Avengers: Infinity War being "the most ambitious crossover event in history" became a meme in the run-up to the film's release. As much as it's a goof on the film's hype, it comes from a place of truth. Crossover events in all media are now going to be compared to the biggest team-up in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that fact is no more evident than in recent moves made by All Elite Wrestling.
The February 3 episode of AEW Dynamite featured a main event that saw AEW stars Jon Moxley, Rey Fenix, and Pac take on the recently reunited Bullet Club trio, which consists of AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega and Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champions the Good Brothers, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson.
Gallows and Anderson's Dynamite appearance was already part of a talent sharing/invasion angle between AEW and Impact Wrestling, formerly known as TNA Wrestling. Omega spent a month appearing on Impact Wrestling TV and at its Hard To Kill Pay Per View where he pinned Impact Wrestling Champion Rich Swann.
However, the biggest inter-promotional bombshell happened after the match, which the Bullet Club side won. A post-match showdown between Moxley and Omega was interrupted by a masked man who jumped Moxley. He revealed himself to be New Japan Pro Wrestling's Kenta, who wrestled as Hideo Itami in WWE.
Kenta's appearance wasn't completely without context, though, as he's set to wrestle Moxley for the IWGP United States Championship at an American NJPW show on February 26. Moxley attacked Kenta on an episode of NJPW's U.S. based show, Strong, to set up the match. However, Moxley's deal with NJPW is independent of his contract with AEW, and his double duty meant that, until the match with Kenta was signed, he couldn't wrestle for NJPW on American soil.
While Kenta's appearance on Dynamite wasn't without provocation, it was still shocking. NJPW has shown no interest in working with AEW up to this point in spite of the Elite being an important part of the company's international expansion. Omega was the main event talent for NJPW; his final match with the organization was the main event of Wrestle Kingdom, its biggest show of the year. The rest of the Elite were regulars at NJPW events in Japan and the U.S. Fans hoped for a partnership from day one of AEW's existence, but NJPW seemed content to work with long time American partner promotion, Ring of Honor.
RELATED: Heels: CM Punk Steps Back Into the Ring for Stephen Amell's Starz Wrestling Drama
In truth, Kenta's appearance wasn't just a one-off deal to promote his NJPW match with Moxley. He's booked to team with Omega against Moxley and Lance Archer in a Falls Count Anywhere match on the February 10 episode of Dynamite. In a sign of a change in the relationship, NJPW is even promoting the match on its website. According to the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, NJPW talent that lives in the U.S. has the green light to appear on AEW programming. For instance, Original Bullet Club member Tama Tonga, who has been vocally critical of the U.S. revival, could appear on Dynamite under those conditions. He and his brother, Tanga Loa, are NJPW's tag champions, and they could reignite an NJPW feud with the Young Bucks.
All of this promotional maneuvering sets up some interesting developments for wrestling fans in the short term, setting up an Infinity War-style supercard. And if this potential crossover has a Thanos, it's Omega. The AEW World Champion has stated that he wants to be a "belt collector" and win world titles in other promotions. In addition to the AEW Championship, he already holds the AAA Mega Championship, and his victory over Swann at Hard To Kill could easily set up a match for the Impact World Championship.
The endgame of Omega's infinity quest could be a match up with his friend and former tag team partner, Kota Ibushi. Ibushi currently holds the top two titles in NJPW, the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships, which Omega also held at one point. That match would be, to paraphrase Gorilla Monsoon, a main event in any arena in the world and would be a fitting way to end to the most ambitious crossover in pro-wrestling history.
KEEP READING: Colossus Vs. Hulk: Can Deadpool 2's X-Man SMASH the Strongest MCU Avenger?