Wrestling and Dragon Gate USA...
in a three-way match with Xavier
John Jirus
John Jirus is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Ring of Honor between 2002 and 2004 as Xavier. He is a former ROH Champion.-Professional wrestling career:Jirus trained under Tony DeVito before debuting in 1997...
, Omega scored his first JAPW victory on March 8, 2008, upsetting Low Ki and winning the JAPW Heavyweight Championship
JAPW Heavyweight Championship
The Jersey All Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship in the American independent professional wrestling promotion Jersey All Pro Wrestling. Being a professional wrestling championship, it is not won via direct competition; it is instead won via a...
in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
in only his fourth match with the promotion. That same day, he was one of several wrestlers in attendance at WSU's first anniversary show in Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey
Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey
Lake Hiawatha is an unincorporated area within Parsippany-Troy Hills in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP code 07034...
. Others at the event included Steve Mack
Steve Mack
Steven "Steve" Carrasquillo is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Monsta Mack. He is perhaps best known for his stint in Ring of Honor with Dan "Mafia" Maff as the tag team Da Hit Squad...
, Danny Demanto, Ian Rotten
Ian Rotten
John Benson Williams is an American professional Wrestler better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in Global Wrestling Federation , Extreme Championship Wrestling , and his own wrestling promotion IWA: Mid-South.-Early career:After becoming a fan of Dusty Rhodes and "Superstar"...
, Kevin Matthews, Vicious Vinny, Inferno, Don Johnson.
Omega's first JAPW Heavyweight title defense was on April 19, 2009, at Spring Massacre, where he retained his title against Frankie Kazarian
Frankie Kazarian
Frank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
in a Champions Challenge. He defended his title against Danny Demanto and Grim Reefer during the next few weeks. During his match with the Grim Reefer, Omega's opponent was injured at the start of the match was nearly stopped by the referee twice when Reefer had difficulty breathing. After the match former two-time JAPW Heavyweight Champion Dan Maff
Dan Lopez
Dan Lopez is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Dan "Danny" Maff. He retired in March 2005 following an as yet undisclosed incident involving his trainer, Homicide, and remained inactive until returning in June 2008....
returned to the promotion and aligned himself with Omega.
On July 7, it was announced by Jersey All Pro Wrestling that Omega and several other wrestlers would take part in a fundraising event for the Beachwood Pine Beach Little League. Among those scheduled to appear were Rhino
Terry Gerin
Terrance "Terry" Gerin is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by the ring name Rhino . He is best known for his career in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, The Latin American Xchange, Sonjay Dutt
Sonjay Dutt
Retesh Bhalla is an American professional wrestler of Indian Punjabi descent, better known by his ring name, Sonjay Dutt. He is best known working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and is also known for his stints with Combat Zone Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, and other various independent...
, Jay Lethal, Dan Maff, The Heavy Hitters (Monsta Mack
Steve Mack
Steven "Steve" Carrasquillo is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Monsta Mack. He is perhaps best known for his stint in Ring of Honor with Dan "Mafia" Maff as the tag team Da Hit Squad...
and Havok) and the JAPW New Jersey State Champion Grim Reefer. The event was held at the Toms River Intermediate South Middle School
Toms River Regional Schools
Toms River Regional Schools is a regional public school district primarily located in the quickly growing coastal community of Toms River, located in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, along the state's Jersey Shore....
in Beachwood, New Jersey
Beachwood, New Jersey
Beachwood is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population increased to a record high of 11,045....
on September 19, 2008. On July 10, Omega successfully defended his title against Jon Cutler in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Cutler had previously won a tournament defeating "Outlaw" Adam Knight, Antonio Scorpio, Jr. and Mike Angels to win a title shot against Omega.
After a disqualification loss to Rhino and a match that went to no contest with B-Boy, Omega was scheduled to defend his title on December 13, 2008, in a rematch against Low Ki at JAPW's 11th Anniversary Show. Initially, Low Ki won the match, but the decision was reversed and Omega retained his title via disqualification due to Ki accidentally knocking down the referee prior to the finish. On February 28, 2009, at Jersey City Rumble Omega lost the Heavyweight Title to Jay Lethal, after his associate Dan Maff turned on him, ending his reign at 357 days. Omega's next JAPW appearance took place on December 10, 2010, when he competed in a six–way elimination match for the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship
JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship
The JAPW New Jersey State Championship is a title in the Jersey All Pro Wrestling professional wrestling promotion. Being a professional wrestling championship, it is not won via direct competition; it is instead won via a predetermined ending to a match or awarded to a wrestler because of a...
