Kenny Omega says he’s been thinking ‘a lot’ about the timing of his retirement
Kenny Omega says he’s been thinking ‘a lot’ about the timing of his retirement
During an interview with CBS Sports published on Saturday, Omega said he’d like to end his career before the wheels have completely fallen off, saying he does not want to tarnish his reputation.
Omega said:
“I would like to be in a situation where I left the ring not having any regrets, and not feeling embarrassed or that I tarnished my reputation. So I’d like to leave while I have some semblance of athleticism left in my body. I don’t want to completely work until the wheels fall off, and the person who leaves wrestling is one who barely resembles the Kenny Omega of old.”
The 42-year-old has dealt with a slew of injuries in recent years, including a severe bout of diverticulitis in 2023. Omega says that his health is constantly shifting. He has good days and bad days but wants to try and perform even on the days where he is feeling less than optimal.
“I’m trying to do that without making it very obvious that there are good and bad days for Kenny Omega,” Omega continued. “I want to do the best I can. I don’t want people to worry about me. I want to do a performance that I’m proud of, and that my opponent can benefit from… without further endangering myself.“
Regarding his potential retirement, Omega said that a best-case scenario for him would be fans not even realizing he’s gone at all because of all the new stars AEW has built.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about when that timing would be. Another important thing for me is, when I finally do leave, whenever that may be, and this might sound odd, I don’t want people to be sad,” Omega said. “In fact, the best-case scenario for me is that they don’t realize I’m gone at all. I’d love to have the peace of mind that the company has built enough stars so that their star is shining bright enough to distract from me stepping away from the scene. That would make me most happy.”
Up next for Omega is tonight’s AEW Full Gear pay-per-view. He is scheduled to team with Jurassic Express against The Young Bucks and Josh Alexander in a match with a $1 million prize to the winner.
Omega’s full interview with CBS Sports is available here.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.