Kenny Omega has been awarded 20 five star matches by Dave Meltzer by his incredible career so far – with many more expected to come.
The Best Bout Machine earned the nickname by his incredible in-ring performances for New Japan Pro Wrestling – rising to the top of the card despite being up against some of the best wrestlers in the world.
Stepping into the ring with the likes of Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito and Kota Ibushi, he managed to put on some of the most impressive matches ever and etch his name into the annuls of wrestling history.
His performances did not waiver once leaving the company to sign for start-up company All Elite Wrestling.
In AEW, he became the third ever AEW Champion and put on multiple five star matches, as well as many others that almost made the grade and perhaps should have been given higher ratings (like the Triple Threat with Orange Cassidy and PAC at Double or Nothing 2021).
In this article, we’ll look at every five star match that Kenny Omega has been awarded by The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer. This will also include matches that exceed five stars, as the Canadian star has many bouts that have reached six, or even seven stars.
Kenny Omega Five Star Matches
Kenny Omega vs Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 2016 (5 Stars)
Kenny Omega’s first five star match came during the 2016 G1 Climax. Facing fellow main event star Tetsuya Naito, both men were trying to win the G1 Climax to earn the chance to main event Wrestle Kingdom 11 against champion Kazuchika Okada.
In a brilliant match, Omega came out victorious with his One Winged Angel finishing move and went on to win the five star match, setting up a titanic clash with Okada at the Tokyo Dome.
Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 (6 Stars)
What some still call both man’s best ever match, Kazuchika Okada defended his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against G1 Climax winner Kenny Omega in the main event of the Tokyo Dome show in 2017. The two stars battled it out for over half an hour in a match that wowed fans in a way nobody had ever seen before.
It was the first match in their legendary rivalry and saw Okada run out the winner after a Rainmaker. It was awarded six stars at the time by the Wrestle Observer.
Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Dominion 6.11 (6.25 Stars)
The second bout between these two icons somehow managed to surpass the first. With the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line, the pair wrestled to a 60 minute time limit draw to leave fans wanting more and setting up a rematch for the future.
The match was rate 6.25 stars by Dave Meltzer.
Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada – NJPW G1 Climax 2017 (6 Stars)
The third encounter between the two rivals took place in the 2017 G1 Climax. It was a non-title bout and the first time that Omega would defeat his rival, after 24 minutes.
It was awarded 6 stars by Dave Meltzer, slightly less than the previous bout.
Kenny Omega vs Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 2017 (6.25 Stars)
Kenny Omega vs Chris Jericho – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 (5 Stars)
One of the most important matches in modern wrestling. Chris Jericho leaving WWE to wrestle Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 was the catalyst toward the creation of AEW and the changing landscape of pro-wrestling in the 2020s.
It was a brutal and violent no holds barred match that showed both men at their absolute best. It was awarded five stars and was the first match to reach that accolade in Jericho’s career.
Golden Lovers vs The Young Bucks – NJPW Strong Style Evolved (5 Stars)
The Golden Lovers took on the Young Bucks at NJPW’s Strong Style Evolved event in 2018. This was a really, really fun tag team match with both teams telling a great story. It evoked a similar story to that of Page/Omega vs Young Bucks at AEW Revolution, and was awarded a five star match when it was over.
Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada – NJPW Dominion 6.9 (7 Stars)
The highest rated match of all time, according to Meltzer, is the fourth and final battle between Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada at NJPW Dominion 6.9. The bout was awarded 7 stars and went nearly 90 minutes in a 2 out of 3 falls match that finally saw Omega defeat Okada to win his first and only IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
The match is considered one of the greatest of all time, although that is in dispute. However, it is the only match ever awarded 7 stars by Dave Meltzer.
Kenny Omega vs Tetsuya Naito – NJPW G1 Climax 2018 (5 Stars)
Omega and Naito once again pulled out a five star performance in their match in the NJPW G1 Climax in 2018. It was the third year in a row that the pair were awarded five stars for their matches and they continued to impress with their incredible performances.
Kenny Omega vs Hirooki Goto – NJPW G1 Climax 2018 (5 Stars)
Omega and Goto faced off on Day 4 of the 2018 G1 Climax. It was the first ever five star match of Goto’s career, whilst it was just one of four that Kenny Omega achieved in this G1 Climax alone.
Kenny Omega vs Tomohiro Ishii – NJPW G1 Climax 2018 (5.5 Stars)
Kenny Omega and Tomohiro Ishii faced off on day 14 of the 2018 G1 Climax tournament. Ishii picked up the win in a win that went down as a hard-hitting battle between the pair, denting Omega’s chances of winning his G1 block.
