From Sydney to Tokyo: The Aussie Open Story
Just a few days ago at Sakura Genesis we witnessed two men fulfill their destiny by successfully knocking off one of the most well established tag teams in all of Professional Wrestling to become IWGP Tag Team Champions. Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis made it their priority to make this sport their livelihood, even if that meant making sacrifices that could prove to be unjustified. They've fought everywhere; Australia, America, England, Ireland, Japan and more just for a shot at making it to where they wanted to be. And they accomplished that at Sakura Genesis, despite Kyle Fletcher particularly looking worse for wear in the aftermath. This transition to championship glory didn't happen overnight though, so let's take a look at how Aussie Open rose from the ashes to the skies.
It's no secret that Will Ospreay has been an instrumental figure in the rise of Aussie Open. It was his group, the United Empire, that gave them the platform to display their ability on a grand stage. It could be argued that Ospreay was able to fully acknowledge the class of the duo when they faced off in PROGRESS where Aussie Open took on the Swords of Essex which consisted of Will Ospreay and Paul Robinson. They set the British Independent scene alight, creating a roaring atmosphere of which those in attendance will surely remember for a lifetime. Aussie Open were the raw, electric babyface act that instantly struck with that particular audience. The bouts here set the precedent for their style; outrageous and eye-catching offense that could capture the interest of just about anyone.
A few years removed from this series of battles Aussie Open would create headlines once more, this time in their homeland against The Velocities, Paris De Silva and Jude London at ‘PWA Black Label - Aussie Open vs. VeloCities'. If you were even remotely active on any social media platform around this time you've likely witnessed one of the many magnificent maneuvers performed by both teams as there were countless GIFs floating around from this sensational spectacle. Naturally, this sparked some criticism from certain individuals due to the obscene nature of the action, but the general consensus was that everyone involved was simply phenomenal. From here Aussie Open would compete much more regularly in the US and eventually appearances in Japan would follow. If you had to pinpoint a match that launched Aussie Open into stardom it'd have to be this, as the opportunities it created for them changed the course of their careers.
And they've capitalised on the momentum since then, joining the United Empire and competing in numerous US independent promotions as well as AEW, ROH and Impact. Their work ethic can only be compared to the likes of Speedball Mike Bailey. Funnily enough though, their most iconic match in front of a more mainstream wrestling audience wouldn't occur in America, but in England as New Japan Pro Wrestling hosted "Royal Quest II" and they faced FTR for the IWGP Tag Team Titles. It was an unsuccessful endeavor but they managed to tap into a major section of wrestling fans that they didn’t have access to until that point. It may of also been a moment of clarity for the important figures in NJPW, as this may of solidified their decision to push the Australian pairing as a force to be reckoned with. That brings us to this moment in time where Aussie Open are the brand new IWGP Tag Team Champions and are preparing to face off against the Motor City Machine Guns and the team of Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi at NJPW Capital Collision. They've reached the top but aren't willing to slow down just yet, and in their own words they won't rest until they "Run the World".