10 Times Wrestling Fans Turned On Internet Darlings

by Michael Sidgwick

1. Kenny Omega

Kenny Omega Jon Moxley
AEW
"I see Kenny Omega is only working ****1/2 matches in America. He sucks now!"

- Wrestling fans.

The intense/insane scrutiny applied to AEW conspired to create a Kenny Omega backlash ahead of and into the early Dynamite era.

Even though it was made very clear by the messaging ahead of launch that the show would not resemble Being The Elite, the Wrestling Twitter mutants were appalled by Omega's unhinged, sniffing character, firmly expecting it to sh*t the bed on national television. He didn't play it, of course, instead playing a rocked version of his Best Bout Machine persona to allow the more famous Chris Jericho to establish the AEW World Heavyweight Title as the company's first Ace figure. But Omega - not pushed to that level by design - was no longer a star, apparently, even though he'd just shocked a wrestling world desensitised to violence in a genuine attraction that headlined a very successful pay-per-view.

Omega rebounded by design in 2020 by capping off the best episodic storyline on a wrestling TV show in years before working the greatest tag team match ever at Revolution.

Omega - never received as anything less than a star by live crowds - was in his post-Mellon Collie, Ava Adore transition from NJPW to U.S. TV, and that run should in time receive a similar critical reappraisal.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!