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We are just weeks away from probably the biggest and the most eagerly anticipated wrestling show of the year, ALL IN. The self-financed show by Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks has been generating an enormous amount of buzz ever since it was announced. The show has some of the biggest stars in the independent circuit today with the likes of Pentagon Jr., Fenix, Rey Mysterio, Kazuchika Okada, Jay Lethal and Kenny Omega announced for the event.
It was recently announced that the show will be broadcasted live on PPV and on FITE TV app and the first hour of the show will be broadcasted exclusively on the WGN America. This is truly an indication of how strong the 'ALL IN' brand in the past few months.
The 'ALL IN' team has been announcing matches for the event regularly via their Social media accounts. The show will feature the very first meeting between Kazuchika Okada and The Villian Marty Scrull. The Young Bucks will team up with their Golden Elite stablemate Kota Ibushi to take on the team of Rey Mysterio, Fenix, and Bandido. Also on the card, Arrow star Stephen Amell will be locking horns with Socal Uncensored member Christopher Daniels and Adam 'Hangman' Page will be taking on Joey Janella and Cody will be taking on Nick Aldis for the latter's NWA World's Heavyweight Championship.
But one name that doesn't have a match announced for the show as of yet is Kenny Omega. The Best Bout Machine's name has been conspicuously missing from the slew of matches announced for the show in the past few months. The current IWGP Champion was expected to team up with Young Bucks for a trios tag team match but now with the Bucks teaming with Ibushi, it seems like Omega will be a part of a marquee singles match in Chicago.
Here are five potential opponents for Kenny Omega at 'ALL IN':
#5 Tetsuya Naito
Considered the most popular star in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Tetsuya Naito has created magic every time he has stepped in the ring with Kenny Omega with the most recent one being their excellent block match at the ongoing G1 Climax.
Naito and Omega have a very long history in the New Japan and it's time that they lock horns in the United States. With Omega needing an opponent at September 1, Naito can step up and challenge the Best Bout Machine to a match at 'ALL IN' for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Naito with his unique mannerisms and Omega with his innovative moves set will surely enthrall the fans at ringside in the Sears Center. Naito Vs Omega has the ability to steal the show in any part of the world and this is precisely the leader of LIJ (Los Ignorables de Japon) is on this list.
#4 Tama Tonga
There is a lot of bad blood between Tama Tonga and Kenny Omega and things came to a boiling point at New Japan's G1 Special in San Fransisco last month when the Bad Boy of New Japan along with Brother Tonga Loa and father attacked Omega after he successfully defended his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Cody in the main event of the night.
Such vicious was their beatdown that they didn't even spare Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi who they were considered to be close with Tongans and laid out the entire Bullet Club. Tama has since then has the choicest of words while talking about Omega and is looking to destroy the current IWGP Heavyweight Championship as was evident in their Block Match at the ongoing G1 Climax where he along with Bad luck Fale and Tanga Loa attacked Omega before the match even started and got himself disqualified by attacking Red Shoes.
This blood feud needs to come to an end and what better place to do it than the biggest independent wrestling event of the year. Omega putting the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line will be the icing on the cake. This will be a bloody fight with both the men looking out lay out their opponent for good and stake their claim as the true leader of the Bullet Club.
#3 Flip Gordon
Flip Gordon is one of the most promising stars in the independent circuit today. The 26-year old has been campaigning for months to get Cody to book him at ALL IN and even started the '#BookFlip' Catchphrase for the same. He is a regular on the Being the Elite YouTube Show Created by The Young Bucks.
Gordon recently failed to capture the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Nick Aldis and has still not been booked for the September 1st show. I believe that Cody and The Bucks have been playing us this whole time and are surely going to book Flip for 'ALL IN'.
Flip needs a big opponent for the event and they don't come any bigger than the God of professional wrestling, Kenny Omega. Omega can have a great match with almost anyone and Gordon's stock is going to rise very high just by having a match with the best bout machine, Kenny Omega. This might not be the most exciting pairing in the list but we believe that Gordon can learn a lot from Omega and it is a given that these two will have a great match.
#2 Hiroshi Tanahashi
The Ace of New Japan has been going through a dull phase in his career. He lost the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to Minoru Suzuki earlier this year and hasn't been able to find his footing ever since. He has failed multiple time in his quest to recapture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, first loosing to Zack Sabre Jr in the New Japan Cup finals and then losing to Kazuchika Okada at Wrestling Dontaku.
The last time Omega and Tanahashi faced each other in a major match (not including the G1) was at New Beginning at Niigata in 2016 for the Vacant IWGP Intercontinental Championship. Omega defeated Tanahashi to capture his first and only IC title and Ace will look to avenge this loss in Chicago.
Omega and Tanahashi are two of the greatest performers of this generation and as such, it is a guarantee that their match will be a fast-paced and hard-hitting affair. Both Omega and Tanahashi are known for risk-taking abilities, so expect a lot of high flying spots can be expected from these two incredibly talented athletes.
#1 CM Punk
Who Else but Punk? CM Punk Vs Kenny Omega is a dream match fans have been waiting for, ever since rumors of Punk possibly being at the ALL IN Press conference surfaced a few months ago. Fans have been clamoring for Punk to return to the squared circle ever since he left the WWE but the requests proved futile as Punk opted for a career in Mixed Martial Arts by signing a multi-fight deal with the UFC.
But now that he has lost his second consecutive fight and with UFC President Dana White Clearly stating that Punk is done in the UFC , the straight edge superstar's return to the ring seems to be a question of when rather than if and it is only a matter of time before we see him a wrestling ring. Whether or not he will return to the WWE is immaterial as the Independent Circuit today has become so big that Punk has can earn a decent amount of money wrestling on the indies. Besides, any big independent promotion would pay a fortune to get CM Punk in their roster.
CM Punk is one of the pioneers of the business and in some way Kenny Omega resembles Punk in more ways than one. Their match is a mother of all dream matches and the crowds will go wild seeing two of the greatest of this generation going head to head inside the ring.
