The Weekend in Wrestling: Kenny Omega Out Indefinitely; AJ Styles Returns
Kenny Omega is out indefinitely
Kenny Omega is out indefinitely.
Omega tweeted on Friday that he was hospitalized. He is battling diverticulitis, which can be severe and cause incredibly intense pain.
Omega, 40, wrestled nine days ago on Collision, where he was part of an exciting bout against Ethan Page. Last Wednesday on Dynamite, Omega shared the ring with Chris Jericho, building to a tag team title bout against Ricky Starks and Big Bill. Clearly, that will no longer be the case. Per sources close to AEW, the situation with Jericho and his pursuit of the tag titles is expected to be addressed this Wednesday on Dynamite.
Courtesy AEW
Speaking with Sports Illustrated in October, Omega added, “I want to add to my legacy with whatever time I have left.”
Health has been an ongoing issue for Omega, and now it is unavoidable. His absence from the ring is a major blow for AEW.
AJ Styles returns on SmackDown
AJ Styles returned to WWE last Friday on SmackDown, reinserting himself back into the main event picture by attacking Roman Reigns–and then laying out LA Knight.
Looking much younger than his age, which is 46 years old, Styles adds a lot of excitement to SmackDown. He also gives purpose to Knight, who is no longer the main opposition for Reigns–Orton is in that spot–keeping him in the mix.
Styles and Knight, who are both former TNA/Impact champions, is a fresh matchup. Their next singles match against each other will be their first, and it will be fascinating to see if Knight can keep their crowd behind him (which has faded slightly since Crown Jewel last month).
Depending on the number of matches Reigns works between now and WrestleMania 40 in April, he now has three outstanding opponents in Orton, Styles, and Knight.
Bryan Danielson delivers back-to-back stunning performances
Even though he is not at full strength, Bryan Danielson is still carrying AEW.
Danielson was part of the Jay Briscoe Memorial Fight Without Honor on Friday at the Ring of Honor Final Battle pay-per-view, and he was pinned by Mark Briscoe to finish an outstanding blend of brawl and mayhem in a bout pitting the Blackpool Combat Club against Briscoe and FTR.
One night later, Danielson wrestled a compelling Continental Classic bout, defeating Brody King. The victory puts Danielson in the driver’s seat to advance to the semi-finals, permitting he defeats BCC brethren Claudio Castagnoli next week on Collision.
While it is still unlikely that Danielson will win the Continental Classic, it is difficult to imagine the tournament without him. It needed someone with his star-power, and even with an eye patch blurring his vision, he has delivered every single time he stepped in the ring.
