Kenny Omega’s Return To NJPW Set, Chris Jericho Recalls First Meeting With Roddy Piper

Kenny Omega’s return to New Japan Pro Wrestling is set.

On Tuesday, it was announced by NJPW that Omega will be making an appearance at the NJPW Power Struggle event next week.

You can check out the official announcement below:

Kenny Omega to appear at Power Struggle!
Power Struggle in EDION Arena Osaka is set to be loaded enough with championship action up and down a card headlined by Zack Sabre Jr. and Shingo Takagi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Fans from all over the world will be watching an event that’s sure to see ground laid on the road to the Tokyo Dome January 4 & 5.

That includes one special guest who plans on seeing the action up close and personal. Kenny Omega will be at EDION Arena Osaka for a special guest appearance! After a reunion at NJPW’s offices with Hiroshi Tanahashi created buzz across the wrestling world, what will come from this special appearance?

During a recent appearance on the “The Adam Corolla Show,” Chris Jericho commented on his first meeting with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:

On Roddy Piper’s legacy: “He’s still kind of a gold standard for, kind of, what you want to be in the business because he had such a great character… If you’re a great character in wrestling, it really lends itself to movies and TV and film, because that’s the basis of what wrestling is.”

On Piper’s charisma: “He was the type of guy that could sell tickets by the promos… The personality and charisma and all those sort of things is what really matters in wrestling; Roddy was one of the best at it.”

On first meeting Piper in Mexico: “I was wrestling in Mexico and he happened to be down there shooting a movie [Immortal Combat]. I remember him just like standing in the corner with his eyes closed, just getting ready for this scene, and emerging and becoming this guy.”

On Piper getting him a fight scene with Sonny Chiba in the film: “He was probably — I don’t know 60 at the time, and he would throw these kicks that came right across my jaw, like I barely felt them, right? You know, you do two or three takes and you’ve got to reset the cameras. And by take nine and ten, this guy’s f**king kicking me in the face… So yeah, that was Roddy’s big rib in booking me in a fight scene with Sonny Chiba, to get kicked in the face multiple times.”