. Omega was eliminated from the match by the eventual winner, Jushin Liger
Jushin Liger
, better known as and later, is a Japanese professional wrestler who primarily works for New Japan Pro Wrestling.He has wrestled and beaten many of the top smaller wrestlers in both Japan and the United States, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most revolutionary junior...
. At the following day's show Omega defeated former rival Jay Lethal in a singles match. On May 15, 2011, Omega defeated Liger in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during New Japan's first ever tour of the United States, to win the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship.
Ring of Honor (2008–2010)
On July 25, 2008, Omega made his Ring of HonorRing of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
debut, losing to Delirious
Delirious (wrestler)
Hunter Johnston is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Delirious. He is currently wrestling for Ring of Honor, International Wrestling Cartel, Chikara, Pro Wrestling Noah, and Jersey All Pro Wrestling...
in Toronto, Ontario
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The following night, Omega made his Detroit debut at ROH New Horizons
ROH New Horizons
New Horizons was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Ring of Honor. It took place on July 26, 2008 from the Michigan State Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Detroit, Michigan, and was first aired on September 26.-Results:...
, losing to Silas Young. After a losing streak, Omega gained his first victories in December and during his first year in ROH, scored two pinfall victories over the ROH World Champion
ROH World Championship
The Ring of Honor World Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Ring of Honor. The championship has also been through other companies in cooperation with ROH through the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance , the governing body of many independent wrestling...
Austin Aries
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy "Dan" Solwold, Jr. better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is the current X Division Champion...
. On November 14, 2009, Omega received a shot at Aries' World Championship, but was unable to beat him for the title. In 2010 Omega began working more regularly in Japan, making only six appearances for ROH throughout the year, with his match against Christopher Daniels on June 19 at Death Before Dishonor VIII
Death Before Dishonor VIII
Death Before Dishonor VIII was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Ring of Honor , which was only available online. There had been seven events entitled Death Before Dishonor in the past with this being the event's first time on pay per view...
being his thus far final appearance for the promotion.
Japan (2008–present)
In early-August 2008, Omega began touring Japan with Dramatic Dream TeamDramatic Dream Team
Dramatic Dream Team, better known by its initials DDT or its logo reading D2T, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 1997 by Sanshiro Takagi...
, where he would go on to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship with Kota Ibushi as the Golden Lovers. On January 31, 2010, Omega made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
in a tag team match, where he and Ibushi defeated Gedo
Keiji Takayama
Keiji Takayama better known as Gedo , is a long time professional wrestler. He formed a long-lasting tag team with Jado...
and
The World Class Tag Team
The World Class Tag Team is a professional wrestling tag team that currently work in New Japan Pro Wrestling. One of the most accomplished tag teams in puroresu, the team has won numerous tag team titles and six-man tag tean titles in over seven promotions....
Jado
Shoji Akiyoshi
, better known by his ring name is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his work in New Japan Pro Wrestling with his tag team partner Gedo...
via disqualification. During the match Jado suffered a legitimate neck injury from a suicide dive from Omega. On June 1, 2010, Omega entered New Japan's two week long Best of the Super Juniors tournament, where he would finish fourth in his block with four victories out of seven matches, thus failing to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. After defeating Ryusuke Taguchi
Ryusuke Taguchi
is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion....
at a DDT show on August 29, 2010, Omega was granted a shot at his tag team partner Prince Devitt
Fergal Devitt
Fergal Devitt is an Irish professional wrestler currently contracted by New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is currently in his second reign as the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion...
's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling junior heavweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on February 6, 1986 at a NJPW show....
. On September 3 Omega made his return to New Japan, but was defeated by Devitt. On October 11 Omega and Kota Ibushi defeated Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on August 8, 1998 at a NJPW live event...
. On November 14 the Golden Lovers made their first successful title defense, defeating Devitt and Taguchi at a DDT show to set up a grudge match for the title with the 2010 Super J Tag League winners, Gedo and Jado. The match against Gedo and Jado took place at another DDT show on December 26 and ended with the Golden Lovers retaining the title. On January 23, 2011, at Fantasticamania 2011
Fantasticamania 2011
Fantasticamania 2011 was the name of two professional wrestling major shows produced that took place on January 22 and January 23, 2011 in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan...
