Kenny Omega has expressed concern about young talents not taking care of their bodies.
The former AEW Champion has faced a number of health problems in recent years that have kept him away from ring for an extended period. Combined with the wear and tear he has put on his body over the years, Omega now has to be very careful about the risks he takes in his matches while also trying to deliver the level of performance fans expect from him.
During his recent appearance on Wrestling Observer Radio, Kenny Omega reflected on the problem of people taking too many risks in their early years only to end up suffering for it later in their lives:
“It almost becomes like you’re chasing the dragon and you don’t want to get to a level where things become too physically demanding, too dangerous, too self-harm inflicting where now you have younger guys, and I’ve been there, ‘Hey, I can take the schedule and still ramp it up.’ You feel that way until you can’t.”
That’s My Fear: Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega mentioned how putting on good matches regularly is a double-edged sword for AEW. The company is known to give away dream matches on their weekly TV shows without a lot of build-up. However, this leads to the fans expecting talents to go above and beyond that when they’re booked for a PPV.
The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion discussed how this approach can lead to young guys with a bright future beating themselves up to a point where they cannot enjoy the fruits of their labor when the time comes:
“My worry is that we’re going to have these young guys with incredibly bright futures who are beating themselves up at an accelerated rate so that when it comes time to place faith in a particular athlete or performer, and by that, I mean put the belt on them, can they hold that belt in a healthy state for the long-term?
That’s my fear. I see the writing on the wall for me. I already know where I’m headed and the pace I need to travel at and perform at. I know I’m not invincible. I’ve had the injury and health scares.
I know I have to be careful and pick and choose my moments. You can’t tell a young person, ‘This is going to happen down the road. Trust me.’ Everyone knows it, because I was one of them too, ‘Speak for yourself. I’m fine.’ It’s just how it is.”
This interview came only days before one of AEW’s top stars in Adam Cole, had to vacate the TNT Championship due to an injury. The former NXT Champion was set to compete at All in Texas, and the news of him relinquishing the belt came only hours before the PPV.
This is the third time since 2021 that the 36-year-old has been put on the shelf in the middle of a big program, forcing the company to make major changes to their plans. Cole cut an emotional promo at the PPV, indicating that this might be the end of his wrestling career.
