Kenny Omega is returning to NJPW on January 4th to challenge IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay at WrestleKingdom 17. The AEW star spoke with NJPW’s website for a new interview to promote the bout. Here are the highlights:
What are your thoughts of NJPW in your absence?
“I mean, it’s hard, man. It’s… I don’t know if anyone here watching has children, or pets, but when you raise a child, or a pet, sometimes they’ll do something that you’re not proud of. They’ll do something that you get angry at. Maybe a dog, he, he takes a poopie on your floor. Maybe your child gets detention at school, or gets suspended for fighting. Maybe he says something a little uncouth.
For me, New Japan kinda became that child that I was ashamed of. I didn’t want to talk about New Japan to other people. I wanted to go back to those days where New Japan was in those infantile stages of creeping over to the West. Under my help of course! With me as the captain, it was sure to succeed. But after seeing the way that Will has led the ship, I started to become disgusted. And I didn’t understand why ‘why are you backing him, New Japan?’ And I get it. It’s just because you had no-one else. Until now.”
What do you want your return in the Tokyo Dome to mean for NJPW, AEW, and for yourself?
“I think I’ve already made a big enough statement. My return to the Tokyo Dome is supposed to be astronomical. This is supposed to be a celebration, a real homecoming. For all of you fans, wrestlers that have struggled for so long through this difficult time. And I understand that you guys have struggled with this for years now.
I know what you’re thinking- that I mean the struggle with the pandemic, no, no, no. The struggle that I’m talking about is the struggle that you guys have had to incur without me running the ship! Without Kenny Omega running the show, there’s been an absolute lack of charisma, an absolute lack of magic, an absolute lack of eyeballs watching the product. We need people watching, talking, discussing. We need New Japan parties again, guys!
After years of hardship, what these people need is a resolution. They need a reason to cheer and be happy again, they need reason to buy tickets and come to a show. They need something to really, really look forward to. Kenny Omega holding the US title belt, now that is a reason to buy a ticket. That is a reason to buy the magazines, that is a reason to buy the PPVs. Hell, that’s a reason to watch AEW television! You can watch it every Wednesday on FITE or even watch it on NJPW World.
But there’s a shift coming, and unfortunately for you Will, we’re shifting away from this experimental project that was Will Ospreay. And you gave it your best shot, congratulations. I don’t know what else you want from me, I’ll give you a pat on the back, a fruit basket, you did great. But it just wasn’t good enough, and it was nothing compared to the real deal. I’m sorry, Will, but you’re going to have to move on. The king is coming back for the keys to the castle.”