7 Reasons Kenny Omega might have chosen AEW over WWE
On 1 January 2019 at the stroke of midnight, a group of wrestling rebels gathered together in the freezing cold Tokyo air and announced the unthinkable; the formation of a new wrestling promotion, intended to provide an alternative platform for wrestlers who were tired of more corporate-oriented companies.
The newly minted All Elite Wrestling set out not to be simply another indie promotion, but a major force in sports entertainment which would compete directly against the more established brands of WWE, Impact, and Ring of Honor.
Almost as soon as the video aired on the internet, rampant speculation began among the pro wrestling community. Would wrestlers sign to other companies choose to jump ship to the upstart promotion?
Will a new brand entering an already crowded sports entertainment market be able to find its niche and/or mainstream acceptance? And most of all, which free agents might eschew the older promotions and sign with AEW?
It is the last question that concerns us here, as it pertains to the man who is, without question, the hottest free agent in pro wrestling today. In fact, he might be the hottest free agent in pro wrestling HISTORY, as for nearly five years there has been constant speculation about this individual's contractual status.
His name is Kenny Omega, The Cleaner, the Best Bout Machine, or just plain that guy from Canada if you prefer. For a man who is the focus of so much attention, Omega seems nonplussed. The only official announcement he has made regarding his career is that he is leaving the New Japan Pro Wrestling company.
However, there have been cryptic statements made by the Young Bucks that seem to indicate Kenny Omega is going to sign with AEW, and the usually accurate Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter is claiming that Kenny already turned down a major offer from WWE.
So, if Omega really is headed to AEW--which isn't official as of this writing--why might he make such a decision? Here are seven reasons why Kenny Omega might prefer AEW over WWE.
#7 Creative Control
First and foremost, men like Kenny Omega are quite a different breed than, say, Titus O'Neil. Titus O'Neil might like his job, but at the end of the day, pro wrestling is just one facet of his life.
For Kenny Omega, pro wrestling isn't just a job for a paycheck; It's a way of life, an art form, and a science. It's very important to men like Omega that the wrestling product they perform meets certain critical standards, and above all is entertaining.
When you join WWE, you're joining a corporate machine that, for good or ill, is in the business of factory producing wrestling talent. While it's something they do very well, Kenny Omega might prefer more control over his career and creative direction, which he is much more likely to get in AEW.