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Kenny Omega walked into The BayCare Sound in Clearwater, Florida on Wednesday night knowing it could be the last time he could challenge for the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) World Championship.
That was the condition that Omega agreed to face the champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF). It’s a similar stipulation that “Hangman” Adam Page agreed to and lost to MJF earlier this year. Omega and MJF are two of the top stars in pro wrestling.
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Scenes from the tag team match between Kenny Omega and Adam Page vs. Private Party during All Elite Wrestling Dynamite at the Landers Center in Southaven, Wednesday, January 8, 2020. (Max Gersh / The Commercial Appeal)
The Clearwater crowd was apparently behind Omega. MJF already ruffled the feathers of his potential challenger at All In, Will Ospreay, when he spat in his face during a backstage segment. Tensions were heightened and it marked a terrific match between the two professional wrestlers.
And the judge let them fight. MJF and Omega brought their brawl into the stands in the match before taking it back in the ring. MJF used his dirty tactics to avoid Omega at first. He put the ref in the way of a V-Trigger and then bit Omega’s face.
“I’m moonwalking to Wembley Stadium whether you like it or not,” MJF told the camera during the match.
Omega tried to put some distance between himself and MJF. He went up the ramp and was able to take some control of the match. He climbed a lifeguard tower set up on top of the ram and hit a moonsault on MJF. He got MJF back in the ring and hit a dropkick off the top rope to MJF’s back.
Kenny Omega looks on during Wrestle Kingdom 13 at the Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. (Masashi Hara/Getty Images)
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Omega looked as good as ever and it looked like he was going to take control with hopes of becoming the AEW World Champion for the third time. MJF had other ideas and took advantage of Omega’s blinding speed with a drop two-team. But it wasn’t enough to stop Omega’s momentum.
The two went back and forth as fans waited to see who would walk out of Clearwater with the belt.
As the match progressed, MJF tried to run Omega off the apron into the announce table with a tombstone. Omega got out of it though and hit a V Trigger on MJF. The champion was sent flying off the apron and through the announce table.
When MJF stood up again, the two men were clearly spent. They were trying to get their last candy in. MJF hit Omega with a tombstone pole on a chair, but apparently hurt his knee with the move. Omega got MJF back in the ring and hit two more nasty V triggers.
Somehow, MJF was able to counter a One-Winged Angel with a poisonrana. He hit him with a heatseeker but couldn’t get hold.
AEW Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman will appear at AEW Dynamite at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on February 22, 2023. (Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports)
MJF lined up to hit Omega with the Dynamite Diamond Ring. But Will Ospreay came out to take the ring away. Omega was going to hit MJF with the AEW title belt, but didn’t have the heart. MJF hit Omega with a low blow and the title. But Omega was kicked out after a count.
It was Omega’s turn to turn up the heat. He reached deep into him to hit MJF with three more V Triggers and a One-Winged Angel.
Omega made MJF win the AEW World Championship.
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The crowd went wild and it looks like Omega will go on to face Ospreay at All In later this summer.
