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After Sunday night at IMPACT Rebellion, it's pretty clear that AEW and Tony Khan are putting their fingerprints all over the world of pro wrestling in 2021.
In what may eventually go down as the match of the year, Sunday night may have also been one of the most significant moments in recent wrestling memory. AEW World Champion Kenny Omega pinned IMPACT World Champion Rich Swann.
It was a landmark moment in the history of the industry, with the champion of one promotion defeating another to take the world title of another company.
Brilliantly done, and both IMPACT and AEW should be applauded for their efforts to bring these two worlds together. Omega and Swann should also be praised for performing at a level that is seldom seen these days.
Both men told a compelling story and gave all their efforts to tell a titanic tale of triumph in the squared circle. Whether you are a fan of IMPACT or AEW, any true follower of pro wrestling couldn't help but get wrapped up in the emotion of that epic encounter.
And it appears to have worked, with even the staunchest of critics admitting that it was a successful collaboration. Omega brought the level of heat that we haven't seen since his showdowns with Kazuchiza Okada, and Swann played the perfect underdog, defending his backyard with all the anger of a Doberman Pinscher.
But the true story here is the willingness of AEW owner Tony Khan to forge relationships with other companies and build bridges to what is (hopefully) a better future for the industry as a whole. By being willing to cooperate with companies like IMPACT, AAA in Mexico, and New Japan, Khan has opened the proverbial "forbidden door" that he often speaks about.
And that open door could lead to much potential for an exciting rest of 2021 and beyond.
So what happens next for AEW and IMPACT?
We have already seen Omega flaunting the fact that he owns the titles in both companies. He appeared on both AEW Dynamite and IMPACT on back-to-back nights, playing the heel role perfectly.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see how AEW and Tony Khan play this hand since apparently they have made Omega the ace in their deck of cards.
Anyone who watched Rebellion this past weekend had to feel a special excitement for what may come next in both promotions and for the future match-ups we may be seeing soon.
AEW owner Tony Khan (as well as Don Callis and Scott D'Amore) should be praised for ushering in an era of cooperation that could be a renaissance in the making.
Much like Rembrandt, they are painting a pretty picture of what the modern era of pro wrestling could look like. And as fans, all we can do is sit back and admire the beauty of it all.
