Fighting From The Heart: The Main Event Of Dominion 6.9
By Jasmine Olan
New Japan Pro Wrestling has put together another incredible show this year with Dominion 6.9. The show lasted somewhere around five hours, and fans were completely dialed in all the way through. The main event saw the Best Bout Machine, Kenny Omega go head to head against the Rainmaker, Kazuchika Okada in an hour plus long war of attrition, two out of three falls with no time limit for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This was the fourth encounter in this little more than two year rivalry for the ages. Emotions ran high as they stepped into the ring in Osaka-Jo Hall in front of a crowd of twelve thousand anxious and excited fans. Emotion seemed to be at the center of every part of this match with so much at stake.
Kenny Omega’s included a short video package telling the story of his journey to Dominion 6.9. It showed Kenny being mentally plagued by flashbacks of his past failures as black feathers fell around him. Suddenly a single white feather falls at Kenny’s feet, and he looks up. Now standing across from him is long time partner and best friend, Kota Ibushi dressed in all white with white feathers strewn across the floor around him. “Are you ready? Have you prepared yourself for what’s to come?” Ibushi asks in Japanese. “Yes,” Kenny replies. “What did it cost?” Ibushi goes on to ask. “Everything.” The portrayal of the Golden Lovers in this video is particularly beautiful. To Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi is an angel who brought him from darkness to light. When the chips were down, and it felt like Kenny had lost everything, Ibushi was right there. In his darkest hour, love was Kenny’s saving grace.
With Ibushi right by his side, Kenny trained harder then ever before. Nothing would stop him from making his dream of becoming IWGP Heavyweight Champion at Dominion 6.9 a reality. He also asked Ibushi to be in his corner for the match. Kenny wanted the person he loved the most right there with him for one of the most important moments of his life, and on that summer night in Osaka love would be on his side as he made his way to the ring looking and feeling better than he probably had in years. He had grown so much as a wrestler and as a person since his last encounter with Okada. The facade of the Cleaner was gone, and in his place now stood the Best Bout Machine. Kenny Omega was ready to have the match of his life against the Rainmaker.
Kazuchika Okada was in the midst of a historic nearly two year title reign as he made his way to the ring confident as ever seconded by his manager, Gedo. Okada had already become the longest reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion ever, breaking the record set by the legendary Shinya Hashimoto. He had also broken the record for most successful title defenses which had been set by another long time rival of his, the Ace Of The Universe, Hiroshi Tanahashi. He was on top of the world but one question lingered in the minds of many watching. Who is Kazuchika Okada without the IWGP Heavyweight Championship? The odds may not have been completely in his favor, but Okada was ready to put up the fight of his life to retain the title.
The first fall would go to Okada, but in the end it would be Kenny who’d get the other two. Both men threw everything they had at each other, neither one willing to give up. Kenny and Okada were each physically drained and emotionally spent by the end of the sixty plus minute battle. For Kazuchika Okada it was another incredible performance despite it being the end of one professional wrestling’s most prolific title reigns. Just barely into his thirties, it’s safe to say there will be more title reigns in the Rainmaker’s future. Okada is one wrestler who will never be far from the main event picture. In 720 days, Okada made history, and that can never be taken away from him.
For Kenny Omega, it was a crowning moment, over a decade in the making. It was something he’d been working toward and fighting for since he was sixteen years old. The one who’d been told so many times before that it couldn’t be done finally made it happen. There was such an important message in Kenny’s part of this story. He was ultimately able to beat Okada for the title because he finallly felt complete as person and had learned to let love back into his life. As main event referee, Red Shoes Unno raised Kenny’s hand in victory, his long time stable mates, the Young Bucks watched from the entrance ramp. Together, Matt and Nick Jackson made their way to the ring wanting to congratulate Kenny and heal their strained friendship. Just before Kenny was presented with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt, he hugged Matt first. Nick joined in on the hug a moment later followed by Ibushi.
With his best friends and the person he loved the most right there with him, Kenny celebrated becoming the 66th IWGP Heavyweight Champion. That moment sent another very important message to wrestling fans that forgiveness is a powerful thing. It also marked the beginning of the Golden Elite. The main event of Dominion 6.9 raised the bar in terms of story telling and match quality like never before and will definitely stand the test of time. What the next step will be for Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada remains to be seen, but fans will be eagerly awaiting the next encounter between these two amazing men, and history is sure to count them among the greatest of all time. Regardless of where their respective journeys take them, there is absolutely no doubt that Kenny and Okada will continue to fight from the heart.
