After returning to the ring after a lengthy injury-enforced absence in 2022, Kenny Omega has reestablished himself as one of the premiere wrestlers in the world.
It was a reputation that the star had initially earned with New Japan-Pro Wrestling, winning every major accolade and title that there is to win. However, in 2019, Omega left the company to launch AEW and he has remained at the forefront of the new promotion ever since.
Omega’s departure from NJPW left a void at the top of the card, with the title of best non-Japanese wrestler very much up for grabs. That paved the way for Will Ospreay and Jay White to become poster boys for the company, although Omega believes the two men actually fell short of expectations.
In a new interview with TSN, Omega reflected on his NJPW exit, return at Wrestle Kingdom 17, and his rivalry with Ospreay.
The former AEW World Champion said that he felt he had unfinished business with NJPW, and looked back on leaving Ospreay and White in prime position to lead the company in his absence.
“I’d felt there were pieces of unfinished business. I sort of left the company in the state of needing people to fill my shoes. You know, I had assumed a lot of responsibility within that promotion. I had pretty much wrestled in most or if not all of the big matches on my way out of the door with New Japan.
And I knew that if I had left, the last thing I would want was for the company to be in a bad position with someone not ready to assume that main event role. And I thought that I’d had two likely candidates that can hold the reins. Keep the fort together and put forth a very unique but New Japan worthy effort in Switchblade, and Will Ospreay.”
Continuing on, Omega explained that even though he wasn’t there anymore he kept one eye on Japan. The star added that he felt Ospreay and White “weren’t doing enough.”
“As someone who had made Japan my home and for something that was so important to me, being New Japan, I had always kind of kept up with the things while I was even doing AEW. And I just sort of felt like they weren’t doing enough.
They weren’t doing enough and maybe they need a trial by fire, and to see by example one more time, just what it is that I’m really, I’m asking them what is required from them to be the face of the company to be the driving force behind the company. So I felt it was very important for me to go back to that promotion, challenge for the belt. And it just so happens that I won the belt, and now things are back in control, as if it’s 2018 all over again.”
Will Ospreay Is “Coming For Blood” – Kenny Omega
After Omega defeated Ospreay to win the IWGP United States Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17, the British star swore revenge. Although he was forced to wait a little longer than he might have hoped due to injury, Ospreay is now back at the peak of his powers and ready to try and put Omega in his place at Forbidden Door II.
With regard to the upcoming match with Ospreay, Omega said that his rival is coming for blood, and that means fans will get to see something very special.
“So I think Will Ospreay, who has certainly learned a lot grown a lot. He’s developed a lot. He’s coming in for blood, he wants revenge. And this time, it’s going to be on my home soil, Canadian soil. So you’re gonna see a little bit of taste in Japan, my second home, and we’re going to be fighting in my first home, Canada, and I think it’s gonna be something very special for fans that haven’t had a chance to see either of us perform live for a very long time.”
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door is set to take place on June 25th and will feature the dream match between Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada.
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