Transcendent athletes need the opportunity to create.
If you wouldn’t tell Patrick Mahomes how to play quarterback, or question the way Nikola Jokić operates his inside-outside game, or even explain the finer points of hitting (or pitching) to Shohei Ohtani, then why are people telling Kenny Omega how to wrestle?
It is a question Omega has grappled with since last month’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view. That isn’t to imply Omega discarded people’s genuine well-wishes after taking a devastating looking Tiger Driver at the pay-per-view, where he was effectively dumped on his head by Will Ospreay. Omega appreciates people caring about his health, but also feels he has earned the right as an artist to wrestle a style that he believes will be the most effective.
Omega’s creativity was on full display at Forbidden Door against Ospreay. This was a rematch of their exceptional bout at Wrestle Kingdom in January, and somehow the sequel exceeded the original. An integral reason why the match was so emotional was the Tiger Driver. Throughout the story of the match, Ospreay could not muster the strength to break Omega’s fighting spirit, so he instead broke him with the Tiger Driver, which led to the finishing sequence just shy of the 40-minute mark.
In the ensuing weeks, Omega has repeatedly heard that the move is too dangerous. Yet he is the painter holding the brush, and ultimately he decides how the art unfolds on the canvas.
“There are a lot of people criticizing who do not have my best interests at heart,” says Omega, who is 39-year-old Tyson Smith. “They just want to put a dark mark on that match, which is a performance I’m extremely proud of. And performances like that will be few and far between as I get older and older.”
Providing insight into why that move was so valuable to the heartbeat of the match, Omega shared a detailed view of its significance.
“In terms of a live and physical performance, I’ve never seen anything more mind-blowing—skill-wise, performance-wise, production-wise—than Cirque du Soleil,” says the Canadian-born star, who was honored to wrestle one of the most spectacular matches of his career at Forbidden Door in Toronto. “To me, that’s the peak form of that style of entertainment. As I watch these shows and their stunts and their compositions for every scene, it is rare for me to go, ‘That looks easy. I could do that.’ But there certainly are times when I watch what they do and know this is their identity, and that is the reason why they’re on that stage.
“During the high flying acrobatics, or seamlessly strung together choreography, I never go, ‘How stupid is this guy? If he falls, he’s dead.’ We’d be dead if we tried that. But here’s the thing. We’re not them. We’ll never be them. We weren’t meant to be them.”
Courtesy of AEW
Omega possesses a steadfast confidence, which is a prerequisite for any talent at the top of their field. That belief is rooted in his preparation. During Forbidden Door, that belief—which could have hindered someone unprepared or reckless in the moment—brought his match with Ospreay to an entirely different level.
“There are people who want to complain and put themselves on a pedestal by saying what we did was dangerous,” says Omega. “Well, you think? So I’ve been asked, why did we do it? It made sense in the match and evoked emotion. And we both knew I would end up coming out of the move unscathed. Is there a risk? Sure. There’s always a risk.
“Look at the way Mike Tyson boxed. His style was so dangerous, he stayed so close to his opponent. What was he doing boxing in-style? Shouldn’t he have fought more stick-and-move and waited for the counterpunch? Wouldn’t that have been better for his brain? Didn’t he understand how dangerous it was? But that’s what made him Mike Tyson.”
It is no different with Omega. To reach his absolute best, Omega must be afforded the space to create his own work.
“Don’t tell me not to wrestle the way I know how to wrestle,” says Omega. “Is there a risk? Was there a risk when Mike Tyson was fighting within inches of space between another championship-level boxer throwing power punches? Of course. But Tyson was confident in his abilities, and he knew he was the best. So don’t tell Mike Tyson how to box, and don’t tell Tyson Smith how to wrestle. You aren’t even close to being qualified. Just shut the f--- up.”
Omega’s fire embodies the passion he embeds into his craft. For Omega, this is more than his job; it is his livelihood. Now, only days before AEW brings Blood & Guts to Dynamite, Omega returns to AAA for a rematch against Vikingo at Triplemanía.
Three months ago, Omega wrestled Vikingo on Dynamite. The match was spectacular, offering a product entirely different from what is available in mainstream American wrestling. The highlight reel included a bullet rope, tope con hilo, hurricanrana, shooting star press, springboard 450, running springboard 630 through a table, a V-Trigger and Omega’s trademark (and superiorly protected) One-Winged Angel finisher.
Hijo Del Vikingo just hit Kenny Omega with a Inside Rope Springboard 630 through the table to the OUTSIDE at tonight’s AEW Dynamite (03.22.2023)pic.twitter.com/q53f370vs4
— Dark Puroresu Flowsion (@PuroresuFlow) March 23, 2023
“I had this opportunity with a star, someone who people around the globe will embrace, and it was a matter of doing the hard introduction on our television in a main-event position with no backstory,” says Omega, who is also one of AEW’s original executive vice presidents. “It was a tough position, to suddenly have someone unknown to AEW issue a challenge.
“Looking back, it was very unique. I am always up for the challenge, and working with someone like Vikingo is always going to be a pleasure. We hadn’t had a chance to mix it up, and I wanted that opportunity. Being the one to introduce him to our fan base was a heavy responsibility, but I wanted to make sure that anyone criticizing that Vikingo didn’t deserve the spot saw exactly who he is.”
Unlike that bout, the rematch will be for the Mega Championship, a belt Omega formerly held and relinquished only because of injury. Vikingo is the reigning champ, and this is his chance—in a pay-per-view headliner initially intended to headline Triplemanía in 2021—to earn redemption against Omega, who defeated him in March, as well as to prove he is the rightful champion.
AAA is a far different representation of pro wrestling from AEW. Lucha libre will be at the core of the match this Saturday in Tijuana, one of the multitude of styles Omega relishes highlighting in his performances.
“There are still a portion of fans who discredit the lucha libre style,” says Omega. “To them, maybe it’s too flippy or fast or looks like gymnastics. But this is an art form. Culturally, it’s very significant to the people of Mexico. The style transcends the sport itself, and it is so prominent there. Lucha libre is the preferred form of professional wrestling in Mexico. So I know fans there are going to appreciate the ride we’re taking them on.”
Vikingo is a massive fan favorite in AAA, and for legitimate reasons. Few wrestlers spark the imagination quite like he does, with an athleticism and innovation that knows no bounds.
While it is likely the crowd will be cheering Vikingo, it is never wise to make too many bold predictions in pro wrestling.
“The fans will dictate how they want me to react,” says Omega. “It’s similar to the last time I was in Chicago. I’m not planning that out. It doesn’t work that way, not for me, anyway. If the fans are hyper-into Vikingo, and I’m the scourge of the seas, so be it. Then I’m going to lean into that even more. I’ll make you love him even more, hate me even more, and that’s something I love doing.”
In a year that has already yielded two separate encounters with Ospreay that stand as his magnum opus, Omega now returns to Mexico. He has wrestled only four matches for AAA in Mexico, and each of those matches—against Rey Fénix, Dragon Lee, Laredo Kid and Andrade El Idolo—were all memorable encounters that pushed pro wrestling forward.
Omega carries his undefeated AAA singles record upon his back to Triplemanía in pursuit of another creative masterpiece.
“I’m going to Vikingo’s home turf, I’ll refamiliarize myself with that six-sided ring, and I’m going to give him another taste of what he received on Dynamite,” says Omega. “This is another chance to put myself on the map, and take someone else with me.”
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