, a New Japan and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre is a Lucha Libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City while running cards in Guadalajara, Puebla and elsewhere in central and southern Mexico...
co–promoted event in Tokyo, Omega and Ibushi lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship back to Devitt and Taguchi. On May 26, Omega entered the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors and opened his tournament with a five match win streak, only to lose his last three matches and finish third in his block, narrowly missing the semifinals of the tournament. On August 14, the Golden Lovers received a rematch for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, but were again defeated by Devitt and Taguchi. On September 11, Omega made his debut for All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
, entering the 2011 Junior League. After three wins and two losses, Omega finished second in his block and did not advance to the finals. However, due to defeating eventual tournament winner KAI in his opening match, Omega was named the number one contender to his AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship
AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The All Japan Pro Wrestling World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight The All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling...
following the tournament. On October 23, Omega defeated KAI to become the new AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2008–2010)
On November 1, 2008, Omega made his Pro Wrestling GuerrillaPro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla is a professional wrestling promotion that is run by wrestlers themselves as it was created by Southern California wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Joey Ryan, Scott Lost, Super Dragon, and Top Gun Talwar...
debut as a villain
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
at the 2008 Battle of Los Angeles, but ended up being eliminated from the tournament in the first round by local talent Brandon Bonham. The next night, Omega was involved in a nine-man three-way tag team match consisting of wrestlers who had lost in the first round. In a memorable moment, during the match he was Irish whipped into the ropes by Davey Richards only for the force to snap the middle and bottom ropes, throwing Omega out of the ring.
Three months later, Omega returned to the company at Express Written Consent, where he was defeated by El Generico
El Generico
Rami Sebei is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name El Generico. Sebei uses the gimmick of a luchador from Mexico...
, after senior referee Rick Knox grew tired of Omega abusing him and hit him with a leaping clothesline. On April 11, 2009 at Ninety-Nine, Omega picked up his first victory in PWG by defeating Davey Richards after a Croyt's Wrath. The following day at PWG's hundredth show, Omega was defeated by Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...
. At the event, Omega debuted his new tag team partner Chuck Taylor in a backstage segment, where they warned Generico to stay out of Reseda
Reseda, Los Angeles, California
Reseda is a San Fernando Valley district in the city of Los Angeles, California.-History:The area now known as Reseda was originally inhabited by Native Americans of the Tongva tribe that lived close to the Los Angeles River....
, before he was rescued by Colt Cabana. On May 22, 2009 at the Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament, PWG's annual tag team title tournament, Omega and Taylor, known collectively as The Men of Low Moral Fiber, defeated the re-united Dark & Lovely (Human Tornado
Human Tornado
Craig Williams , better known by his ring name, Human Tornado, is an American retired professional wrestler. His character was that of a stereotypical 1970s blaxploitation street pimp. He performed primarily on the Californian independent circuit, most prominently for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, the...
and Scorpio Sky
Scorpio Sky
Schuyler Andrews, better known as Scorpio Sky, is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is best known for his appearances on MTV's Wrestling Society X, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and Lucha Vavoom, but has also worked in Japan, Germany and England. Sky has held titles in the...
) in the first round before being eliminated by the reigning World Tag Team Champions
PWG World Tag Team Championship
The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla promotion...
The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks is an American professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real life brothers Matt and Nick Massie from Southern California...
(Matt and Nick Jackson) in the semifinals of the tournament. On June 28 at The Secret of Guerrilla Island, Omega wrestled Roderick Strong
Roderick Strong
Chris Lindsey is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Roderick Strong. Strong currently competes in several independent promotions, most notably Ring of Honor , Full Impact Pro , and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla .He initially debuted as The Jester on the Floridian...
first to a double pin finish and then a time limit draw, before refusing to continue the match and walking out. While Omega was touring outside the United States, Taylor defeated El Generico in a street fight on August 28 at Speed of Sound to earn the Men of Low Moral Fiber their second shot at the Bucks and the World Tag Team Title. The title match took place on October 2 in the main event of Against the Grain, where the Bucks once again came out on top.
On November 20, 2009, one year after making his debut for the company, Omega entered his second Battle of Los Angeles, which would this time be contested for the vacant World Championship
PWG World Championship
The PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla professional wrestling promotion. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship...
. In the first round of the tournament, Omega defeated Kevin Steen
Kevin Steen
Kevin Steen is a Canadian professional wrestler, currently performing for various promotions on the independent circuit, most notably California-based Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Ring of Honor.-Professional wrestling career:...
, who was making his return to the company after a 15 month absence. The following day, he defeated Dynasty members Scott Lost and Joey Ryan in the quarter and semifinal rounds, respectively, to make his way to the finals, where he defeated Roderick Strong to win both the 2009 Battle of Los Angeles and the vacant World Championship. Following his title victory, Omega was attacked by Brian Kendrick
Brian Kendrick
Brian David Kendrick is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under his real name. Before joining TNA he spent several years wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment, where he wrestled under his name, as Spanky, and finally as "The" Brian Kendrick...
