Kenny Omega Beats MJF to Become AEW World Champion for a Second Time

Kenny Omega is the NEW AEW World Champion – and he earned that accolade in dramatic fashion, beating Maxwell Jacob Friedman in a match where, if Omega lost, he would never be able to challenge for the AEW World Championship again. 

Omega made that deal with MJF to get a final shot at the AEW World Title, and now he’s back on top of All Elite Wrestling for the second time. In his first reign, Omega was the third AEW World Champion in the company’s history with a then-record 346-day run that spanned from December 2, 2020 to November 13, 2021. 

In addition to being Omega’s final chance at the AEW World Championship, this was also the third time he faced MJF and each time the AEW World Title was on the line. In fact, it was less than three months ago at AEW Dynasty, where MJF defeated Omega to retain the AEW World Title. Tonight, Omega made sure he left Beach Break as AEW World Champion.

It’s never easy when MJF will do absolutely anything to keep his title, legal or not, but Omega knew what he was up against from previous encounters. In their last match, MJF joined rare company by kicking out of Omega’s One-Winged Angel (albeit after a long pause with the referee knocked out), but tonight Omega was unquestionably at 100%. 

And he needed to be. Omega managed to survive a huge reverse-rana off of the top rope followed by a Heat Seeker by kicking out. Then, when MJF tried to take Omega out with the Dynamite Diamond Ring after distracting the referee by teasing a belt shot, Will Ospreay made the save, taking the ring away from MJF. But that wasn’t the end. The God of Pro Wrestling refused to hit the champion with the belt, so MJF took the opportunity for a low blow and a belt shot of his own. But Omega kicked out … at one! Omega then fought off some final punches from MJF before hitting him with multiple V-Triggers and a One-Winged Angel. 

And three seconds later, Omega was a two-time AEW World Champion!