AEW superstar and former world champion Kenny Omega spoke with Sports Illustrated ahead of this evening’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view, where The Cleaner discussed a number of different topics, including an update on his physical condition after having multiple procedures following a string of bad injuries. Highlights from the interview are below.
Says he has had five procedures done since he lost the title back in November of 2021:
“So far, five procedures have taken place to attempt to make me a better, healthier athlete. These are injuries that have compiled over years. They’re ones I can’t neglect, and I’ve needed this time to start to heal. That’s what I’ve been doing during this time off—I’m trying to buy time back onto my wrestling clock. I would like to have a longer career, so I’ve looked at this time after losing the belt as an opportunity to start to fix what’s hurting me.”
How he was in worse shape than he thought:
“I spoke a little too candidly on one of my internet videos about a hernia issue I had dealt with in my neck, and I also had an athletic hernia in my stomach, which was causing me very sharp pain. There were days when it hurt with every step. It got mentally exhausting to pretend these injuries weren’t there.”
Says he returned too early to help produce matches and was missing rehab:
“It was a little too much, too soon for me because I was missing so much of my rehab. It was cool to be backstage two or three times, but I really need this time at home.”
How there’s still a lot he wants to accomplish:
“There is still a lot left I want to accomplish. My body has been responding more harmoniously, and that’s putting me in a position to be better than I was before.”