'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The biggest free agent heading into the start of 2019 had to be Kenny Omega. He had been routinely having 'Match of the Year' bouts against practically everyone he faced in New Japan Pro Wrestling - from Kazuchika Okada and Chris Jericho to Tetsuya Naito and Tomohiro Ishii.
He also finally captured the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in June of 2018, besting his long-time rival Okada for the title. He reign lasted until he dropped it to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13 this year, and after two title changes already, the belt is once again around Okada's waist.
Since he probably felt he had done all he could in NJPW, Omega was slated to be perhaps the most coveted free agent since AJ Styles in 2016. The fans waited until his contract with NJPW officially expired at the end of January 2019, but a month later at the ticket rally for Double or Nothing, Omega made his signing with All Elite Wrestling official.
For some, it was the right move because they felt he wouldn't be booked the way he should in WWE. For others, it was disappointing not to see, quite arguably, the best wrestler in the world join the biggest promotion in the world.
While it is ultimately his choice and his career, there will always be the 'what ifs' associated with what would have happened had he signed a contract with thE. Since we'll have to wait for a few years until he's a free agent again, here are five reasons why not signing with WWE might have been a mistake.
#5. Potential dream matches he'll miss out on
Omega is singed to AEW for four years, which will keep him with the company until 2023. Since he was born in October of 1983, that would make him 40 years old by the time his AEW contract ends. Now I know some athletes (Tom Brady) are testing the limits of science by playing sports or wrestling (Triple H, John Cena, R Truth) well into their 40s, but it's likely that his best years will probably be behind him.
By not signing at least a one-year deal with the WWE, he misses out on several potential dream matches with current WWE superstars. He won't face AJ Styles again, nor will he face the originator of the Bullet Club, Finn Balor. And he'll miss out on what even he described as a dream match against Seth Rollins.
That's not to say he could have great matches with any number of other superstars like Andrade, Ricochet, Buddy Murphy, Cedric Alexander, Cesaro, Aleister Black, Ali or even Roman Reigns had he signed with WWE. By forgoing the WWE, he'll stay in his comfort zone but will be leaving a lot of great matches on the table.
#4. His AEW deal will allow him time to focus on 'other pursuits'
There's no problem with having interests or other pursuits out of the world of professional wrestling. It probably keeps wrestlers sane after having to work over 200 and sometimes 300 days a year on the road. Plenty of WWE superstars and other wrestlers do that with their interests, be it gaming, other sports or acting.
John Cena has obviously winded down his in-ring career, trading it in mostly for Hollywood just like the Rock did. And Dolph Ziggler must have been burnt out with wrestling because he's currently on hiatus and pursuing stand-up comedy and politics. As for the likes of the New Day and Omega, they are both huge gaming nerds.
It played into a lot of his costumes during bigger events in NJPW and was allegedly part of what he was looking for, when negotiating for a contract with WWE, AEW and NJPW. He wants to branch out into other avenues, and that's perfectly fine and his choice. But once you start to look beyond your work in the ring and put more effort into another endeavor, it can take away from you in-ring performances.
While it's still usually a big deal to see Cena return every now and then between filming movies, we know it's only for a short run. If Omega starts focusing a bigger chunk of his time on something other than wrestling, it might take away from his impact on AEW and the business.
He's entitled to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants - my point is that he might not be as successful in the ring as he has been over the last four years if his eyes are pointed elsewhere.
#3. All Elite Wrestling might be successful but its longevity isn't guaranteed
Starting a brand new wrestling promotion isn't easy, but if it was then every free agent wrestler would be trying to do it. However, one big factor behind the potential success of All Elite Wrestling is that it is backed by a family of billionaires in the Khan family. They own several pro sports teams and have boatloads of money.
While havning all the money in the world is great, it doesn't guarantee success. It will allow the company to pick up some slack and cover up for any early losses they might run into initially, but the jury is out as to several things relating to the company. How many times did Impact plummet into the ground under Dixie Carter's leadership despite her financial backing?
