Tony Schiavone – ‘Kenny Omega Is One Of The Best Wrestlers Ever’
During a recent edition of his “What Happened When” podcast, AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone reflected on the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship match between Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega at the AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door II pay-per-view event.
Schiavone lavished praise on Omega, calling him one of the best professional wrestlers he has ever seen.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay at Forbidden Door: “I’ve called so many matches, or been a part of so many matches, in my career. When people ask me, ‘Is that the greatest match you’ve ever been a part of, I would say, ‘Yes, it is.’ That’s kind of a difficult statement to make because I don’t recall every match I’ve done, obviously, because I’ve done so many. I’ve done a lot of great matches. Most of the matches that I remember doing are the bad ones, and the ones that have had issues, like for instance Sting and Hogan at Starrcade ‘97. That sticks in my memory because of the f***ed up finish. But as far as guys being able to perform and drama and fans being a part of it, I would say Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay was the best match I’ve ever been a part of.”
On Omega and Hangman Page vs. The Young Bucks at AEW Revolution 2020: “I can also go back to Revolution 2020, right before the pandemic, when Omega and Hangman faced the Young Bucks. That was another one of the greatest matches. People ask me, ‘What’s my favorite match to call?’ It’s still Hogan and Bossman from Madison Square Garden. It was a great match, but not because the match so much as it was because it was my first time calling a big match at Madison Square Garden. So there’s a lot of reasons this is one of the best matches ever. To me, Kenny Omega is one of the best performers I’ve ever been around in my life. Will Ospreay, I’ve seen some of his matches, but not as many as a lot of people who have followed New Japan Pro-Wrestling. I have such a respect for both men, and I knew going in that this was going to be something special.”
On Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada: “I do also want to say that being part of an Okada match was one of those moments that you’ll never forget, and being a part of any Bryan Danielson match is special, especially when he worked the last part of that match with a broken arm. He put that LeBell Lock on with a broken [arm], and we don’t know if he’s working of not, and he forces his hand to lock under that much pain. It’s an unforgettable moment, it really is, for me. I’ll remember that because I was right there, seeing him take the second hand and hook him and stretch that LeBell Lock on. I’ve seen the x-rays and I know how bad the break is. It’s a severe break.”
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