Chris Jericho Says His Match With Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 Led to AEW’s Launch

Chris Jericho believes that his match against Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in 2018 changed the pro wrestling business, as it led to Tony Khan ultimately launching All Elite Wrestling. Y2J recently appeared on UNTAPPED, where he listed his Mount Rushmore of opponents inside the squared circle. The list included AEW World Champion Kenny Omega.

Jericho recounted their No DQ match for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship inside a packed Tokyo Dome, saying that the fan interest in the match convinced Tony Khan to launch AEW.

Chris Jericho on How His Match With Kenny Omega Led to the Launch of AEW

Jericho stated on the topic, “We changed the business when we had our match at the Tokyo Dome, which at the time was crazy because nobody ever thought it would happen. We’re both from the same small town in Canada called Winnipeg, and we pretty much packed in the Tokyo Dome.” He continued, “Digital streaming was through the roof for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, which then led to Tony Khan seeing and deciding that he could form AEW because there was so much demand for wrestling that was not WWE.”

A year after that epic contest between Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega, Tony Khan launched AEW. Jericho went on to become the inaugural AEW World Champion and continued to be an integral part of the company until last April, when he decided to take a break. Amid reports of his deal expiring and the veteran returning to WWE, it was recently reported that his contract has been frozen due to time added for absence.

Check out Chris Jericho’s comments below:

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