What will the product look like? Will it be good enough to rival other promotions like NJPW or WWE? Can they sustain the success on television? Wrestling was at its most popular and lucrative peak during the Monday Night Wars of the mid and late 1990s. While a new war is likely on the horizon between WWE and AEW, WWE is a veteran of the sport while AEW is the young upstart still trying to make their name.
I personally am rooting for them to be successful because the more wrestling available to the masses, the better. Competition improves the product and forces the competitors to become more creative than they would have previously been when they were unchallenged. One big factor that might be against their success is that all WWE fans aren't necessarily fans of pro wrestling.
Their main exposure is and has been to the WWE and they don't really pay attention to other promotions. I have a friend who thought the Viking Raiders were lame when the debuted on Raw, but the name ultimately probably turned him off to them. They ruled in NXT, ROH and NJPW, but he said he doesn't follow NXT or anything else other than main-roster WWE.
The network they might land on might cancel them before they truly get a footing because once you bring your show to TV, ratings play a big factor in whether they keep you or give you the axe. WWE is a time-tested product, regardless of the quality of the product, and will be able to be televised on practically any network. AEW isn't guaranteed like WWE.
#2. WrestleMania moment?
I'm not a pro wrestler, but how many times have we heard them talk about 'having their WrestleMania moment' at one point or another? Superstars who were fans growing up always talk about it - Bayley, Seth Rollins, CM Punk, Zack Ryder and The Miz have already mentioned.
Ryder had his 'moment' when he won a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 32. The Miz's moment thus far was beating John Cena at 'Mania. Rollins now has two moments in cashing in Money in the Bank and winning the WWE and Universal Championships.
While some wrestlers just have the goal of getting to WWE, most also have the goal of having a moment of their own at the Show of Shows. Kofi Kingston finally got his this year after beating Daniel Bryan, and Bryan had his moment at WrestleMania 30.
I think any wrestler may be lying if they say they wouldn't love to have a big moment of their own at 'Mania, and Omega may likely miss out on his. It won't define his career or lessen his accomplishments, it just means that he won't have a moment like that from WWE to look back on. He might be content with the moments he created in NJPW, but WrestleMania is the biggest stage in sports entertainment.
#1. It was the safest choice for him
Omega did all he could do in NJPW. He won the top prize, always had solid matches and was a member and leader of one of the most influential groups in wrestling history in the Bullet Club. From the Bullet Club, the Elite was formed. It was the whole basis for the Guerillas of Destiny turning on the Elite.
When all was done with negotiating, he ultimately chose to stick with his friends in cultivating their own promotion. They all would have backstage roles in the company and obviously a huge say in what goes down in the promotion.
But during one interview with the Sporting News, the Young Bucks said signing with AEW was the easiest or safest choice. They'd be able to have total creative freedom and be able to still have fun with all of their friends. That's something that is certainly important with wrestlers, otherwise they might ask for their releases from their respective companies.
It was certainly the easiest and safest choice, but sometimes those aren't the best choices. For them and their families, the Young Bucks made the right choice. They can do basically whatever they want in AEW and dictate their schedule. But Omega signing there keeps him in his comfort zone with the rest of the Elite.
If he truly wanted to challenge himself in a completely new way, it would have been as a member of the WWE roster. Some fans might have feared that he wouldn't be booked like a top star, but from what he said about negotiating with WWE, it sounds like he and the Bucks would have been treated like big deals. Who else gets a potential invasion angle at WrestleMania?
Sometimes jumping out of your comfort zone forces you to up your game or improve your character, so to speak. By staying where you are comfortable, you miss out on the rest of the world and what it has to offer. By passing on WWE, Omega chose to stay with whom he was comfortable with although by changing the location. It might have been the best choice at the moment, but who knows how he'll feel 20 years in the future if he never gave it a shot in WWE.
