Former IWGP and AEW world champion, Kenny Omega was announced for a return to New Japan Pro Wrestling at its “Power Struggle” event next week in Osaka. Omega, who spent several years in Japan and was one of the top stars of NJPW before the launch of All Elite in 2019, has been on the sidelines for almost a year after he had a very serious bout with diverticulitis last December. The medical emergency was deemed life-threatening at one point, and his in-ring career was in doubt afterwards. This past May, Omega made a brief return to AEW programming for a short segment with The Elite, but hasn’t been a part of the on-screen product for almost six months.
“The Cleaner,” as he was known during his stint in The Bullet Club faction in Japan, wasn’t announced for a match at the NJPW event, but the appearence itself might be an indication that he’s gearing up for a return to the ring. If I had to guess, I’d say that Omega’s appearence will be used to set up a match for the Tokyo Dome events in January, which All Elite Wrestling is expected to be a part of. Considering his strong ties to Japan, as he worked for DDT for many years before he landed in New Japan, it makes sense for the next chapter of his career to start there.
However, that creates questions about how his return to the squared circle could affect the landscape within AEW?
Keep in mind, within the past few years, Omega has been somewhat of a non-factor for All Elite, as he took nearly a year off in 2021 to undergo a few different surgeries to repair several different injuries from many years of a high-risk style. He was back in the fold for about a year until the previously mentioned bout with diverticulitis put back on the sidelines. So, out of the past three years, Kenny Omega has been on the shelf about two-thirds of that time.
It goes without saying that Kenny Omega had an incredible career already, and despite some of the criticism of his style, he was one of the most influential performers of the modern era. The Omega/Okada series, both positively and negatively, changed the perception of what could be possible for an epic collection of matches. Those bouts weren’t just high spots and risky bumps, they were incredible contests that built a level of drama toward the conclusion that pushed the envelope of the presentation of the sport.
As with anything else, there was a price to be paid for that, and it’s nothing new or surprising in terms of those competitors that wanted to innovate a new standard in the sport. Dynamite Kid spent a portion of his life confined to a wheel chair, Harley Race often discussed his regret of implementing the flying headbutt, Mick Foley has explained his concern with head injuries, and Sabu destroyed his body to stand out as one of the most unique performers in the history of the business.
This isn’t a retread of the article that I penned earlier this week based on Vikingo’s recent injury less than a month after his return to the ring and the style that caused it, but rather Kenny Omega specifically.
At 41, Omega has been wrestling since his teenage years and has a toll of almost a quarter century inside the ropes on his body. I don’t mean this in a sarcastic way, but at some point, it might be time to ask, is it worth it for Omega to get back in the ring? While I assume that he wouldn’t make the trip to Japan just to greet the audience and that this will be used to set up his next match, even if it’s not, in the grand scheme of things, it’s still worth asking the question if Omega should wrestle again?
In many ways, Kenny Omega was the franchise guy for All Elite Wrestling when it launched in 2019. The buzz that his matches with Okada received in The Wrestling Observer newsletter, along with the popularity of The Young Bucks at the time on social media, and Cody Rhodes’ ambitious exit from WWE basically set the foundation for what become All Elite Wrestling. Omega developed a cult following among wrestling purists, and one of the major selling points for the concept of AEW, beyond the much-needed alternative to WWE, was that “the best bout machine” would finally be able to showcase his talent on national television in the United States.
All Elite Wrestling has evolved, both positively and negatively. That’s not a knock on the company either, the peaks and valleys are a part of the business. If Tony Khan made the most of the opportunity he had with the initial hype of AEW is a different discussion for another time. Still, Omega had an extended title reign before he took time off to heal from the myriad of injuries, and in many ways, Will Ospreay was given the spot as the next franchise performer for All Elite. That’s not to say that Omega doesn’t have value, but as far as the future, the British grappler is a decade younger and just started the prime of his career so from a business standpoint, it made sense to promote him as a top guy, especially after Omega was put on the shelf last year.The way that the high impact and risky style impacts the career of Ospreay remains to be seen.
The biggest takeaway of this situation, particularly with a potential return to the ring might be, is it really worth the risk to Kenny Omega’s health at point? By all indications, the current generation of AEW has been typecast as basically what it is, an alternative that presents a niche style on national television. As we know, the Khan family can fund the wrestling project indefinitely so Omega nor anyone else is needed to keep it afloat. Kenny Omega already has an established legacy and will be known as one of the best of his generation, as well as one of the most influential of the modern era so in many ways, he doesn’t have anything left to prove. Furthermore, he already made great money working for Tony Khan and can continue to make solid cash working in a backstage role for the company.
Let’s be honest, with the level of excellence that Kenny Omega was known for, both in All Elite Wrestling and in New Japan Pro Wrestling, does anyone want to see a diminished Omega for the last few years of his career? On one hand, you can’t blame someone for taking the money that’s offer, the entire point of the business is to make as much money as possible for as long as possible during their in-ring career, but on the other hand, Omega is in a position that he can be an asset to the organization without taking bumps. Jushin “Thunder” Liger, the iconic jr. heavyweight that also inspired a generation, was basically the except to the rule, he had a 35-year career and could still go in the ring before he retired from the sport in 2020. Amazingly, Sting could still go in the ring using a few balcony dives and some smoke and mirrors until he retired at the age of 65 this past March. However, There’s a much longer list of bonifided legends that stayed in the ring too long because they either needed the money or thought they could recapture their glory days for another run. Harley Race is one of the greatest of all time and unanimously known as one of the most legitimately tough competitors in the history of professional wrestling, but nobody looks back fondly on his stint in the squared circle in 1990. Ric Flair was broke and needed the payday so he tarnished his legacy in TNA. It was embarrassing and should be considered a cautionary tale. He got back in the ring a few years ago at the age of 73 to cash in on his legacy as an in-ring wrestling one last time, but it was a train wreck. Flair passed out twice during the match and it was later revealed that test results showed that he took a heart attack in the ring. Mick Foley thought he could make a difference in TNA in 2008 and the effort was there, but the hardcore legend simply couldn’t physically perform after years of a car crash style. Thankfully, Omega doesn’t have to wrestle past his prime or end up confirmed to a wheelchair. At the same time, perhaps the extended time off gave him enough of a chance to heal and thus rejuvenate his body to add a completely new chapter to his career.
My two cents on the situation is that Kenny Omega should retire and then there’s no risk for further injury. But, since it appears that he’s going to return to the ring, I’m going to be cautiously optimistic about the next chapter of his career.
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
