Kenny Omega Leaving NJPW Is Probably A Work

In all likelihood, Kenny Omega's Tokyo Sport interview is little more than a worker working.

Remember that this is the man who had wrestling media wrapped around his finger in January 2017, when he tweeted the following shortly after losing to Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 11:-

Cue: weeks of speculation. With Omega's NJPW contract expiring, the implication was that he was heading to WWE, perhaps debuting as a surprise Royal Rumble entrant. The excitement was palpable. Having become one of the most buzz-worthy wrestlers on the planet without Vince McMahon's marketing machine, and after participating in what was immediately hailed among the greatest wrestling matches of all time, 'The Cleaner' was coming to the sport's biggest stage. An AJ Styles-like impact was predicted, and enthusiastic fantasy bookers spent weeks tying their minds in knots at the possibilities.

Finally, on 26 January - three days before the Rumble, but weeks after sources had called the work - Omega held an interview with Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez, confirming his decision to stay.

The ploy worked. Omega's stunt kept his name in the headlines after losing the biggest match of his life and ensured his buzz stayed consistent until he eventually returned as part of that year's New Japan Cup. It was a calculated career move. This feels much the same.

Would NJPW have kept Tanahashi from kicking out of Omega's One Winged Angel (the most protected move in all of wrestling) if he was going away? Would Kenny have really mentioned Tana's name in his departing diatribe, particularly in such despondent tones, if he wasn't building something? Tokyo Sport's history with worked stories, the faith New Japan's office have placed in Omega, and that main-eventing a major Japanese promotion has always been his dream raise similar questions.

CONT'd...