When it comes to love of video games, company lines don’t mean much in the pro wrestling world. We’ve seen that time and time again, perhaps never quite as prominently in the friendship/rivalry involving AEW’s Kenny Omega and WWE’s Xavier Woods, known in the gaming world as Austin Cree.
The two men have never shared a ring together, but it’s safe to say they’ve been running in the same general circles for years. One of those is in gaming, where they share a love for fighting games in particular and the art form as a whole.
With that in mind, it’s probably no surprise that Giant Bomb had them collaborate again on a list of the best video games of 2023. It’s a list of personal rankings, to be sure, with top 10 picks from both Omega and Creed. There are no super hot takes: Omega picked indie RPG darling “Sea of Stars” as his game of the year, while Creed went with “Spider-Man 2.”
But along with genuine insight and enthusiasm from both men, there’s a lot more entertainment from the back and forth between them. Creed needles Omega about his current health predicament (he’s currently out indefinitely due to diverticulitis, which Creed dismissed as a “tummy ache”); Omega teases Creed about not being a top merch seller like he was in the heyday of The New Day.
Even better than that is the meta commentary about, well, the Forbidden Door and the one relationship it hasn’t quite cracked yet, the one between WWE and AEW.
To wit:
Kenny: Come on now, you’re talking to the guy who keeps working with my competition whilst avoiding breach of contract so don’t question my problem solving abilities, Creed.
This sly joke about CM Punk’s comments that started the All Out brawl is also great:
Kenny: Oh you just drew a big TARGET on your chest, Creed. At least if wrestling doesn’t work out, I know of a place you can apply!
Creed: Target? Real funny. PLUS, it really ain’t so bad. Especially since I know there’s no way you’d ever be my manager there!
And toward the end, a note about the silliness of tribalism in pro wrestling fandom:
Creed: You may not be the nicest. And you clearly lack a sense of fashion and decency, but even with all that you’re still my friend. I could never hate you because of where you work! Imagine disliking someone because they’re able to financially secure a better future for themselves and their families.
Kenny: Yeah that would be crazy…
These guys are treasures, both in the ring and out, and seeing them join forces like this over something they both love can’t help but warm your hearts. Now to get cracking on the games they’ve both recommended that we haven’t played yet.