Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by his ring name , is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he serves as both an active wrestler and an executive vice president. He is the leader of The Elite stable. Known for his in-ring ability and technical prowess, he is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
Before joining AEW in 2019, Omega was known for his tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) from 2014 to 2019, during which he held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, in addition to various other titles. He was also a former member and leader of NJPW's Bullet Club stable. He incorporates elements from video games in his persona. Throughout his career, Omega has also performed as part of independent promotions worldwide, including DDT Pro-Wrestling, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, as well as larger promotions, such as Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling, and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. While wrestling in the latter two promotions, he held the Impact World Championship and AAA Mega Championship, and during the spring and summer of 2021, he held the AEW World, Impact World, and AAA Mega titles simultaneously as a triple champion. In AEW, he has held the AEW World Championship twice, the AEW World Tag Team Championship once (with "Hangman" Adam Page), the AEW World Trios Championship twice (both times with Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson), and the AEW International Championship once. He became AEW's inaugural Triple Crown winner in September 2022 after winning the World Trios title, and then AEW's inaugural Grand Slam champion by winning the International Championship in March 2025.
Widely regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers of all time, Omega was named Sports Illustrateds Wrestler of the Year in 2017 and topped Pro Wrestling Illustrateds list of top 500 male wrestlers the following year and in 2021. He has also attained the latter publication's Match of the Year distinction three times; one of those matches, in which Omega competed against Kazuchika Okada in a two out of three falls match at Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall in June 2018, received a seven-star rating from sports journalist Dave Meltzer, the highest rating Meltzer has ever awarded a professional wrestling match. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2020.
Early life Tyson Smith was born in Winnipeg on October 16, 1983, and grew up in the city's Transcona suburb. His mother works in family services and his father is employed as a transport officer for the Canadian government. He has a younger sister. He developed an early interest in professional wrestling, with Saturday Night's Main Event among his favorite shows. He also played ice hockey as a goaltender and competed in Winnipeg's minor hockey system. After graduating from Transcona Collegiate Institute in 2001, he enrolled at the University of Manitoba but left during his first year to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (2000–2005) Smith began training with Top Rope Championship Wrestling (TRCW), a local Winnipeg promotion run by Bobby Jay. About a year later, he made his professional debut in 2000 at age 16. Under the ring name Kenny Omega, he initially portrayed a Hawaiian surfer character; this persona was later dropped, though he retained the name.
In 2001, Omega debuted in Winnipeg promotion Premier Championship Wrestling (PCW), going on to win the PCW Heavyweight Championship in 2003 and the PCW Tag Team Championship in 2004. He unsuccessfully challenged Petey Williams for the TNA X Division Championship at the National Wrestling Alliance's 56th Anniversary Show on October 17. He later won an eight-man tournament that included Nate Hardy, Chris Sabin, and Amazing Red to win the Premier Cup and the NWA Canada X-Division Championship on June 2. After competing for Harley Race's promotion World League Wrestling in September 2005, losing to Keith Walker in a match, Omega was invited to a week-long tryout by WWE.
WWE (2005–2006) In October 2005, Smith was sent to WWE's then-developmental territory Deep South Wrestling (DSW) for a tryout, after which he was offered a developmental contract and subsequently assigned to DSW. In August 2006, he requested his release from his contract. He recalled his time in DSW negatively, with particular criticism of Bill DeMott, Jody Hamilton, and Bob Holly, though he praised Dave Taylor. WWE was later reported to have unsuccessfully offered him a contract multiple times (once in 2014, thrice in 2015, and once in 2019).
Independent circuit (2008–2019)
After his release from WWE, Omega intended to forge a career in mixed martial arts and entered Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments before deciding to return to professional wrestling. He then reinvented his wrestling persona and developed a new distinct move set. On March 8, 2008, Omega competed for Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) and captured the JAPW Heavyweight Championship by defeating Low Ki. On April 19, he retained his title against Frankie Kazarian at Spring Massacre. Omega lost the JAPW Heavyweight Championship to Jay Lethal at Jersey City Rumble on February 28, 2009.
Omega competed in a six-way elimination match for the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship on December 10, 2010, during which he was eliminated by the eventual winner, Jushin Thunder Liger. On May 15, 2011, he defeated Liger in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during New Japan Pro-Wrestling's inaugural US tour to win the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship. That same year, Omega wrestled in tapings for Wrestling Revolution Project, performing under the ring name Scott Carpenter. JAPW declared the Light Heavyweight Championship vacant in September 2014. He went on to make appearances during PCW events in October 2018 and March 2019.
