Kenny Omega has heard it all before (mostly from WWE fans); El Hijo del Vikingo isn't a household name, the build-up to their match was non-existent, and calling a non-title match against an international star, even when he's the Lucha Libre AAA Mega Champion, a “dream match” is a fairly liberal use of the term.
In the end, all the IWGP United States Champion cares about is putting on a show, and when it comes to Omega-Vikingo I, a match fan have been waiting to see for two years now, it's hard to imagine a better gateway to AAA's top star than his forthcoming bout on Dynamite, as “The Best Bout Machine” noted in an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated.
“AEW is somewhat of a gateway drug for people that want to see new types of wrestling and these types of unique matches,” Omega said. “We’ll always be accommodating to any talent on the planet—it doesn’t matter where they’re from, their shape, size, color, gender—who can display pro wrestling at its best. Pro wrestling is not just one particular style. A big motivator in creating AEW was unity. Coming together for one common goal, an open door to a platform for the best pro wrestling. By seeing two different sides clash, I hope people receive a different kind of experience from the encounter.
“The two times I was most blown away were by individuals I’d never seen heading into the match. One was Rey Mysterio versus Psicosis in ECW, and the other was Great Sasuke versus Taka Michinoku when they first appeared for WWF. That took me down a rabbit hole so far that it helped create the wrestler I am today. So the people that want to cast this match away because they’re not too familiar with the name Vikingo, I hope they give it a shot. Allow this young man to display what makes him so special. We’re going to more than earn our spot in the show, and you get to be part of that experience.”
Wow, comparing Vikingo's appearance to Rey Mysterio's legendary match against Psicosis on ECW is one heck of a high bar to clear, but considering the soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer has been singing the AAA Mega Champion's praise for years now, if “The Best Bout Machine” can work his younger foil to another five-star match on Dynamite, it's hard to imagine that both AEW and WWE won't be knocking down Konnan's door to sign away AAA's top star and make him into an international sensation.
Kenny Omega believes that Vikingo is an unprecedented in-ring talent.
Elsewhere in his interview with Barrasso, Omega was asked about what makes Vikingo such a special talent for fans who maybe aren't familiar with his work, and “The Cleaner” went on to note the sheer levels of innovation present in every one of his matches.
“Every Vikingo match has something embedded in it that we’ve never seen before,” said Omega. “It’s a very exciting time. I thought our eventual clash would happen in AAA on Mexican soil, but it’s an opportunity that fell into my lap. I’m not the booker, I’m not the matchmaker, I don’t make the rules, but I have been given a chance to wrestle someone that’s going to change the way people think about wrestling and change the way we think about lucha libre. There is a sense of pride to help with this introduction of a new power player in professional wrestling. The way Vikingo’s captured people’s attention and conquered AAA, he deserves a world stage to show what he has to offer.
“I love showing different wrestling cultures. Lucha libre is an art unlike any other. Vikingo is a modern-day innovator and an incredibly talented practitioner of lucha libre. People are going to be in for a treat. This is also a personal test for me. He’s made a couple stops here in the United States with GCW and Impact, and had a couple barn burners, but I want to offer a different experience visually. I’m hoping that the marriage of styles will create something very unique looking.”
Can Omega and Vikingo put on a barn burner on free television? Yes, assuming nothing goofy happens and – wrestling gods willing – Tony Khan books the match in such a way that it's not riddled with commercials, there's a very good chance this match will go down in as one of the best bouts in AEW history and a regular “Rey Mysterio in ECW” moment for Vikingo.
Today is the day. Kenny Omega vs. Hijo Del Vikingo! LFG!pic.twitter.com/cbmFDgCuul
— Dark Puroresu Flowsion (@PuroresuFlow) March 22, 2023
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