10 Wrestlers Audiences Weren't Ready For

3. Kenny Omega

Bray Wyatt
AEW

Kenny Omega may no longer infuriate Jim Cornette as much as his recorded rage might suggest, but the former AEW World Heavyweight Champion bothers plenty of other people simply for seeing professional wrestling a slightly different way to hundreds that have come before him.

Omega's not just cursed by his present output either. Those that discover him - and this number has increased since the creation of AEW - see much of his experimental works out of context and form the exact kind of narrow-minded and uncompromising opinion that he's spent most of his career kicking out against.

Ironically, 'The Best Bout Machine' isn't trying to reinvent that many wheels. He has his quirks, but what genuinely creative pro wrestler doesn't? Omega's biggest strength has been his ability to gain the trust of promoters enough to try the amount of unique things he's given a bash over the years. That surrendering of control to 'The Cleaner' from multiple bosses should serve as a message of inspiration, rather than frustration.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett