Tony Khan has explained the parallels between Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega’s rivalry and The Godfather franchise.
Two years before Tony Khan founded All Elite Wrestling, Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada had the first match in a series that is widely regarded as one of the best professional wrestling has ever seen.
At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 in 2017, The Rainmaker and The Cleaner fought for 45 minutes over the IWGP Heavyweight Championship before Okada was finally able to put Omega away with a Tombstone, followed by a Rainmaker Clothesline.
While nobody thought a sequel would ever live up to the original match, at Dominion, just five months later, Omega challenged Okada for the gold again. This time, the pair went at it for a full hour, with the match ending in a time limit draw. Despite the finish, the match exceeded all expectations, and many fans think of it as one of the best matches in pro wrestling history.
The two men have gone on to have three more singles matches, two in NJPW in 2017 and 2018, and one in AEW at All In Texas in 2025. Each one has been considered to have maintained the quality of their original encounters, with fans eager to see more from the rivalry.
Speaking on Markin Out with MVP & Dwanye Swayze, Tony Khan reflected on the Okada vs. Omega series and compared it to The Godfather franchise.
“It’s something to me where, when I watch ‘The Godfather’ and I think it’s so perfect, and I can watch it over and over, and then, they actually went out and managed to make a movie in ‘Godfather II,’ of the same standard that complements the original. They go together so well.
“That’s the rivalry between Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada. They made this incredible, incredible match that, to me, is like ‘The Godfather,’ it’s the perfect match, and then they have gone out with their rivalry and managed to maintain that level of perfection and do something that is not repetitive, it’s complementary. That is the standard of Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega.”
Tony Khan Addresses Potential Danny DeVito Match
Tony Khan has offered to put on a celebrity wrestling match between Danny DeVito and Kevin Nealon. Nealon challenged DeVito on social media for a bout in either WWE or AEW, with Khan responding to ask if they still had their outfits from a ‘Hanz and Franz’ SNL sketch in the 1980s. When Nealon confirmed he does have them, Khan said he was in.
While DeVito has no pro wrestling experience, he took on the gimmick of The Trashman in ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’ episode, ‘The Gang Wrestles For The Troops’, which also featured the legendary ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper.
