Kenny Omega Talks Leaving WWE In 2006, His Current Status
Earlier today, Kenny Omega appeared on The Warmup to talk about his upcoming documentary, Omega Man: A Wrestling Love Story that will air on March 27 at 7:30 pm ET on TSN. Omega spoke about how he was initially hesitant to film the documentary, his time in WWE's developmental, leaving WWE in 2006, and taking time off before getting back to wrestling.
In regards to his documentary, Omega said he wasn't sure at first if he wanted a crew following him around and entering his private personal space.
"I think it actually originated on Twitter, someone asked if I were, perhaps, interested in a documentary filmed about me," Omega said. "And I'm a very private?it's hard to let people into that personal space bubble, so I was open for discussion, I wanted to talk about it. Knowing my schedule doesn't really have much leeway in terms of free time and such, having a documentary crew follow me around and essentially take away all that free time, I wasn't sure if I would actually enjoy the experience or not, or if I would be able to act like myself. As a performer, I always feel like I'm performing for the people. I didn't want to make it seem like I was performing for a documentary, I wanted it to be an actual representation of who I am."
Going back to 2005, Omega entered WWE's developmental system at the time, Deep South Wrestling, and noted it wasn't exactly what he thought it would be. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion felt like he could do more than what WWE had initially saw him be, and decided to take a different direction with his career.
"I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought that I would," Omega admitted. "I really appreciated the opportunity and learned a lot. I felt going into the system as being a nobody, without them knowing my limitations, without them knowing my potential, especially, I really wanted to prove to them that I could be more to them and to the business than what they thought of me originally, so I decided to leave WWE.
"Luckily, when I decided to leave WWE I was still young and foolish, and money didn't mean anything to me. Part two to that was I had parents who were very supportive of my career and I was still able to live at home, free, you know, room and board. I wasn't forced to make any rash decisions and I could focus on fulfilling my dreams. Up until now, nobody really understands there are other options, there is more to wrestling than just WWE. You can make a living and make a difference, being regarded as the best on the planet in professional wrestling without ever stepping foot in WWE."
Earlier this month, Omega announced his exit from NJPW with his contract expiring in early February. Although his next promotion is not officially known, he's reportedly heading towards All Elite Wrestling. In the most recent Being the Elite, Omega's phone has a new countdown that will end at AEW's Double or Nothing Ticket Party on February 7 for their next event on May 25 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
"I kind of went a little dark, I went off the grid," Omega said. "I really need to take some time off both just to relax physically and mentally. ... There are other personal projects that I'm working on that are barely related to wrestling. So, I can take my mind off of what I do in the ring and focus on those things. Everybody is wondering what my next move may or may not be, I really need this time to step away and not worry about when my next match will be. ... I am in no rush, really, to get back to the ring, but, of course, I will very soon. There will be developments and announcements soon I'm sure."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Warmup with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.