Kenny Omega talks about the amazing offer WWE made to him

By Harrison - February 9, 2019

Kenny Omega has officially signed with AEW, at AEW’s poolside Rally in Las Vegas. When Kenny left NJPW, there were rumors that he was set to sign with WWE, as he was offered a lucrative deal by WWE.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Kenny Omega explained how it was like working with WWE during contract discussions. He praised the company, but he did not change his decision in the end. Here is what he said:

“WWE’s offer was of course, fantastic. They went about it in a very professional and courteous way and those guys are nothing but professionals in the way they dealt with me, but at the end of the day AEW presented me with something that just couldn’t be beaten.”

“You know I’m with my best friends in the business and I have a little bit of control over my own creative which is always important. I also feel like it is my true platform for me to sort of have my voice be heard and I always like challenges and I like the prospect of this being a blunderng failure.”

Kenny Omega also revealed that he was considering signing with WWE. The company would have made it easier for him creatively due to him not having to come up with things on his own.

“Part of me was like, ‘Do I really want to shut my brain off and have people write stuff for me? Tell me what to do?’ It sounds kinda cool actually, you know what I mean?”

WWE simply would have controlled Kenny and tell him to say instead of giving him the creative control he wanted. So in the end, he went where he thought he would be used best. We will have to wait and see how AEW fares as a promotion.

Rob ‘Richard Hammond’ Picken

I never heard that, only time im aware of is when they were doing those clips teasing sting a few years ago but the deal fell through
Keith Learmonth

Those are definitely fair points, and the thing about wrestling is, almost everyone could be used better in some way. I will admit that. But it’s that very nature that means that some people are always going to slip through the cracks.

Also, wasn’t Sting vs ‘Taker meant to happen, but then Sting got the injury that put him out for good?
Rob ‘Richard Hammond’ Picken

I’d also like to counter argue some things if I may?

Sting – yes he was was no spring chicken, but fans were chomping at the bit to get Sting vs Taker (even Sting himself wanted it), instead we got some crap which was basically an excuse for wwe to give the middle finger to WCW one more time

While yes I agree with Steiner being limited, they still could have booked him better as say a heel rather than a face a la WCW

Vader I don’t know, I mean this was 1996 so I’d have been 9 years old so I don’t really know the ins and outs but I read Cornette really pushed for Vader to be a top guybut HBK shot him down because Vader was “too stiff” and threatened to have him fired.

DDP yes he was a late bloomer, but they still could have done something with him. You also mentioned Raven so I’ll bring them both in under the same subject, as we both know DDP ended up as the “stalker” however what they could have easily done and should have done in my opinion is give that to Raven as I think that would have been right up his street.

Then for DDP given us a DDP vs Rock feud a la WCW people’s Champion vs WWE People’s Champion and have Rock go over
Keith Learmonth

It’s almost like they can’t have a 100% success rate.

I’d also point out, like, beyond the parts where Booker and RVD were both given a shot at the top (Hell, they tried to build a whole brand around RVD!) that everyone else has pointed out…
-Sting was well past his prime, and was only stopped by an injury, so you can’t blame WWE for that one…

-Steiner is and was garbage, got almost no reaction after the first few weeks of joining WWE ’cause people realised he could barely move by that point.

-Goldberg’s first run was garbage because when they gave him the title, he refused to sign on for longer, so they had to take the title back off him.

-Vader, I love the guy, but he was like Sting by the time he got to WWE: He was past his prime.

-DDP was 45 when he came to WWE, at a time when WWE still had The Rock, Jericho, Austin, Triple H, Angle, etc, all in their primes… If they’d pushed him over those guys, we’d all still be talking about how he was overpushed.

You may have a point on some of the others, that maybe they should’ve been pushed better, or whatever, but like, even then, you’ve got guys like Joe, who has been plagued by injuries, Raven, who was a hardcore guy who came in as they were phasing out hardcore (but is still technically the most decorated champion in WWE history, even if it’s 28 hardcore titles).

WWE can’t push everyone. Some people, no matter how great, will fall through the cracks. It’s going to happen in AEW, too. People will fall through the cracks there, too. It’s inevitable.
StoneColdBeckyLynch

Why would they put them over when we are busy building up the future of this industry? I mean Brock Lesnar of course.
david young

Lets ask people like shinsuke, bobby roode, dean ambrose, or sami zayn. Wrestlers who were very over most of their careers and are either midcarders or lackluster champions who WWE refuses to put over on the main roster.
StoneColdBeckyLynch

Took WWE 4-5 decades to finally acknowledge the work and dedication of a black wrestler. How is this an accomplishment?
Also, seriously? The Rock is black. If your dad or parent is black, you are black. Period.
pitfallharry219

LOL at Booker T and RVD being on your list. They made Booker the first black world champion in WWE history (don’t try to BS me and say The Rock), and handed RVD a huge spot but he was a moron and got arrested for drugs .
Rob ‘Richard Hammond’ Picken

Yes there’s the lucky few like AJ, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit but 90% of the time it’s not always the case look at the likes of

Vader
Raven
Rhyno
Booker T
Scott Steiner
Goldberg’s first stinker of a run
Sting
DDP
Samoa Joe
Rob Van Dam

The list is endless, but because they’re not WWE guys they got crapped on, and that’s what will eventually happen to Omega after a few months, hell just ask Gallows and Anderson who were huge in Japan yet they’re cannon fodder to the WWE
pitfallharry219

Yeah, let’s ask AJ Styles.
Rob ‘Richard Hammond’ Picken

If Omega went to WWE his career would be dead within a month after all the fan fare has died down, I guarantee it. He’d end up a mid card talent at best or lost in the shuffle in favour of bigger built WWE made guys. Just ask any wrestler who’s come in from another promotion.
Soulshroude

Not to mention, he just became president of AEW.