Following AEW’s Winter is Coming – one of the best weekly pro wrestling shows in years – Kenny Omega fulfilled his promise to appear on Impact Wrestling this Tuesday. The AEW World Heavyweight Champion, (accompanied by his new manager and Impact Wrestling VP Don Callis) gave a great interview that really sold the gravity of a looming inter-promotional angle and the idea of Kenny as the industry’s top champion. This was followed up by a star-making helicopter entrance and promo for the duo on Dynamite.
Thanks to Kenny’s dramatic win last week, his shocking promise to appear on Impact, and Sting’s historic debut in AEW, the wrestling world has been set ablaze with speculation over what exactly AEW has planned. Undoubtedly, history could mark the 2nd December 2020 edition of Dynamite as a turning point for the fledgling company. Up until now, they’ve been strong and consistent and are compelling alternative to the mostly boring and over-produced WWE schtick. The one thing that has been missing is a white-hot angle to catapult them to new heights.
What brought AEW and Impact together?
Unsurprisingly, an angle like this was entirely off the cards with WWE. It would literally never happen, so there’s no point in even hoping for it. New Japan Pro Wrestling seemed to be the next best alternative, and appeared quite likely, especially with the recent departure of CEO Harold Meij. However, that relationship continues to be a complicated one and an agreement between the two companies has yet to be reached.
Kenny Omega delivered an Okada-style dropkick to Jon Moxley on last week’s Dynamite (and it was called as such on commentary), so there’s clearly hope there that something may materialise one day. Right now, though, it seems nothing’s in the works. Without straying down into Mexico and partnering with AAA – which I don’t think would benefit AEW anyway – there was really only one choice left. The former US number 2, Impact Wrestling.
Due to Kenny Omega’s relationship with Don Callis and Impact’s long history on US and UK TV, this does make more sense than, say, ROH, which is certainly lacking the buzz it once had. That’s not to say that Impact doesn’t have its problems. It is a tainted brand, no doubt. After years of mismanagement, it finally seemed in 2018 that the company would be going out of business. It didn’t happen and was saved by a string of successive short-term buyers. The company hasn’t been hot for years, and it’s a million miles away from where it was in the late noughties. Historically, its ratings on AXS TV haven’t been anything to shout about and illustrate the point that Impact certainly has more to gain from this than AEW. Just look at this week’s ratings – they were up 33 percent from last week.
Not only that, but Impact’s roster is pretty thin. Often what makes inter-promotional angles work are compelling dream matches. Austin/Goldberg, AJ Styles/Shawn Michaels, Sting/Undertaker, and Kenny Omega/John Cena are just a few I recall from past discussions online. Rich Swann (the current Impact World Champion) versus Kenny Omega is hardly as exciting. In fact, it’s difficult to even compare the two. Of course, with clever booking, Swann could be built up to the wider audience as more than just the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion – but it will take some doing. Really, the whole Impact roster needs serious exposure and credibility. A well booked invasion – featuring hot angles not dissimilar to DX invading Nitro back in the 90s – could do the trick. Without wanting to make it sound overly simple, all that is needed is engaging TV that can go viral and, hopefully, penetrate WWE’s loyal fanbase who refuse to acknowledge other wrestling promotions.
What’s next?
Based on the seeds that were planted on Tuesday’s Impact, Rich Swann seems likely to be the first to step up to Omega and Callis. But the ‘paid ad’ featuring AEW President Tony Khan and commentator Tony Schiavone indicated the angle will go wider than that. A full-blown feud between the two promotions also seems to be on the cards, rather than a simple one-off match between their respective world champions. It’s logical and will hopefully make for some exciting TV. That said, this week’s Dynamite didn’t further an invasion angle. That’s likely for the best, though. There is no need to pull the trigger on this too soon, and a slow build is always better than rushing and missing the mark.
The “belt collector” gimmick that Omega seems to be embracing is an awesome fit for him. As a wrestler, he certainly has the resumé to make it believable and it’s a natural fit for his new arrogant heel persona. It’s also the key to this whole angle. Him winning Rich Swann’s Impact World Championship could be the crucial spark that ignites the cross-promotional feud. Obviously, Kenny couldn’t face the wrath of the Impact roster alone, so aligning with Team Taz, the Inner Circle, or even a turned Young Bucks seems a logical post-champion vs. champion angle.
But where will Moxley fit into all this? He certainly needs to get his rematch for the AEW Championship at some point. And knowing Moxley, it will surely be a brutal and bloody affair. How that will be handled without taking the belt off Omega is another more difficult question. Although his position as a constant thorn in Kenny’s side seems all but guaranteed.
Big things are coming
So, will this inter-promotional angle be a success? It certainly has the potential to be. AEW has an opportunity here to build some real buzz – just like WCW and WWF did back in the late 90s. After years of mediocre product from WWE and a fascinating first year from AEW, the pro wrestling world really is their oyster. I expect this to propel them to even greater heights in 2021.
Where do you see the inter-promotional angle going? Do you disagree and think it will be a bad thing for AEW and Impact? Let us know in the comments…
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Featured image credit: All Elite Wrestling
