WORST NEWS EVER: KENNY OMEGA INJURED, OUT OF FINAL BATTLE WEEKEND

via PWInsider (you don't have to click that link if you value your computer's well being)

CRAP.

WHO WILL REPLACE

KENNY OMEGA

Photo - SLAM! Wrestling

This is not good. When I read that an ROH guy was injured and wouldn't make Final Battle, I said a little prayer for Kevin Steen and El Generico. So this in fact could be a lot worse, but it's still a bummer.

Omega's matches this weekend were going to be highlights for sure - he was scheduled to face the current ROH World Champion Roderick Strong in Plymouth, and former ROH Television Champion Eddie Edwards in New York at Final Battle. Thankfully, the Plymouth card already has another marquee match in the Kings of Wrestling vs. The American Wolves, and Final Battle has their three EPIC main events, so this isn't so bad (or at least as dire as when KENTA was injured last year and they had to scramble to fill his shoes, which they did admirably by bringing in Nakajima).

Speaking of which, you pretty much have to treat Kenny Omega like he's a Japan star now with the amount of time he spends working there. It's a rarity to have him on an ROH card these days, so in that respect, he's much like a KENTA or a Nakajima - which makes me wonder how they'll go about replacing him. If it either KENTA or Nakajima were injured and needed replacing at an ROH show (and iPPV, no less), ROH would be scrambling to get a big name to fill that spot.

Hopefully it doesn't come to just shifting guys around (i.e. cancelling Andy Ridge's final "Trial Series" match to have Daniels vs. Strong in Plymouth, and throwing Edwards into the Cabana/Perkins match at Final Battle, or something). Because it'd be nice to have someone step in and take Omega's spot that could bring it like he can (I'm sure ROH are thinking and hoping for the same thing).

I will say though, that if they can't get someone big to step up and take Omega's place, it's not that bad. It's super short notice, I'm sure money would be an issue, and to be fair, both cards (Final Battle especially) are stacked and will be great with or without Omega or an equal replacement.

Here's hoping that Kenny Omega gets better soon and can come back better than ever.

And here's hoping that once his ankle is healed he'll still be able to be a real life Zangief.

RAW THOUGHTS + KENNY OMEGA

I don't even think I need to write about RAW. It was too fun to watch just as a fan, I don't want to ruin it by dissecting every segment. Evan Bourne was the star, Santino was funnier than ever (and had the crowd eating out of his hand) and Ashton Kutcher was great (even if he was clearly not there).

And the American FUCKING Dragon stole the show - he is such a bonafide star it actually scares me.

So instead of breaking the show down, here are a few things I wrote down while watching the show:

RAW 5/31/10

THINKING OUT LOUD

Photo - WWE.com

- No one can fold-up Wile E. Coyote style like Evan Bourne.

- Daniel Bryan getting the Ashton Kutcher rub!

- The farm hand is a reference to a joke he made on Punk'd once. How I know that, I don't know.

- And Eve asking to see the farm hand is just about the creepiest thing she could ask. If she asked to see his cock I'd be far less creeped out.

- R-Truth's overtly sexual pelvic thrust dance taunt being described as "R-Truth's unorthodox style" by Michael Cole makes me instantly think of Michael Cole fantasizing about sex with R-Truth.

- R-Truth nearly paralyzed Chris Jericho with his unorthodox style!

- The number of times Cole has said "belly" instead of "stomach" leads me to believe he has the brain of a seven year old boy.

- Bret Hart using his Lonesome Dove acting chops.

- holy hell i'm dying over here. santino is the funniest man on earth. regal (with his "bloody pathetic!!!" and "RIHZGUFSGSIHAOAIH!!!") is a close second.

- YES. Daniel Bryan vs. Miz. My good god. How long I have waited. Okay, like a couple months I guess.

- Greatest segment of television I've seen since Jack realized that he too died.

- Weird segment. Jerry Lawler pretends… then Khali just comes out. Who is still supposed to be in India getting ready to be a World Champion. And it's not him. It's Goldust. No wait, it's one of their "DAMN" segments that upsets my bowels.

- I miss Tony Chimel's "Rated R… SoooOOOOOoperstarrr…"

- I think my two favourite misheard lyrics are Brandon Stroud's "It's a shameful thing, LOBSTER HEAD" and Mario of POW's "APPLEDOUGH" (John Cena).

- Holy shit Evan Bourne main event!

- Evan Bourne looks like a ninth grader next to John Cena, who looks like four or five grown men stuffed inside a Marky Mark halloween costume.

- Evan Bourne, when he gets hit with a big clothesline or something, always reminds me of when video game characters go into rag-doll physics, or whatever it's called when someone gets hit by a car in GTA IV.

- John Cena is more excited on the apron than the fat children watching him in the crowd.

