AEW fans have been buzzing all week about Kenny Omega’s absence from tonight’s AEW WrestleDream 2025 card — and now, new details have emerged about what the company originally had lined up for “The Cleaner.”
According to the latest report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Omega was penciled in for a major tag team match alongside his longtime friend and Golden Lovers partner, Kota Ibushi. The duo was slated to face off against the unlikely pairing of Josh Alexander and Hechicero, in what many internally viewed as one of the show’s sleeper hits.
However, those plans were abruptly scrapped after Ibushi suffered a devastating injury during the October 8th AEW Collision taping. The Japanese legend reportedly broke his femur in the bout, an injury that required immediate surgery and will keep him out of action for the foreseeable future. Sources have described the situation as “serious,” with no timetable currently set for his return.
The sudden injury not only derailed the match but also brought an abrupt halt to AEW’s creative direction for the Golden Lovers’ reunion arc. Omega and Ibushi had recently reignited their partnership on television, reigniting memories of their storied New Japan Pro Wrestling history while positioning themselves opposite Don Callis and his expanding stable. The storyline was said to be in its early stages, with plans to build toward a larger confrontation later this year.
The loss of Ibushi has left AEW officials scrambling to adjust the narrative, as the company had reportedly earmarked the Golden Lovers’ storyline as a cornerstone program heading into the winter. There’s no word yet on whether Omega will appear in any capacity at WrestleDream, but sources suggest that AEW is exploring ways to keep him involved on television while Ibushi recovers.
AEW WrestleDream 2025 takes tonight, from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, and will stream live on pay-per-view and TrillerTV+.
