Yota Tsuji believes Kenny Omega’s current path in New Japan Pro-Wrestling carries an important message about respect for the company, its championship structure, and the wrestlers who have built their positions within it.

Tsuji, the reigning IWGP Champion, is preparing for a three-way match in Hiroshima involving Omega and Boltin Oleg. While the bout will not have Tsuji’s title at stake, its implications could be substantial. Tsuji made clear that he does not view Omega as a visitor who should simply arrive from AEW and immediately receive a championship match. Instead, he appreciates that the former NJPW standout is willing to compete in a meaningful match before trying to advance to an IWGP title opportunity.

That distinction matters to Tsuji because Omega is not just another outside name entering a New Japan ring. Omega’s history with the promotion is extensive, and Tsuji watched him closely during his own early days in the company.

“Firstly, Kenny is someone that I have been watching his match from the link side as a Young Lion, so I know he’s from AEW but he used to be in the main losses of new Japan,” Tsuji said. “So, I kind of have a feeling that, okay, I have came to, I have reached this stage to, fight actually against someone like Kenny.”

For more background on this topic, read Will Ospreay Explains How WCW Cruiserweights Helped Shape His In-Ring Style.

For Tsuji, sharing the ring with Omega represents a personal marker of his rise from Young Lion to the man carrying New Japan’s top championship. Omega was one of the defining figures of a previous era, while Tsuji is positioning himself as a central figure of the company’s present and future. Their potential confrontation is therefore about more than an inter-promotional attraction. It is also a collision between a wrestler whose legacy was forged in NJPW and a champion determined to define what comes next.

Omega’s NJPW History Adds Weight To Tsuji’s Challenge

Omega’s standing makes Tsuji’s comments particularly notable. Although Omega is now identified with AEW, his New Japan resume gives him a deep connection to the company, its audience, and its biggest events. Tsuji recognizes that connection, but he also does not believe it should automatically place Omega ahead of the wrestlers currently competing week after week in NJPW.

Tsuji pointed to a familiar dynamic created by the relationship between AEW and NJPW. Wrestlers from AEW have crossed into New Japan and issued challenges that resulted in title matches. The arrangement has delivered major matchups and high-profile crossover moments, but Tsuji suggested that Omega’s approach feels different because he is willing to take part in a competitive, non-title situation in Hiroshima first.

“Kenny came to Ryogoku and I think he was, he knew that in his mind that I am not easy person to put a title match, allowing him to challenge for my IWGP (Championship) just because he came all the way from AEW,” Tsuji said. “I think traditionally, AEW guys kind of came into New Japan’s ring and issued a challenge and he immediately had the title shot.”

Tsuji’s position is not framed as a dismissal of Omega’s credentials. If anything, it underlines how seriously he takes them. Omega’s accomplishments and familiarity with New Japan make him a dangerous possible challenger, but Tsuji wants the path to a title match to reflect the value of the IWGP Championship. A wrestler’s reputation alone, whether built in AEW, NJPW, or elsewhere, is not enough for Tsuji to simply hand over an opportunity.

The Hiroshima match offers Omega a way to prove himself under those conditions. It also places Tsuji in a difficult matchup with two opponents carrying very different threats. Omega has elite experience at the highest level, while Oleg has the physicality and momentum of a man who already owns a major victory over the champion.

Tsuji Sees Respect In Omega’s Decision

The champion said he sees a positive quality in Omega agreeing to a three-way match with no title involved. Rather than treating a championship challenge as an entitlement attached to his star power, Omega is participating in the kind of contest that can establish a case for a future title bout.

“But this time, he is willing to do the match in the three-way with no title involved at Hiroshima,” Tsuji said. “That’s something I can kind of feel some sort of respect from Kenny to New Japan. So that’s something I kind of admire as well, that that I hope to build some positive relationship with Kenny and our AEW in the future.”

That outlook leaves room for the AEW-NJPW partnership to continue producing important matches without diminishing the internal hierarchy of New Japan. Tsuji is not shutting the door on Omega, nor is he presenting their situation as a conflict between promotions. He is acknowledging Omega’s place in wrestling and his own past in NJPW, while insisting that the company’s championship scene should remain competitive and protected.

It is a stance that fits Tsuji’s broader ambition as champion. He wants to be viewed not only as someone capable of defeating top international opposition, but as a representative of New Japan’s identity. Beating Omega in Hiroshima would provide a major statement in that regard. It would show that the current IWGP Champion can handle one of the most accomplished wrestlers associated with both NJPW and AEW without needing to put the title on the line.

At the same time, Tsuji’s remarks indicate that he is open to what could come after Hiroshima. He specifically spoke of wanting to build a positive relationship with Omega and with AEW. A victory over Omega would not necessarily end that story; it could just as easily establish the foundation for an even bigger meeting later.

Boltin Oleg Is The Immediate Unfinished Business

While Omega’s involvement gives the Hiroshima match international significance, Tsuji has made it clear that Boltin Oleg is a deeply personal part of the equation. Oleg defeated Tsuji during the G1, and the champion has not forgotten it.

“In the meantime, Boltin is someone that I’ve lost at G1 recently,” Tsuji said. “So that’s someone that I definitely need to have a revenge, and he is no doubt that one of the best bosses of New Japan.”

That G1 loss means Oleg enters the three-way match with a direct claim against Tsuji. In many ways, he represents the type of challenge that matters most to Tsuji’s vision of New Japan: a rising in-house force with the ability to defeat the reigning champion. If Omega brings a celebrated history and global recognition, Oleg brings a recent result that cannot be ignored.

Tsuji’s preferred route is clear. He wants to defeat Omega in Hiroshima, then move toward a singles IWGP Championship match against Oleg at Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome. Such a match would allow Tsuji to address his G1 defeat directly while placing two key representatives of the company’s new generation in the biggest possible setting.

The champion tied that goal to a larger transition happening within NJPW. With Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement having taken place at that year’s Wrestle Kingdom, Tsuji views the next Wrestle Kingdom as an opportunity to show audiences what the next era will look like.

“The next Wrestle Kingdom is going to be the proof to have the new era of New Japan,” Tsuji said. “So I hope to have the single match, IWGP heavyweight title match against Oleg Boltin to prove the, the New Japan and all the pressing fans that this is our New Japan new style.”

Hiroshima Could Shape The Road To The Tokyo Dome

Tsuji’s ideal scenario is ambitious but straightforward: overcome Omega, secure a singles championship direction with Oleg, and arrive at Wrestle Kingdom ready to defend New Japan’s new era against one of its strongest emerging stars.

However, the nature of a three-way match means there is little margin for error. Tsuji does not need to be directly beaten by one particular opponent for the result to change the championship picture. Omega could make his own case by winning, while Oleg could further strengthen his claim after his G1 victory. The non-title stipulation may protect the championship itself in Hiroshima, but it does not reduce the stakes surrounding it.

For Tsuji, the match is a test of leadership as much as wrestling ability. He will stand across the ring from a former NJPW centerpiece who has become one of AEW’s most prominent names, and beside a powerful contemporary who has already demonstrated he can defeat him. How Tsuji handles both men will shape the conversation around his reign and the road ahead.

Omega’s willingness to compete before demanding an IWGP title shot has earned Tsuji’s respect. But respect will not make the Hiroshima three-way any easier. Tsuji wants to protect the standard of the championship, avenge his loss to Oleg, and make the Tokyo Dome stage the clearest possible showcase for New Japan’s next generation. The route begins with navigating two opponents who each have plenty to gain from stopping him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.