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In an unexpected twist of events, AEW star Kenny Omega lost his IMPACT World Championship to Christian Cage on the inaugural episode of Rampage last week.
Even though the larger section of the audience desperately wanted to see this desirable outcome, not many saw it coming.
Nevertheless, the former WWE superstar brought an end to Kenny Omega's reign at 111 days, which saw title defenses against the likes of Moose and Sami Callihan. Christian Cage also handed Kenny Omega's first singles defeat in almost two years.
That said, let's take a look at five possible reasons why Kenny Omega lost his IMPACT World Championship.
#5. To reduce Kenny Omega's workload
Being a champion of different promotions comes with an immense workload, which Kenny Omega carried as the IMPACT World Champion. Aside from his weekly appearances in AEW, The Belt Collector made his presence felt in almost every IMPACT Wrestling taping. On top of that, he even wrestled whenever necessary to emphasize the storylines.
However, a recent report suggested Kenny Omega is currently dealing with nagging injuries. Given the list of health issues, Kenny Omega deserves a much-needed break or a lighter working schedule.
Even though he is fit enough to continue wrestling all the way through AEW All Out, losing the IMPACT World Championship would lighten his load and save him from competing in upcoming events like Emergence and Bound For Glory.
The only reason Omega didn't lose his AAA Mega Championship was that he had to only defend it once in blue moon, which isn't the case with AEW and IMPACT Wrestling.
A much-reduced workload would also help Kenny Omega prolong his wrestling career.
#4. Christian Cage and Kenny Omega at All Out could become a title vs. title match
With the AEW All Out event fast approaching, Kenny Omega dropping his IMPACT World Championship was likely something that added major implications heading into the event.
Given what's on the table, the company could look to book a 'title vs. title' or 'winners take all' stipulation for the match between Kenny Omega and Christian Cage. It could arguably become the biggest main event in AEW's history.
It will be one of those moments when the audience will pop out of their seats at every close pinfall.
The outcome could either bring back the aura of Kenny Omega again or may bring his downfall moving forward. The entire AEW landscape could change if Christian Cage ends up winning again. There are endless possibilities if Tony Khan chooses this direction.
#3. Christian Cage's history with IMPACT Wrestling
AEW's Christian Cage wasn't always a WWE lifer. During his long and illustrious career, Christian had a brief stint with TNA/IMPACT Wrestling that lasted from 2005-08
Those were the days when the promotion was at its peak, with stars like Sting, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles, to name a few. AEW star Christian Cage thrived during that time by having star-making rivalries with these men. He even held the NWA World Championship twice in his early days.
Dixie Carter recently revealed that she hated losing Christian Cage to WWE back in the day.
Now that Christian Cage is back at the top of his game, it could be argued that he is a more suitable guy to bring eyeballs than Kenny Omega.
Not that The Cleaner isn't a bonafide star, but Christian Cage appeals to die-hard wrestling fans, given his connection from back in the day. With ratings in need of a boost, management may want to seize the opportunity with someone who has worked in IMPACT Wrestling before.
#2. Christian Cage picked ahead of Kenny Omega to drop the title back to IMPACT Wrestling star in future
When Kenny Omega retained his IMPACT World Championship at Slammiversary, it became clear that he likely wouldn't be losing it to any other IMPACT Wrestling star moving forward.
This is possibly because there weren't any stars of the same standard as Kenny Omega. It is one of the reasons why The Cleaner never lost the title every time he faced an IMPACT Wrestling star.
In this scenario, having Christian Cage win and then drop the IMPACT World title wouldn't hurt him as much as it could do for Kenny Omega. The AEW World Champion has been booked strongly over the last year, and a small mistake in his booking may halt his momentum.
Christian Cage could drop the title to a well-established heel like Moose down the line.
#1. Kenny Omega reclaims his IMPACT World Championship at All Out
It could be a long shot, but Kenny Omega may end up regaining his IMPACT World Championship back at All Out. The initial plans seemed to be to have Hangman Page kickstart the downfall of Kenny Omega after defeating him for the AEW World Championship.
But those plans have been nixed, given Hangman Page and his wife are due to welcome their first child. Kenny Omega recently stated that he has taken his recent loss seriously.
It could prompt The Cleaner to come all the guns blazing and beat Christian Cage for the IMPACT World title next month.
It could build more heat towards Kenny Omega, setting up a time and place for Hangman Page to return and defeat him for the AEW World title. It would be a bad payoff for Hangman Page if Christian Cage defeats Kenny Omega again next month.
