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What's the story?
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega is currently preparing for his upcoming singles match against Pentagon Jr. at All In, however, prior to the start to the show, Omega spoke with Sports Illustrated's Extra Mustard Section and discussed a host of topics.
In case you didn't know...
Earlier this year, at Dominion 6.9, Kenny Omega squared off in a historic one-on-one match against his arch-rival and now former-IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada in a 2 out of 3 falls IWGP Heavyweight Title match.
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Omega, who eventually defeated Okada by 2 falls to 1, subsequently went on to end The Rainmaker's historic IWGP Heavyweight Title reign at 720 days and became one of the few gaijin wrestlers to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Title, most notably after current WWE Champion AJ Styles and former Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
The heart of the matter
While conversing with Sports Illustrated, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega opened up on wanting a memorable title reign with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, where he finds inspiration for storytelling, and also discussed the potential fantasy match-ups he could have in the WWE. (H/T: Wrestling Inc)
Where he finds inspiration for storytelling in the ring:
According to Kenny Omega, Professional Wrestlers of the current generation need to get to a certain emotion at a certain point, but the actual trick is to know how to eventually get there. Omega noted that Pro Wrestlers usually have a very physical performance art and in order to achieve a certain emotion, have to use various Pro Wrestling ingredients.
"I'm looking for that range of emotions. A lot of my main-event matches will last around the half-hour mark, and if you can have a variety of emotions within that half hour, that's a great story from start to finish. That's why I love my old-school superhero cartoons, and the old-school animated Batman series was great for that. I love using that as a focal point on how to structure a story properly. It's universal storytelling where a child can find enjoyment and inspiration and an adult can understand and enjoy the deeper themes behind it, as well."
Wanting a memorable run with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship:
As per Kenny Omega's believe, he thinks that former foreign champions such as AJ Styles (who held the IWGP Heavyweight Title on two occasions) and MVP (who is the inaugural IWGP Intercontinental Champion) have had almost forgotten title reigns and it feels like as if their reigns don't even exist.
"I've seen so much in the past, especially with foreign champions, where of course, a title reign will always go down in history and you can't change that. AJ Styles won the belt, MVP was the first-ever [IWGP] Intercontinental champion. I hate to say it, but all of these title reigns have been forgotten. It's almost as if they don't exist. All the work that was put into them somehow became forgettable."
Omega, compared to that, would rather have a much more memorable title reign in the NJPW history books.
The fantasy match-ups he could possibly have in the WWE:
Kenny Omega believes that as of right now there are several people in the WWE with whom 'The Best Bout Machine' could have a good match with and there are people within the WWE, who feel that Omega could generate multiple communities celebrating the performance.
"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.
However, in Omega's mind, he is also pretty concerned about the fact if the WWE allows him to stay in character or not and what type of limitations the company is going to place on Omega's matches in a WWE ring.
"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."
What's next?
Kenny Omega will square off against Pentagon Jr. later today at All In and at the upcoming NJPW Destruction Tour, 'The Best Bout Machine' will defend his IWGP Heavyweight Title against Tomohiro Ishii.