Meltzer awarded the match more than five stars, rating it an incredible 5.5 stars – the joint highest Omega had at this tournament.
Kenny Omega vs Kota Ibushi – NJPW G1 Climax 2018 (5.5 Stars)
The fourth five star or more match in the 2018 G1 Climax saw Kenny Omega battle his long time friend and partner Kota Ibushi is a match to decide who won the block. The pair had not wrestled since 2012 and the anticipation for the bout was off the charts.
Luckily, it reached all expectations by earning 5.5 stars as Kota Ibushi defeated Omega in one of the best matches of all time. The two clearly held something back for the eventual rematch, which has sadly yet to happen.
Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi – NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed (5 Stars)
A brilliant tag team match happened at NJPW’s Fighting Spirit Unleashed event in 2018. Omega and Ibushi faced off against Okada and Ishii at the event. The match went for around 23 minutes and was won by The Golden Lovers.
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi – NJPW Road To Tokyo Dome 2019 (5 Stars)
Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Will Ospreay in a fun tag team match. This was on the road to Wrestle Kingdom 13 and saw a star-studded match take place. The Golden Lovers took the victory over Tanahashi and Ospreay in a match that was awarded 5 stars.
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kenny Omega – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 (5.75 Stars)
The last match for Omega before joining up with his friends in AEW was when he defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13. The Ace of the Universe won the G1 Climax and so challenged Omega to a title match at the Tokyo Dome, pitting two of the biggest stars in the promotion against once another.
The match exceeded any expectations and put a fantastic end to a brilliant run in the company for Omega. It would be a his first New Japan match for four years and would create a lasting memory for the Japanese fans.
Adam Page & Kenny Omega vs The Young Bucks – AEW Revolution 2020 (6 Stars)
Considered one of the greatest tag team matches of all time, The Elite imploded with a 30+ minute classic that saw the AEW Tag Team Championships on the line. At AEW Revolution 2020, Page and Omega clashed with their friends The Young Bucks in a match rich in storytelling that played to all four men’s strengths.
The match was rated six stars and saw Page and Omega retain their belts, in what may be AEW’s best match of all time.
Kenny Omega vs Rey Fenix – AEW New Years Smash 2021 (5 Stars)
At New Years Smash in 2021 on the January 6th, 2021 episode of AEW Dynamite, Kenny Omega defended his AEW Championship against Rey Fenix. The Mexican star wowed with some death-defying Lucha Libra, but ultimate failed to win the title by losing to Omega.
Bryan Danielson vs Kenny Omega – AEW Grand Slam 2021 (5 Stars)
A dream match that earned it’s stars before the bell even rang – Omega vs Danielson was perhaps the greatest match in AEW history. It was a straight up wrestling match between two of the all time greats, which also happened to be Danielson’s first match in AEW.
The pair wrestled for 30 minutes to a time-limit draw in an incredible bout. They continued to brawl at the end, showing that neither man was even close to giving up. It set up for a future clash down the line and earned an impressive five star rating.
Kenny Omega vs Adam Page – AEW Full Gear 2021 (5.5. Stars)
The culmination of a two years worth of storytelling came to a head when Adam Page beat Kenny Omega in a 5.5 star match to become the new AEW Champion. The storyline between the two had been going on since AEW was announced and the crowd were at a fever pitch for this title bout.
Adam Page won the match with a Buckshot Lariat, with the Young Bucks at ringside. It was Omega’s first match for nearly a year as injuries suffered in this match kept him out of the ring for a while.
Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay – Wrestle Kingdom 17 (6.25 Stars )
At Wrestle Kingdom 17, Kenny Omega returned to Japan for the first time in four years. Since then he became the top wrestler in AEW and was the greatest AEW Champion in the companies history. He held AEW and Tag Team Gold, as well as multiple world titles all across the globe as part of his belt collector gimmick.
However, his crowning glory was his return to New Japan to wrestle against IWGP United States Champion Will Ospreay. In the most hyped match at that years Wrestle Kingdom, the pair put on what some are calling the greatest match of all time that truly showed that Omega was back and at his best.
Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson vs. PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix – AEW Dynamite 11.01.2023
The Elite defeated Death Triangle in a ladder match to win the AEW Trios Championship. This match was awarded five stars by Dave Meltzer.
Kenny Omega vs El Hijo Del Vikingo – AEW Dynamite 22/3/23
Kenny Omega defeated El Hijo Del Vikingo in a “dream match” on AEW Dynamite. This was a non-title match against the AAA Mega champion, and was a match that finally took place after being cancelled in 2021.