Ranking Wrestling’s Greatest Friendships: Can Anyone Top The New Day?

3. The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega

Somewhat ironically, the Elite are an example of a friendship born of betrayal. The coup that saw Kenny Omega displace AJ Styles as leader of the Bullet Club was also the genesis of the Elite – the stable-within-a-stable comprised of Kenny Omega and Matt and Nick Jackson, a.k.a The Young Bucks.

Sharing an ethos grounded in a creative approach to pro-wrestling, the three have been close friends in and out of the ring for years – a friendship documented via the YouTube series ‘Being The Elite’.

Half documentary, half insane soap opera (see the recent Hangman Page/Joey Ryan saga for reference) ‘Being the Elite’ records the adventures of the Bucks and those close to them, frequently co-starring Kenny Omega. It’s also a clever means of continuing and expanding upon the stories they tell in-ring, for NJPW and beyond.

It’s thanks in part to ‘Being The Elite’ that the conflict between would-be leader Cody and his Bullet Club compatriots was so tense and compelling – and ultimately uplifting. The story played out over a period of months, beginning with Cody’s betrayal of Kenny (and Kenny’s reunion with estranged partner Kota Ibushi) in January.

Cody’s bullish insistence that ‘Bullet Club Is Fine’ was at odds with the behaviour of the group’s members. At Strong Style Evolved, the newly-reunited Golden Lovers took on the Bucks in a match that seemed to further fracture the already tenuous relationship between Kenny and his old friends.

That match, by the way? Outstanding. And not just in a wrestling sense. The story told by each of these men was impeccable in its execution – as well you’d expect from four of the most accomplished in-ring storytellers in pro-wrestling today.

From Kenny’s unwillingness to be ruthless in pursuit of victory (and Kota’s increasing frustration) to Matt Jackson selling the hell out of his injuries, deepening Kenny’s guilt, the whole thing was a glorious soap opera of a match. By the end, it looked as though the wounds inflicted were too deep to heal. Matt walked away from Kenny’s handshake. Bullet Club was not fine. I was not fine.

Everything came to a head in the 100th episode of ‘Being the Elite’, in which Kenny finally denounced the Elite for good, ending his friendship with the Bucks, apparently for good. The Golden Lovers reunion began to feel like a wish granted on a cursed monkey’s paw.

But this article is about wrestling friendships, not breakups. And thankfully the Elite were able to overcome their differences, reuniting in the moments after Kenny’s historic IWGP Heavyweight Championship victory. It was all very emotional. Hugs were shared. Tears were shed. Kota Ibushi was welcomed into the fold, and the Elite became the Golden Elite. It was beautiful. It still is.