- Crowd is hot as blazes for this main event. They want a comeback like nobody's business. Maybe like Vince McMahon's business.

- Nothing pleases me more than a mark crowd that unconditionally cheers faces and boos heels.

- HUGE night for Evan Bourne. Insane. I love it. Even though I know it's not like it's the beginning of a long term push or anything. Just an awesome show.

Now, onto the second part of this post - KENNY OMEGA.

Browsing Kotaku today, I was surprised to see this post, which included this awesome video of Kenny Omega. Enjoy!

PWG: AS THE WORM TURNS - OMEGA V. RICHARDS - WORLD TITLE MATCH

I still have only seen a few PWG matches here or there - and every time I look up the next card, I feel like a total DOOFUS for not getting my rear in gear and getting me some DVDs.

KENNY OMEGA

PWG WORLD CHAMPION, CHAMPION OF ANYWHERE

DAVEY RICHARDS

SCARY MAN

Photos courtesy of Scott Finkelstein's Get Lost Photography

Both Chris Hero and Davey Richards wanted the match against Omega - so how did the PWG Board of Directors decide just who gets the shot? Former Champion Hero, or BOLA 2006 winner Richards? Both men have extremely valid claims - how on EARTH could PWG officials decide? From PWG's website:

"Both Hero and Richards made appeals to the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Board of Directors for a shot at Kenny Omega, however it was ultimately Davey Richards that got the nod. Chris Hero, who lost the World Championship to "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson at Guerre Sans Frontières, did not receive his contractually guaranteed title rematch, and is therefore owed a title shot. To further plead his case, Hero pointed out that while he was not victorious in three way-contest with Rob Van Dam and Roderick Strong at Kurt Russellmania, Hero was not defeated either, therefore his standing should not be effected. Davey Richards provided a much more compelling argument, by A), defeating former Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Champion "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen, and B), shouting "KENNY OMEGA! I'M COMIN' FOR YOU!" into the microphone. In the face of such overwhelming evidence, it's easy to see why Davey Richards was granted the title shot, and Chris Hero will continue to wait, possibly facing the winner of the World Championship title match at As The Worm Turns."

Show me a better match preview and I'll show you a LIAR.

Here's what's also planned for the February 27th show:

PWG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Champion Kenny Omega vs. Challenger Davey Richards

PWG WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Champions The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs. Challengers The 2 Skinny Black Guys of Low Moral Fiber (El Generico & Chuck Taylor)

SINGLES MATCH

Chris Hero vs. Alex Shelley

SINGLES MATCH

Chris Sabin vs. Roderick Strong

SINGLES MATCH

Brandon Gatson vs. "The Professional" Scott Lost

SIX-PERSON TAG TEAM MATCH

Brandon Bonham, Candice LaRae & Joey Ryan vs. The Cutler Brothers (Brandon & Dustin Cutler) & Christina Von Eerie

TAG TEAM MATCH

Johnny Goodtime & Jerome "LTP" Robinson vs. Malachi "CK" Jackson & Ryan Taylor

STARS 2009 (HONOURABLE MENTION): KENNY OMEGA

Honourably Mention'd because: He's just now hitting his stride and making waves near the end of 2009.

It was only a year and a half ago that Kenny Omega debuted in Ring of Honor, and I was lucky enough to be at that very show. He lost to Delirious in a fun undercard match, and even got some cheers right after.

Since then, Omega has...

- Pinned ROH World Champion Austin Aries (DBDH VII, Toronto, ON)

- Defeated Pro Wrestling NOAH Star Katsuhiko Nakajima (Title TBA, Novi, MI)

- Unsuccessfully challenged for the ROH World Title vs. Austin Aries in a fantastic match (Title TBA, Mississauga, ON)

And now this...

*SPOILERS FOR THOSE WAITING FOR A CERTAIN PWG DVD!*

...

...

KENNY OMEGA

BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES 2009 WINNER - AND PWG WORLD CHAMPION

(Okay so that's not the PWG Title, but let's just pretend!)

Omega won the 2009 Battle of Los Angeles, an annual tournament that is normally just for bragging rights (past winners: Davey Richards, CIMA, Low Ki). But this year, after Bryan Danielson won the belt in his last PWG, he vacated the title and declared that the winner of the 2009 BOLA would be the new champion.

Needless to say, whoever won the tourney would be a surefire star in the Indy scene.

Omega defeated three big PWG mainstays in Kevin Steen, Scott Lost and Joey Ryan (with Ryan and Steen being former PWG Champs), and in the finals defeated a man who's 2009 year has been filled with incredible matches (and has maybe been slightly overlooked because of Davey's great year of matches)... Roderick Strong.

But not only is he the PWG World Champion... he is also the Champion of Anywhere.