Though he may not technically be part of The Elite anymore after being kicked out of the faction by the Young Bucks in favor of his old New Japan Pro Wrestling rival Kazuchika Okada – and potentially “Scapegoat” Jack Perry? – Kenny Omega is still one of the EVPs of AEW and as a result, holds a unique place in the professional wrestling world as a result.
And yet, with great power comes great responsibility, and the “Best Bout Machine” found that out firsthand at All Out in 2022, when he found himself in the middle of one of the biggest backstage fights in the history of professional wrestling – the Brawl Out – alongside the Bucks, CM Punk, Ace Steel, and a few more parties who didn't directly involve themselves in the physical altercation.
Taking to his Twitch stream to talk all things wrestling, Omega was asked about his interaction with Punk in Chicago two falls ago, and let it be known that his involvement in the situation might not have been what some fans expected, as he took it upon himself as an EVP to protect one of the most vulnerable parties in the interaction: Larry the dog.
“I thought my duty as an EVP during Brawl Out would be to enter the situation while there was chaos, de-escalate it, and create a peaceful environment for everyone. I was able to create a peaceful environment for the most important person in that altercation, and that was Larry. I swear to God, honestly, that was my biggest concern, and yeah, it sounds funny, but like, I look at animals and our pets as people and, as, you know, Bobby, of course, the most important people in my life. So, to get little Larry out of there was the most important thing to me and that was the success. Unfortunately, try as I may, things were too chaotic for me to be able to do anything By my own power. That was a moment when I had seen that there were…. I believe it was in that instance when I realized that… the way that I wanted to go about things wasn't necessarily the way that other people wanted to. It was also the way that other people necessarily didn't want to. Then it was also maybe not the way that the boss wanted to take care of it,” Kenny Omega explained on his Twitch stream via Fightful.
“I am also… I also thought of myself as a liability because I am… I don't want to say old school. I'm not old school. I've just played a lot of contact sports and I've gotten into jiu-jitsu and boxing and mixed martial arts. I just know that sometimes when you perform or when you fight, when everything's on the line, when you give your heart, when you give your soul towards something, and you're in that moment of high stress or high anxiety where you've maybe emptied the tank, and you're just physically exhausted. In an environment like that, sometimes emotions get the best of you, and people will want to throw hands, and in the case that I'm unfortunately or fortunately a believer of it, I think if it's decided that, hey, this is the best way to solve things, and you can shake hands after and move on after. I'm actually a believer of fight age. I am, and that sounds terrible to say, which is why, like, don't make me an EVP in 2024. You know, you can't do that stuff anymore. I just feel that sometimes that's how you have to settle things. Sometimes.”
Whoa, what interesting developments, huh? Omega is pro-fighting, doesn't do much as an EVP, and is closer to Punk than some fans may have expected. And the best part? They weren't even done, as the “Cleaner” still had plenty more to say on the subject, including some insight into his more sports-based mentality when it comes to the locker room mentality.
You've gotta love Kenny Omega. He noted his main mission at Brawl Out was to keep CM Punk's dog, Larry, safe. Respect.
He also said he's had no power as an EVP in 4 years.pic.twitter.com/jOlIdnEtT2
— Raj Giri (@TheRajGiri) April 13, 2024
Kenny Omega probably would have handled the Brawl Out differently.
Continuing his conversation regarding the Brawl Out, Kenny Omega explained why he's actually alright with the idea of locker room fights, as, when it comes to professional athletes in the middle of high-profile situations, sometimes a fight can not only ease tensions but actually build comradery.
“I don't mean you have to settle it and then it has to be shown on screen to everyone, or people have to brag online about who won, who lost. No, it's not for that purpose. It's for the purpose of just getting that stuff out that you need to get out. I'll admit, there were a number of times, even now, with me, where I thought that that might have been the most appropriate answer. It never came to that. We were able to talk things out, and we became better friends, and there was a level of respect at that point on, between myself and these other parties,” Kenny Omega explained.
“Maybe I'll share these stories later. It's crazy. As much as I believe in cooler heads prevailing, sitting down and talking, sometimes it was just like, hey, I can't even think straight until I start throwing some hay, you know? Or maybe that I need to be smacked around a little bit, whatever the case might be. I think if it's a contained scenario, and if it's not a situation where there's pulling people's eyeballs out, low blows, hair pulling, or scratching, you know what I mean? If it's just like, hey, let's just hang and bang a little bit. I can see it sometimes being conducive for a positive work environment. Again, this is exactly why I have no power, nor should I. So, that… That's just how I feel, and I'm going to leave it at that.”
If AEW had more of an Omega mindset, would Punker still be working for the promotion? Would the offending parties have been able to get together, work it all out, and leave the event strong, or was the fallout always going to happen regardless, as Punk's interest in WWE became more and more obvious? Unfortunately, fans may never know.
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