Kenny Omega Leaving New Japan?

[BestSportsEntertainer]

He had this to say after his loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13:

"I take full responsibility for the loss. There is no real place for me to fit, so it's best for me not to be in (NJPW). I can't be there working under Tanahashi. I don't think he's surpassed me, don't think he's better. If we can, I want to face him again. But I need time away and not just from New Japan."

I wouldn't be surprised if this was a work, but Omega's contract does expire at the end of this month. If he leaves he's reportedly going to sign with either WWE or All Elite Wrestling.

Do you think Omega leaves NJPW? If so where does he go? What do you want him to do?

[OYDK]

For what it's worth, the rumors are that WWE is going all in on Omega (seriously no pun intended). Apparently, they're willing to make him one of the highest paid members of their roster right off the bat, and wrestleinc.com is actually going so far as to "confirm" that WWE is offering Omega the richest deal to a newcomer in WWE history. It also states that they're willing to help and back his Esports projects' similar to what they do for Xavier Woods. I don't know if this is true, but it would be surprising to me if it were. I honestly didn't think WWE would hold Omega in that high a regard because, well, they don't hold anyone but bonafide stars (Brock, Ronda, Cena) in that high a regard.

I know Omega regularly says it's not about the money to him, but if the reports are true, I have a very hard time believing he's going to be able to turn a deal like this down. Again though, I'm pretty skeptical of these rumors... it just seems so out of character for the WWE to give someone like Kenny Omega the moon and the stars. I think there are two options obviously, WWE and AEW. I would be much more surprised to see him in WWE but he'd be a damn fool not to take their deal if they're actually willing to go that far for him.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

Well, if he comes to WWE, he won't be facing 9 year old girls. I fully expect him to go through NXT and job out to Ohno.

[Spidey]

Are we still banging on about that? It happened at DDT Pro-Wrestling. A comedy fed. 8 years ago. People have won titles within dreams there.

I can see Omega going to WWE because he wants to face AJ Styles and the money. I can see him going to AEW because that's where his friends are and he'd obviously be a big fish in a small pond. Good on him for being so good he has the opportunity to be a big deal wherever he goes.

[Jack-Hammer]

For what it's worth, the rumors are that WWE is going all in on Omega (seriously no pun intended). Apparently, they're willing to make him one of the highest paid members of their roster right off the bat, and wrestleinc.com is actually going so far as to "confirm" that WWE is offering Omega the richest deal to a newcomer in WWE history. It also states that they're willing to help and back his Esports projects' similar to what they do for Xavier Woods. I don't know if this is true, but it would be surprising to me if it were. I honestly didn't think WWE would hold Omega in that high a regard because, well, they don't hold anyone but bonafide stars (Brock, Ronda, Cena) in that high a regard.

I know Omega regularly says it's not about the money to him, but if the reports are true, I have a very hard time believing he's going to be able to turn a deal like this down. Again though, I'm pretty skeptical of these rumors... it just seems so out of character for the WWE to give someone like Kenny Omega the moon and the stars. I think there are two options obviously, WWE and AEW. I would be much more surprised to see him in WWE but he'd be a damn fool not to take their deal if they're actually willing to go that far for him.

WWE wants Omega and they want him badly. Like you, I've also heard that Omega isn't all about money but if WWE is willing to make him one of the highest paid members of the roster, help him with side projects he has going on, is even willing to let him have significant creative control over himself and he still turns it down, then maybe taken a few too many stiff kicks to the head.

Ultimately, Omega has to do whatever it is that he believes will make him happy and if it's not WWE, then more power to him. However, the simple fact remains that there's only so far that a wrestler's star can rise without working for WWE and if Omega still wants to have a bigger name and a bigger legacy within the overall business, then he has to go to WWE. If he's satisfied with his place in the grand scheme of things, then I could easily see him joining up with AEW.

On a somewhat related note, it looks like Kushida might be WWE bound himself. Kushida is also leaving New Japan and there's been talk that WWE is quite interested in him as well. For mot of the last 5 years or so, Kushida has been as constant as the North Star in New Japan's junior heavyweight division. He won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship twice with Alex Shelley, his 6th run as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion ended at Wrestle Kingdom 13, he won the Best of the Super Juniors tournament in 2016 and 2017 so there's nothing left for him to do there. I don't know if he just wants a change of scenery, New Japan isn't interested in moving him out of the divison or what, but I could see Kushida going to NXT, depending on how his English is, for a while or making him part of the Cruiserweight Division would infuse a ton of credibility into it.