and The Young Bucks, who became villains in the process while also turning Omega into a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
, before being saved by his old foes El Generico, Colt Cabana and Rick Knox. Omega and his former rivals decided to put their past differences aside as they now shared a common enemy. On February 27, 2010, at As the Worm Turns Omega lost the World Title to Davey Richards in his first defense. He has not made an appearance for PWG since.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Aoi Shoudou (Cross-legged fisherman buster)
- Croyt's Wrath (Electric chair dropped into a bridging German suplex, sometimes from the second rope)
- EX Hadouken (High-impact double palm thrust to a kneeling opponent's face, with theatrics)
- Signature moves
- 450° splash
- Back to belly piledriver
- Flash Man's Time Stopper (Step-up enzuigiri, with theatrics)
- Greetings From Winnipeg (Low blow, with theatrics)
- Hadouken (Double palm thrust to the opponent's chest)
- Kotaro Krusher (LeapfrogLeapfrogLeapfrog is a children's game in which players vault over each other's stooped backs. The first participant rests hands on knees and bends over, which is called giving a back. Games of this sort have been called by this name since at least the late sixteenth century.The next player places hands on...
transitioned into a one-handed bulldog) - Missile dropkick
- Monkey flip
- Multiple suplexSuplexA suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...
variations
-
-
- Dragon Rebirth (Twisting dragon)
- Dragon Revolution (Pumphandle flipping release half nelson)
- Dragon Rush (Flipping release dragon)
- Reverse hurricanrana
- Springboard moonsault
- Tony Jaa (Running double high knee, with theatrics)
-
- With Kota Ibushi
- Golden Shower (Simultaneous 450° splashes from the same turnbuckle)
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s - "Canadian X"
- "The Destiny Flower"
- "King of the Anywhere Match"
- "The Master of the Dark Hadou"
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Pro WrestlingAll Japan Pro Wrestlingis a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
- AJPW World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipAJPW World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe All Japan Pro Wrestling World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight The All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling...
(1 time, current)
- AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship
- Canadian Wrestling's Elite
- CWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Danny Duggan
- CWE Tag Team Championship Tournament (2010) – with Danny Duggan
- Canadian Wrestling Federation
- CWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Dramatic Dream TeamDramatic Dream TeamDramatic Dream Team, better known by its initials DDT or its logo reading D2T, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 1997 by Sanshiro Takagi...
- KO-D Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Kota Ibushi (1) and Michael Nakazawa (1)
- Nihonkai Six Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mr. #6 and Riho
- Jersey All Pro WrestlingJersey All Pro WrestlingJersey All Pro Wrestling is an independent wrestling promotion based in New Jersey.-1997:Jersey All Pro Wrestling is an independent wrestling promotion that was founded by "Fat" Frank Iadeavia on April 19, 1997. This promotion was born out of a dream of "Fat" Frank. He wanted to take the promotion...
- JAPW Heavyweight ChampionshipJAPW Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Jersey All Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship in the American independent professional wrestling promotion Jersey All Pro Wrestling. Being a professional wrestling championship, it is not won via direct competition; it is instead won via a...
(1 time) - JAPW Light Heavyweight ChampionshipJAPW Light Heavyweight ChampionshipThe JAPW New Jersey State Championship is a title in the Jersey All Pro Wrestling professional wrestling promotion. Being a professional wrestling championship, it is not won via direct competition; it is instead won via a predetermined ending to a match or awarded to a wrestler because of a...
(1 time, current)
- JAPW Heavyweight Championship
- Main Stream Wrestling
- Canadian Unified Junior Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Canadian X Championship (1 time)
- New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team ChampionshipIWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team ChampionshipThe IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on August 8, 1998 at a NJPW live event...
(1 time) – with Kota Ibushi
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
- Premier Championship Wrestling
- PCW Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
- PCW Tag Team Championship (2 times, current) – with Rawskillz (1) and Chris Stevens (1, current)
- Premier Cup (2005, 2007)
- Match of the Year (2002) vs. Mentallo
- Pro Wrestling GuerrillaPro Wrestling GuerrillaPro Wrestling Guerrilla is a professional wrestling promotion that is run by wrestlers themselves as it was created by Southern California wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Joey Ryan, Scott Lost, Super Dragon, and Top Gun Talwar...
- PWG World ChampionshipPWG World ChampionshipThe PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla professional wrestling promotion. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship...
(1 time) - Battle of Los Angeles (2009)
- PWG World Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #85 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011
- Tokyo Sports Grand Prix
- Best Bout (2010) with Kota Ibushi vs. Prince DevittFergal DevittFergal Devitt is an Irish professional wrestler currently contracted by New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is currently in his second reign as the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion...
and Ryusuke TaguchiRyusuke Taguchiis a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion....
(NJPW, October 11)
- Best Bout (2010) with Kota Ibushi vs. Prince Devitt