On New Year’s Eve, Monthly Puroresu published a new interview with Kenny Omega ahead of his return to Japan for a stellar match with Will Ospreay. The interview offers a look across his career and gives insights into his approach to wrestling. It’s a great read for understanding Kenny’s work outside his incredible AEW run.
Monthly Puroresu: I would imagine towing that line between getting outside of the box and self-preservation is very difficult?
Kenny Omega: That’s the thing too. I think part of what really helps now that I’m looking back at over a 20+ year career, one of the things that helped me do the things that I’ve done to myself, but continue on today at a pretty high pace and with rough schedule is that I never dabbled in drugs or alcohol. That’s one thing because using drugs kind of creates a short-term detrimental effect on your health. But the one thing that really helped me was a lot of guys were smokers back then. And not being a smoker is what really helped me. I think from my conditioning.
Kenny Omega talks about his early days in DDT, integrating into Japanese culture, and becoming the “Best Bout Machine”
I was thinking, I could tear up. I talk about it too much, but you remember me from that far ago, like I don’t. I don’t think I could do that in Winnipeg. And that’s where I was born. You know what I mean? But that’s just how special those fans are and they don’t forget. It means a lot to them. It’s special to them. And it’s like you said, Sonny, it’s a real family environment and atmosphere. It’s family, it’s trust, it’s respect, it’s the loyalty. It’s all those positive things that go into the idea that a lot of people have an idea of Japanese culture, which is that honor system, you know, everyone thinks “What is Japanese culture?” They think it’s about samurais, ninjas, and Godzilla.
I say: “Yeah. Sure.” But, if you take some of the things that make those, what they are embedded within those are, are those qualities, is what makes it such a special country. So for that fanbase to remember me and to give me just a real nice homecoming, it was wonderful in 2019. And I would love of course, to be back at some point in time. Whether it be for DDT, for NJPW. I’ve never actually once wrestled for NOAH, but since they’re a part of CyberFight, now it’d be cool to do something.
Kenny Omega talks about his early days in DDT, integrating into Japanese culture, and becoming the “Best Bout Machine”