Interview: Kenny Omega on the Possibility of Going to WWE

Kenny Omega was interviewed by Sports Illustrated and talked about a wide variety of subjects, including the much talked about possibility of him going to WWE when his NJPW contract expires in January 2019.

On match possibilities and if he’ll be allowed to be himself in WWE:

“I realize that there are people that are employed by that promotion that I could have a good match with. There are people within that promotion where, if we had that said match, could generate multiple communities celebrating the performance. That’s what happened when the Bucks and I did the gaming battle with the New Day. If I wrestled one of their top guys, people would watch that match in the anticipation of something great happening.

“But right now, it’s all, ‘What if?’ fantasy scenarios. It’s going to stay that way until it happens, if it ever even happens, because you never know what type of limitations are going to be placed on those matches. If Kenny Omega is allowed to be Kenny Omega, then those matches would be really special. Would I be allowed to be myself, the real Kenny Omega, within that realm? In a way, it’s almost more exciting to think about what it could be rather than see what it would be.”

On WWE no longer being the be-all, end-all of wrestling:

“WWE was always the be-all, end-all, but now it’s changed so much that you can have your best years without WWE. You don’t necessarily have to stress or worry about not having that ‘WrestleMania Moment.’ I used to hear that all the time when I was coming up in DDT. People found a measure of joy by saying, ‘You’ve never walked the ramp on Raw, so who the hell are you?’ I’m hearing a lot less of that. People are realizing the alternative can be just as good, if not better.”

On how he wants to be perceived:

“When people think Kenny Omega, I want people to know I was never manufactured. I don’t have billions of dollars to protect my character or a PR person making presentations for me on my behalf, but I am authentic. I never want to put myself above anyone else. We’re all just humans. That’s why we need to focus on spreading a message of positivity. What we do is the peak performance of professional wrestling, and it would be easy to walk around with a chip on my shoulder. Regardless if I’m the best or not, it’s not going to stop me for being a real person. I want to use my blessings to help create a more positive environment.

“But for now, I’m only focused on one thing. I’m ready for my All In moment.”