5 best title defenses of Kenny Omega's AEW Championship reign

Now that Kenny Omega has lost the AEW World Championship, it's time to go over some of his best title defenses. Omega put the title on the line on various occasions and each match was great in its own right.

Kenny Omega has a way of making every wrestler he goes up against look good. Even at the height of being a heel - which meant he attacked people and ran away. Omega would push all of his opponents to their limits, and it's no surprise he's the best bout machine.

Kenny Omega's initial victory came as a huge upset when he dethroned Jon Moxley. The match itself was gruesome, but Omega cheated to pick up the win. Omega relished his role as the top bad guy of AEW and quickly picked up a posse.

The Elite were born. For months they reigned over AEW in both the singles and tag division. Kenny Omega crowned himself the "collector of belts" at the height of his reign. Omega held the IMPACT World title, the old TNA World Title, the AAA World Title, and the AEW World Title.

5. Kenny Omega vs PAC vs Orange Cassidy

Kenny Omega taking a win after a grueling match.

Kenny Omega faced PAC before this match, but this was the first time we'd seen him go up against Orange Cassidy. A bad spot during PAC and Cassidy's match against each other led to a draw, and as a result of the draw, this three-way bout was born.

Triple threats are one of the most nerve-wrecking matches for a champion. Omega could have lost the title even if the two other men pinned each other. As one of the biggest heels in the industry at this point, Kenny Omega was far more desperate than ever. More surprising than this was how dominating Cassidy was at the beginning, as both men were far more established than him.

Cassidy shined towards the end and would've up the win if it wasn't for Don Calis. Kenny Omega eventually got up and tried to separate PAC and Cassidy from the submission hold. Omega attacked the referee and then used all four title belts to attack PAC and wear him down. Cassidy nearly stole the win at the end, before Kenny Omega rolled him over and pinned him.

For those who can't stand Omega, this was a major upset, but a damn entertaining match. It could have been better against a single wrestler, but the trio did what they could and did it well.

4. Kenny Omega vs Rich Swann

Kenny Omega vs Rich Swann was the crossover match fans didn't know they wanted. AEW prides itself on having wrestlers make once-off appearances or partner with other promotions. In this case, AEW went over to IMPACT Wrestling.

The unlikely team-up between Don Calis and Kenny Omega opened the door to IMPACT with a handful of crossovers. The difference in production value was evident but it didn't stop the wrestlers from showing us exactly what they're made of.

Swann had a promising career in WWE, becoming the NXT Cruiserweight Champion. Real-life altercations resulted in his time with them being cut short. Swann was much more successful in IMPACT and became the champion.

Because of both men's reputation at this point, fans might have let this go under the radar. But this match was heavily underrated. Swann outperformed himself and gave Kenny Omega a fight. Unfortunately for him, Omega pulled off the win due to Calis' interference and taking key opportunities to be aggressive.

This win shot Kenny Omega to a level even his NJPW days couldn't compare. A must watch for fans of Omega and wrestling.

3. Kenny Omega vs Jungle Boy

Jungleboy - a wrestler dressed like Tarzan - has become is a major player in AEW and a legitimate championship contender. Even MJF, "The Salt of the Earth", has acknowledged him as a "pillar" of AEW.

Jungleboy earned his title shot after winning the Casino Battle Royal, defeating Christian Cage. The match was slated for Dynamite and Jungleboy warmed up with a promo. His family would be in attendance, which was good for morale but dangerous while Kenny Omega had Calis.

Once the two got into the ring they went old-school with some chain wrestling. This didn't last too long as they broke out into a vicious back and forth. Unfortunately for Jungleboy, even after two dives outside and reversing the One-Winged-Angel, Kenny Omega took the win. Omega ended it off with a viscous V-Triggers and his finishing move, the One-Winged-Angel.

After the match, The Elite tried to further humiliate Jungleboy, but Christian Cage and the Jurassic Express fought them off. Only for the Hardy Family Office to interfere and turn the tide of the brawl.

Regardless of the messy end, this match showed fans that Jungleboy has the mettle to fight for a championship. He pulled off an unexpectedly good fight against one of the greatest wrestlers today.

2. Kenny Omega vs Christian Cage

After Kenny Omega lost the IMPACT championship to Christian Cage at the debut Rampage show, Cage vowed to take more. Omega, now with two fewer belts, had to put another on the line against the veteran Cage.

Because of the high stakes and Omega knowing who he was fighting, we saw him more desperate than ever. He would cheat numerous times with help from Calis, going so far as to disrespect the veteran. But Cage made sure that Omega had the fight of his life.

Both wrestlers were pushed to the limit. After setting up for a Killswitch from the top rope, Cage's move was reversed. Kenny Omega dropped Cage with a One-Winged-Angel from the middle-rope.

Kenny Omega looked good as well as dangerous, but the end of the match wasn't the end of the fight. After the music ended, The Elite walked down to the ring and began a beat down on Cage. Jurrasic Express came to Cage's aid and it soon became an all-out brawl. After a brutal beat down, Adam Cole made his AEW debut, only to end up aiding and joining The Elite.

Their reunion was cut short when Bryan Danielson made his debut to clear the ring and help Cage and Jurrasic Express. The match itself was great, but the fact that it led to two major debuts made it much sweeter.

1. Kenny Omega vs Rey Fenix

Kenny Omega versus Rey Fenix is the only match that could be put at number one. Dave Meltzer gave this match a five-star rating, and it's easy to see why. At the time of writing, Kenny Omega has had a rating of at least 5 stars from Meltzer 19 times.

Omega and Fenix put on one of the best shows, with both wrestlers going back and forth trying to get the upper-hand. The men put their bodies on the line to take each other out. Fenix showed us some of his most impressive moves while Omega showed how he could fit a V-Trigger into nearly anything.

Rey Fenix got so many close spots to pick up the belt, but Kenny Omega was victorious in the end. If fans were still unsure about Fenix, this match would have proven his skill. Hopefully sometime down the road we can see a rematch between the two.

Kenny Omega is one of the greatest wrestlers in the world and had one of the best title runs in AEW history. Whatever lies in store for the Best Bout Machine, we hope he recovers soon and has many matches to add to lists like this in the future.