Kenny Omega's Use of Tiger Driver '91 And Transition to North American Wrestling

The Origins of Kenny Omega's Tiger Driver '91

Kenny Omega is one of the top professional wrestlers in the world today. He first made a name for himself in Japan working for promotions like DDT Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). One of his finishing moves that helped him gain notoriety early in his career was the devastating Tiger Driver '91.

The Tiger Driver '91 is a dangerous looking sitout double underhook piledriver. It was popularized in the 1990s by Japanese wrestler Mitsuharu Misawa who used it as a finisher in AJPW. The move requires strength and precision to pull off properly, as the wrestler holds their opponent upside down and drops down into a sitting position, driving their head into the mat.

The Influence of AJPW's Four Pillars

Omega was heavily influenced by the legendary Four Pillars of 1990s AJPW - Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi, and Akira Taue. He idolized their hard-hitting, physical style. The Tiger Driver '91 was Misawa's finishing move for many years and the one Omega wanted to adopt.

Using such a devastating maneuver popularized by one of his idols was a way for Omega to pay homage. It also helped establish his credentials as a formidable wrestler early in his career, since the move was so synonymous with his inspiration Misawa.

Incorporating The Tiger Driver '91

Omega started using the Tiger Driver '91 in DDT Pro Wrestling in 2008. The hard-hitting move fit perfectly with the strong style he was developing. It quickly became his original finisher in the company.

When he graduated to competing in NJPW, he continued using the Tiger Driver '91. The move helped him garner attention from the notoriously tough Japanese fans who expect high-impact, physical wrestling. Omega earned respect by showing he could execute such a technically demanding maneuver.

Dangerous Landings

While incredibly impactful visually, the Tiger Driver '91 requires the utmost care and precision to protect the opponent's safety. If executed improperly, it could lead to serious head, neck or back injuries.

Over the years, Omega has been judicious in breaking out the Tiger Driver '91 for big main event situations where the risk is warranted. He reserves it for opponents he trusts and limits the frequency it is used.

There are many examples on video of Omega landing the Tiger Driver '91 safely. Sometimes he will grab his opponent's head on the way down to control the landing. Omega also often uses it onto a knee or rolls through into a pinning predicament to cushion the blow.

Retiring the Move

While Omega was responsible in his application of the Tiger Driver '91, he eventually elected to retire it from his arsenal. As his career progressed, he wanted to continue evolving his moveset and not rely solely on the maneuvers he used early on.

The Tiger Driver '91 served its purpose in establishing Omega as a world class talent who could successfully execute such a physically demanding move. As he developed his character and skills, he transitioned to using his One Winged Angel lifting double underhook into a piledriver as a new impactful finisher.

Kenny Omega's use of the legendary Tiger Driver '91 was an homage to his idol Mitsuharu Misawa. Its incorporation early in his career gained him legitimacy and respect. Though always cognizant of safety, Omega smartly understood that moves have shelf lives to avoid overexposure. Thus, he retired the Tiger Driver '91 at the right time to continue growing as a performer.

Omega's Transition to North American Wrestling

After finding tremendous success wrestling internationally, Kenny Omega eventually set his sights on making an impact in North America. His blending of an athletic, hard-hitting style with a flamboyant personality was a perfect fit for the new era of wrestling ushered in by AEW.

Fine Tuning His Character

During his time with NJPW, Omega had honed his cocky, over-the-top "Cleaner" persona. He incorporated elaborate costumes, dancing, finger gun taunts and other flamboyant antics.

This character contrasted the reserved presentation of most Japanese wrestlers. It made Omega stand out from the pack and enabled him to connect with fans worldwide via online streaming.

A Key Player for AEW

When All Elite Wrestling formed in 2019, Omega was one of the company's pillars. He brought an established international fanbase and reputation to the upstart promotion.

In AEW, Omega was able to unleash his character even more. He continued putting on stellar matches while integrating humor and showmanship. All the creative freedom further endeared him to audiences.

Main Event Runs

Omega's AEW arrival was marked by engaging rivalries with Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley and others. He had classic matches on the way to capturing the AEW World Championship in late 2020.

His title reign established Omega at the top of the card. He was the perfect darling champion to anchor AEW programming and pay-per-views during the empty arena pandemic era.

Omega proved he could seamlessly transition from being a key player internationally to becoming the face of a hot new North American promotion. His versatility as a performer was on full display.

The Impact of Omega's Worked Shoot Promos

Never one to rest on his laurels, Kenny Omega has continued evolving his character in AEW. He cut a series of scathing worked shoot promos during 2021 that brought a harder edge to "The Cleaner" persona.

Creative Reinvention

After chasing the AEW World Championship for so long, Omega's first title run risked growing stale. To keep things fresh, he did a series of interviews where he viciously buried both AEW and Impact Wrestling.

Omega's tongue-in-cheek rants tackled criticisms about everything from AEW's use of comedy wrestling to the size of Impact's audience. His sarcasm was incisive in skewering the wrestling business.

Go Away Heat

The content of Omega's promos was designed to elicit go away heat and anger fans. Mission accomplished. Many viewers hated his disrespect toward promotions busting their butt to entertain.

Omega leaned into the fervor brilliantly. He used the very real resentment toward him to build investment in his matches. Fans badly wanted to see him get shut up, fueling his edge.

A New Wrinkle

Omega's unfiltered criticism of the wrestling industry generated such buzz because it felt uncomfortably real. The worked shoot nature was a clever new angle for his character.

By reinventing himself with the scathing promos, Omega fought staleness. The added edge maintained his relevancy as one of AEW's biggest stars.

Kenny Omega is truly one of the most creative performers in wrestling today. From his athletic ability to character work, he continuously evolves his act. Omega's blistering worked shoot promos exemplified his willingness to make bold choices that push boundaries.

FAQs

What is the Tiger Driver '91?

The Tiger Driver '91 is a dangerous looking sitout double underhook piledriver popularized by Japanese legend Mitsuharu Misawa. Kenny Omega adopted it early in his career as a tribute to Misawa.

Why did Omega retire the Tiger Driver '91?

As Omega's career progressed, he wanted to move away from relying solely on moves he used early on. He retired the Tiger Driver '91 in favor of establishing his One Winged Angel as a new impactful finisher.

How did Omega transition from Japan to North America?

Omega honed his athletic wrestling style and flamboyant "Cleaner" persona in NJPW. This made him a perfect fit for AEW where he became a top star and first AEW World Champion.

What was the goal of Omega's worked shoot promos?

Omega's biting worked shoot promos criticizing AEW and Impact Wrestling were designed to elicit anger from fans. This generated go away heat to fuel interest in his matches.

How has Omega reinvented himself in AEW?

Omega has constantly evolved in AEW, whether retiring moves or adding edges to his character. His worked shoots brought a fresh creative wrinkle that maintained fan interest.