AEW talent Michael Nakazawa spoke with Love-Spo on a number of topics, including Kenny Omega’s diverticulitis diagnosis and surgery.
Nakazawa said, “Kenny became aware of his symptoms just after a match in Canada, where his parents live. He was suffering from severe abdominal pain and was unable to enjoy his trip home at all, and the pain did not subside even after he returned to his home in Orlando, Florida. I accompanied him to the hospital at that time, and it turned out that he was so seriously ill that the doctor told him that he would have been in danger if he had come a few days later. Fortunately, he was able to find a good doctor who could treat it without opening his abdomen, and just recently he underwent surgery and is currently recovering. However, it seems that the surgery involved removing about 25 cm of the affected colon, and he is now unable to put strength into his abdomen. However, I was impressed when I saw him walking on his own, even though it was a major surgery that would normally make it difficult for him to walk. By the way, Kenny has a cat named Dobby, and since he couldn’t bend down to clean his litter box, I went over there and helped him (laughs).”
On Omega’s recovery:
“After that, little by little, he has been able to do physical training. He is still not able to lift the same weights as before, so he is trying to find the best training that he can do while incorporating rehabilitative elements such as walking and exercising in the pool, and he is working hard toward recovery. He is trying to find the best training he can do at the moment.”
On a potential return to the ring:
“Since there is no power in the abdomen to begin with, there is a concern about whether or not one can perform in such a state. The impact is physically quite strong, so you never know how it will affect your internal organs. So I can’t say anything about when he will be able to return to work.”
