AEW World Champion Kenny Omega has revealed that he expected to end his career in Japan.
After initially starring in DDT Pro-Wrestling from 2008 until 2014, Kenny Omega signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Omega went on to feature in highly acclaimed matches with the likes of Finn Balor, Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito. All while winning the top championships that the company had to offer.
However, Omega later left New Japan when his contract expired in January 2019. A move which led him to sign with AEW and return to the United States as a full-time star.
Appearing on Wrestling with the Week, Omega has now revealed that he had expected to retire in Japan.
“It’s very odd,” Omega said. “If you had asked me how I see myself years from now, I never would’ve said ‘I’m going to be a full time wrestler in America.’ I thought for sure I was going to retire in Japan, possibly live, (actually) I wouldn’t even say possibly. I was heavily leaning towards living in Japan for the rest of my days. Of course visiting Canada and maybe doing the odd here in America because we (New Japan) were trying to do the crossover anyway. So it’s really surprising. It just goes to show you can never really plan for these things, 100% anyway. You can never really plan for this phenomena that is AEW, you can never plan for the pandemic, but we’re just sort of rolling with the punches.”
Since returning to the US, Omega won not only the AEW World Title but also the IMPACT World Title and the AAA Mega Championship.
Later in the interview, ‘The Best Bout Machine’ discussed holding three titles simultaneously, describing it as “a blessing and a curse.”
“It’s a blessing and a curse… As champion, you get some high-quality matches and you’re the focal point of the shows, but at the same time, there is a schedule that is required and a demand for your body and health and psychological health. There is a demand that goes into being a champion. It’s cool to look at pictures and be like, ‘wow, look at all these belts,’ but then I think, ‘Man, I have to defend these and make time to defend these. I have to be that guy for the company and you just count the days and weeks that you’re available to do it. It’s requiring a lot of multi-tasking. I’m hanging on and I can do it right now, so I’m going to do it.”
At Double or Nothing, Omega will defend his AEW crown against both PAC and Orange Cassidy, while he will take on Moose at IMPACT Against All odds.
Most recently it was announced that he will defend his AAA Mega Title against Andrade at TripleMania. The former WWE Superstar previously appeared during a pre-taped segment at AAA’s Rey de Reyes where he called out Omega.
H/t to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.