Kenny Omega completely overhauled his character in the final weeks of the build to AEW All In: London. The reigning AEW World Champion dropped his babyface act and brought back his “The Cleaner” persona ahead of his match against Will Ospreay.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the shift was Omega’s own idea, as he believed it was the best call for the story of the match. The intent was to set up a potential Ospreay victory at Wembley Stadium as a true coronation moment and produce a match that would be remembered for years.
The change was on full display during last week’s AEW Dynamite. After bringing up Ospreay’s seven-year-old son during an interview, Omega continued taunting his challenger and closed the show by driving him through a table at ringside with a One-Winged Angel.
Ospreay fired back this week in Glasgow, declaring that he has lost every ounce of respect he still had for Omega and vowing to win the AEW World Championship in front of his family and the British fans.
Ospreay earned his title shot at Forbidden Door, where he defeated Swerve Strickland in the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament final. He had only returned to action in March following double-fusion neck surgery.
Omega, for his part, captured the AEW World Championship for the second time by defeating MJF on Dynamite: Beach Break in July.
The two also have a history of two major singles bouts in 2023. Omega won at Wrestle Kingdom 17, and Ospreay evened the series with a victory at Forbidden Door.