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Kenny Omega has admitted that he initially never thought of ending up in WWE, and that signing with the company wasn't his top goal.
For his WWE tryouts, Omega mostly competed under WWE's developmental territory, Deep South Wrestling. In 2006, he requested a release from his contract.
In a recent interview with Monthly Puroresu magazine, Omega recalled being selected by Johnny Ace. He also detailed his initial reaction to the call-up; the AEW star claimed that he wasn't going to ignore the opportunity.
"I never really did think that I had what it took. But the reason I went to the Harley Race camp in Elgin, Missouri was because it was for an opportunity to be implemented into the dojo system of Pro-Wrestling NOAH. So I was willing to kind of forget everything I’d learned up to that point and start as a young boy in their dojo system. That was always the plan. In the end, I was selected by Johnny Ace to go to WWE instead. And I thought, 'Well, this is a different kind of opportunity, and maybe this is kind of where my destiny is guiding me towards, so I’m not going to ignore it.' And it was a great opportunity, even though it’s different from where I thought I would end up being," said Omega.
Kenny Omega briefly recalls his time in DSW
Kenny Omega further recalled going to Deep South Wrestling under WWE. At the time he was contemplating quitting professional wrestling, as he was felt it was a business rather than a passion at the 'highest level.'
Omega repeatedly questioned himself, and he recalled his thought process during the recent interview.
"I did go into the WWE developmental system, Deep South Wrestling at the time, and it wasn’t for me. At that point I had thought maybe wrestling isn’t for me because I was thinking at the highest level, when it becomes more of a business rather than a passion. Maybe I’m not the businessman that I thought that I was, maybe I was never meant to be at the highest level. Things are meant to be micromanaged. Maybe it isn’t what made me fall in love with wrestling to begin with," Omega said.
Kenny Omega is currently signed to AEW, and is also a former world champion in the company. He has also made big moves in Japan, notably under NJPW, where he will be returning on January 4th.
Do you think Kenny Omega would've been a top star in today's WWE? Sound off in the comment section.
