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What’s the story?
The IWGP Heavyweight champion spoke with The Business Times while at the gaming convention, Gamestart Asia 2018 and discusses other promotions in the world that aren’t the WWE, and working on a different style of wrestling.
In case you didn’t know…
All eyes are currently on The Elite members and there next move in the professional wrestling business. It is well known that the group’s contracts end in late 2018/early 2019 and the speculation continues to run rampant on what’s next for The Elite.
The Young Bucks, Cody, and Adam Page have been more outspoken on the subject. The trio has teased several times to make the jump to WWE; however, Kenny Omega hasn’t been as vocal as his group members.
From October 2005 to August 2006, Omega was down in Deep South Wrestling (DSW), which was a developmental territory for WWE. Omega eventually requested his release and has stated in several interviews that he wasn’t particularly happy during his time in the developmental brand. He’s also cited former promoters Bill DeMott and Jody Hamilton as part of the reasoning for his unpleasant experience.
Since then, Omega has been on the independent scene and slowly made a name for himself with him finally capturing the IWGP Heavyweight championship back at Dominion in June.
The heart of the matter
The IWGP Heavyweight champion spoke with The Business Times about growing up and thinking that WWE was the only promotion in the world. Omega cites how the professional wrestling business has changed where everyone has a choice on what to watch these days for pro wrestling content:
"Everyone has a choice to watch whatever they want. It's okay to like both or other promotions too. When I was growing up, I thought there was only WWE. That's it. One promotion in the world. And then as I grew up, I found that there's local wrestling. There's WCW, there's ECW. In Mexico, there are the luchadores. And then finally, I realized there's wrestling in Japan. I think for many people, they think there's one giant promotion and that's all that there is. It must be the best. But as they expand their palate and their horizons, they realize that, oh, there's other wrestling out there. They might not necessarily like it more but it's an option now. It's cool that there are so many options for people all over the planet."
Omega also states that if he was really in the pro wrestling business for just the money, he would already be in WWE:
"I am sort of very much a part of representing an alternative. If my motivation was money, I would already be in the WWE. I was down on the current product and I wanted to create a style and have matches that my friends, my family and other athletes could watch and enjoy. There's a certain kind of-of wrestling fan that will only like a certain style. They think that's the right way and that's okay but I'm not trying to impress those people. Those people are already kind of set in their ways. I'm trying to open the world to a different style, what pro-wrestling has the potential to be."
What’s next?
The IWGP Heavyweight champion is set to defend his title against Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 13.
