Kenny Omega on how to approach him & what more people should know about him
While WWE can be touted as the world's biggest wrestling company, New Japan Pro Wrestling is the second largest pro wrestling organization in the world and consistently growing. On July 7th, New Japan will be holding its biggest event in the United States yet, the G1 Special In San Francisco. American fans not able to on-site at San Francisco's Cow Palace will be able to watch the event on television as it will be broadcast live on AXS TV.
Among the big matches scheduled for the G1 Special In San Francisco card are:
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Cody
IWGP Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks vs. SANADA & EVIL
IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion Jay White vs. Juice Robinson
Kazuchika Okada & Will Ospreay vs. Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI
Long-time viewers of NJPW's Friday night broadcasts on AXS TV -- which go air weekly at 8:00 PM EST -- would be right to expect this show's commentary to be handled by WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and former UFC Heavyweight Champion (and NJPW veteran) Josh Barnett. AXS TV is also home to original programming by Dan Rather, Eddie Trunk, Sammy Hagar, Eddie Money and Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, in addition to the MMA-centric AXS TV Fights.
On behalf of Sportskeeda, I had the pleasure of calling into a media conference call featuring Kenny Omega. Omega -- the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion and former member of The Bullet Club -- kindly answered a few of my questions, as transcribed below. Kenny Omega can be followed on Twitter via @KennyOmegamanX.
What do you wish more people knew about you, Kenny Omega?
Kenny Omega: Just that I'm more than a wrestler. I think there's a lot of negative connotations that go behind the terms of being a wrestler. I like to show more of my skills, not only in the ring but outside of the ring as well. Everyone that is a wrestler, they do have that talent and so forth. I do think it's cool nowadays that with the amount of extra media that goes into promoting wrestling and all that, you get to see the inside a little more.
I hope that people enjoy what I do in the ring and also take the time to see my other side projects and see the things I'm doing outside of the ring as well. For example, stuff I'm going to do at CEO. New Japan puts up a lot of interviews about my life and who I am as a person. I think it's all important.
By knowing that stuff, you get to appreciate the matches themselves more, I think.
What is the best way to approach Kenny Omega in-person?
Kenny Omega: I'm just a normal guy, I'm a normal dude. I respect people from all walks of life, people that do anything in life as a job or as a hobby or as a pastime. I don't feel that I ever put myself on a pedestal or that I'm so much better than you for being a champion in professional wrestling. (laughs)
Just a normal everyday approach, be polite, be kind, just like anyone else that you meet. I think that's common practice, or at least it should be common practice.