'He was the one who way who paved the way for everything' - Kenny Omega explains his empty cup analogy
The latest edition of the Talk is Jericho podcast had Don Callis and Kenny Omega as the guests. The three men from Winnipeg discussed several topics, ranging from AEW's partnership with IMPACT Wrestling, Omega's rise in wrestling, Don Callis' influence, and much more.
During the podcast, Kenny Omega spoke about several people having preconceived notions about how professional wrestling should be in this day and age.
Omega explained the extremely intriguing empty cup analogy. The AEW World Champion said that a person should always arrive at a lesson with an empty cup, which would enable them to absorb new ways and ideas more easily.
Kenny Omega said that a section of the fanbase has been judging wrestling based on what they have watched for years. Kenny Omega called for the fans to have an open mind about the new era of wrestling. He said that people with an open mind tend to enjoy their shows more.
He even explained that the wrestlers who study the new generation of wrestlers would take over the mantle when the current crop of performers retire in the future.
"It's the empty cup analogy. You don't arrive to a lesson with a cup half full, three-quarters full. Come with an empty cup; that way, you can learn everything we aew about to teach. A lot of people have preconceived notions about how wrestling should be. They're judging based on what they have seen in the years that they have watched professional wrestling. People that have the open mind that come to watch these shows; they are the ones who are going to benefit the most out of this. The wrestlers that watch what we do, that study what we do with an open mind, they are the ones who may take out positions when we are about ready to pack it in."
If they are not like that man, don't expect to change anything: Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega cited Vince McMahon's example and noted that the WWE Boss also had an empty cup when he got into the business. Kenny Omega said that Vince McMahon paved the way for everything that wrestling has become today.
Vince McMahon entered the industry intending to eliminate the pre-existent opinions and territorial stronghold in pro wrestling. Kenny Omega said that people who are not like Vince McMahon should not expect to change anything in wrestling, and they should be happy with being another cog in the machine.
For Omega, wrestling is more than numbers and ratings; it's about reinventing wrestling and bringing back the element of surprise that has been lost.
"But it's the ones that feel that wrestling has to be a certain way. That wrestling has to be that has been done by one man, Vince McMahon, who had the empty cup, right? He was the one who way who paved the way for everything. If they are not like that man, don't expect to change anything. Just expect to be, you know, a cog in the machine of professional wrestling. Don't expect just to be another fan, another number that everyone counts in the big ratings war. It's not about numbers. It's not about being, you know, a worker ant to the queen; this is about us doing what we think we are capable of, and that's changing the way that you watch wrestling. The way that you think about wrestling. The way that you emotionally invest in wrestling. And also to expect the unexpected, which people have not been able to do for a number of years now, since you showed up at Fukuoka probably."
Kenny Omega recently won the AEW World Championship, and he is currently involved in an inter-promotional angle between Tony Khan's company and IMPACT Wrestling.
Do you agree with Kenny Omega's opinions about preconceived notions in wrestling? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
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