DDT Pro-Wrestling (2008–2014, 2019)
In 2006, Omega became captivated by Japanese wrestler Kota Ibushi after watching him perform as part of Japanese promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling, so he uploaded videos of himself having a DDT-style match to YouTube, in hopes they would interest Ibushi into working with him. After seeing the videos, DDT invited Omega to Japan to wrestle Ibushi, which Omega accepted; he made his first appearance for the promotion in August 2008. Omega stated that wrestling in Japan had been one of his dreams, as the local scene appealed to his creative side, feeling that he was able to show his personality and express himself. He and Ibushi then formed a tag team named the Golden☆Lovers.
In 2011, at the Nanae Takahashi 15th Anniversary event produced by World Wonder Ring Stardom, Omega competed in a three-minute exhibition match against a nine-year-old girl named Haruka. A video of the match went viral, making international news and receiving polarizing responses, after which Omega received death threats. Wrestler Mick Foley, conversely, praised Omega's work as a heel, asking why he was not on national television. Omega later stated that he was asked to work with Haruka due to the safe nature of his work and that he personally trained her before their match.
On December 23, Omega defeated El Generico to win the KO-D Openweight Championship for the first time. On January 27, 2013, Omega defeated Isami Kodaka in a title vs. title match, retaining his title and winning the DDT Extreme Championship held by Kodaka. He lost the KO-D Openweight Championship to Shigehiro Irie on March 20, 2013. On May 26, Omega, Ibushi, and Gota Ihashi defeated Yuji Hino, Antonio Honda, and Daisuke Sasaki to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship. Omega's team lost the championship to Hino, Honda, and Hoshitango. On August 25, Omega lost the DDT Extreme Championship to Danshoku Dino.
On January 26, 2014, the Golden☆Lovers defeated the respective teams of Kodaka and Yuko Miyamoto as well as Konosuke Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo in a three-way match to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship. The team of the Golden☆Lovers and Sasaki won the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship from Irie, Keisuke Ishii, and Soma Takao in April but lost the title to Kudo, Masa Takanashi, and Yukio Sakaguchi the following month. On September 28, the Golden☆Lovers lost the KO-D Tag Team Championship to Takeshita and Endo.
Omega returned to DDT after five years, for the promotion's Ultimate Party event on November 3, 2019, during which he and Riho scored a victory over Honda and Miyu Yamashita in a tag team match.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2008–2014, 2017)
From 2008 to 2014, Omega worked for the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), promotion. He won the 2009 Battle of Los Angeles tournament when he defeated Roderick Strong in the final round to win the tournament and become the PWG World Champion. Omega lost the championship to Davey Richards in his first defense. He also participated in the Battle of Los Angeles in 2014, but didn't win the tournament. He returned to PWG in 2017 during the 2017 Battle of Los Angeles, teaming with The Young Bucks and defeating Flamita, Penta 0M, and Rey Fénix in a six-man tag team match.
Ring of Honor (2008–2009) On July 25, 2008, Omega appeared for the promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), losing to Delirious in Toronto, Ontario. The following night, Omega competed at ROH New Horizons, losing to Silas Young. The following year, he defeated Austin Aries, Jay Briscoe, and Roderick Strong in a Four-Corner Survival match. On November 14, 2009, Omega competed against Aries for the ROH World Championship but was defeated. At Final Battle 2009, he competed in a Four-Corner Survival match, which was won by Claudio Castagnoli.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2010–2019; 2022–present)
Early appearances (2010–2013) In September 2010, Omega competed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), losing to Prince Devitt in a match for Devitt's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. On October 11, at Destruction '10, the Golden☆Lovers defeated Apollo 55 (Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. On January 23, 2011, at Fantastica Mania 2011, an NJPW and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre co-promoted event in Tokyo, the Golden☆Lovers lost title back to Apollo 55. He also competed in the 2010 and 2011 Best of the Super Juniors tournaments.
Omega returned to NJPW in May 2013 to take part in the 2013 Best of the Super Juniors, where he managed to win five out of his eight round-robin matches, advancing to the semifinals of the tournament. On June 9, Omega was defeated in his semifinal match by Devitt, following interference from Devitt's stable, Bullet Club. A year later, he took part in New Japan's 2014 Best of the Super Juniors tournament from May 30 to June 6, finishing with a record of three wins and four losses, with a loss against Taichi on the final day, which cost him a spot in the semifinals.
Bullet Club and various championship reigns (2014–2017)
On October 3, 2014, NJPW held a press conference to announce that Omega was set to sign with the promotion once his DDT contract expired on October 26. Omega, dubbing himself the Cleaner, made his debut under contract on November 8 at Power Struggle, where he was revealed as the newest member of Bullet Club, despite having previously dismissed the idea of joining the villainous foreigner stable, claiming that he did not consider himself a gaijin. Omega defeated Ryusuke Taguchi to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the first time at Wrestle Kingdom 9 on January 4, 2015. He retained the title over Taguchi in a rematch on February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka. In the following months, he successfully defended the title against Máscara Dorada at Invasion Attack 2015 and Alex Shelley at Wrestling Dontaku 2015.