Kenny Omega Leaving NJPW Is Probably A Work

Kenny's IWGP Heavyweight Title reign was characterised by inconsistent character work, with 'The Cleaner' devolving to a weird, pseudo-tweener persona soon after scoring that huge, cathartic babyface triumph over Kazuchika Okada. By Wrestle Kingdom 13, he was a full-on anime villain again. This worked for the Hiroshi Tanahashi match, and him and the company deserve credit for turning it around, but his G1 Climax was as confusing character-wise as it was outstanding between the ropes.

This doesn't bode well for life on Raw or SmackDown, where the 'sport' isn't considered half as important as the 'entertainment.' That Omega is a middling promo raises further concerns, but so is AJ Styles, and like 'The Phenomenal One,' Kenny could conceivably get over (and stay over) on the strength of his in-ring performances.

... but what about those in-ring performances?

WWE's myriad of in-ring restrictions means Kenny can't be 'The Best Bout Machine' anymore. Stiff knee strikes, Neck Stuff, and insane, career-shortening bumps are huge parts of his bell-to-bell. Each would be gone in WWE. We don't doubt Omega's ability to reinvent his style without such risks, but would this new, leaner, watered-down 'Cleaner' be half as compelling as the seven-star standout he is in NJPW?

Said restrictions also mean Omega would be sacrificing a lot of creativity to strike big in WWE's world, which is still the main argument against him signing for WWE. He's one of the most ambitious wrestlers around, inside the ring and out, and he'd essentially be handing complete control of his character and career to someone else. It's up to Kenny to decide if this freedom is worth less than the mounds of cash Scrooge McMahon will throw his way.

Yet in this simple question of art vs. money, the most logical outcome is right under our noses.

CONT'd...