You could see the seeds for this one being planted, but it still seems unreal.
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During Sunday's Power Struggle show for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), it was officially announced that Chris Jericho would face off against emerging star Kenny Omega at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 12 mega show on January 4.
IT’S REALLY HAPPENING‼︎ OMEGA vs JERICHO IS SET FOR #NJWK12 ‼︎ THE SHOWDOWN IN TOKYO‼︎ 04 JANUARY 2018‼︎ pic.twitter.com/NORGhubim6
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) November 5, 2017
Jericho appeared on the show via pre-tape after Omega had beaten Trent Beretta in a match for Omega's NJPW United States championship. It was there that Jericho threw down the gauntlet to Omega.
Afterwards, Omega said that he was amused, and that he accepted Jericho's challenge.
Jericho and Omega had been feuding back-and-forth on Twitter in recent days, with many people believing that the two were building to a match on the wrestling cruise that Jericho is hosting next year.
Believe me, I’ve got zero interest in ur “business” or @njpw1972! But I’ve got an idea where we can settle this... 🛳 https://t.co/yU27djcYfG
— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) November 5, 2017
As for Jericho's WWE status, the six-time world champ does not appear to be under contract with the company right now after his last return. This isn't unusual, as Jericho has often taken breaks from WWE in order to tour with his metal band, Fozzy. With Jericho approaching 50, this could be the only chance he has of doing something like this against a star as big as Omega.
Jericho is no stranger to wrestling in Japan, having wrestled there several times throughout the 1990s. However, Jericho hasn't wrestled with NJPW specifically since 1998, where he tagged with Eddie Guerrero for a match on one of the G1 Climax shows.
