While Kenny Omega is most well regarded for his incredible in-ring efforts and for being an EVP of AEW, it's less widely known that “The Best Bout Machine” also plays a major role in the promotion's women's division, where he helps to set up matches and develop storylines for Dynamite, Rampage, Dark, Elevation, and Pay-Per-Views. Sitting down with Renee Paquette on The Sessions podcast, Omega let it be known that he truly believes the women of AEW have earned a right to receive equal screen time when compared to the men.
“I truly do believe that in today’s world especially, that we as fans in America are ready to have shows where there is equal representation for the women as well as the men,” Omega said. “And not only that but we have athletes who are as dedicated and or even more so than the males to become stars.”
When Paquette agreed, declaring that there are plenty of chips on shoulders in the women's locker room, Omega noted the continued progress of women in AEW.
“Right, and I think there’s some complacency from the males where it’s like, ‘yeah we know we’re going to be the focus of this show, like, you really need to earn my spot to get on this show’ and it’s like no, you guys have go to be careful because they’re coming for ya. And, you know, they actually deserve your spot, like, I’ve seen it first hand. Like we would have some incredible displays of professional wrestling in Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, and but now I feel like we’ve earned that trust. And I don’t mean with our fans, like sure, I mean with the fans too and with fans who maybe casually tune into our product but there are people we need to convince on the business end of things as well that this is a proven thing and this can be successful and people want to watch it. And now that we’ve proven that yes, people like it, people will watch it and it’s good, we are starting to get some fantastic performances from our female champions and they look like absolute superstars and I couldn’t be happier for everyone that has stuck with us from the beginning, whether it be an athlete from the women’s division or whether it be a fan who saw more for it and has waited all this time and is still waiting to see how far this women’s division can go and how far they’re able to take it.”
While AEW still largely sticks to one female match per show, with the feud between The Outcasts and Jamie Hayter/Britt Baker taking center stage at the moment, at least that feud involves five women at minimum and has expanded out to more, with Riho and Nyla Rose playing a part in the story on Rampage. If AEW can parlay the story into a full-blown civil war, it could allow for even more female performers to get regular television time, even if they aren't working individual feuds that many – presumably including Omega – would like to see.
Kenny Omega finally shares his feelings on Barbed Wire Exploding Death.
Elsewhere in his interview with Paquette, Omega finally addressed how he felt about the anti-climactic ending to his Barbed Wire Exploding Death match with Jon Moxley at Revolution 2021 and how he, at the time, he felt like crying when the expositions didn't quite live up to expectations.
“I remember walking to the back, and I didn't want to show any sort of emotion, one way or another,” Omega said via Fightful. “Whatever it was that I was going to do, I was going to do it away from people. Maybe in front of the Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), maybe in front of people that have seen me at my worst. I was going to do it in front of them and then I was going to come back out and be like, ‘wasn't that great everyone?' I remember being on my way to the back, and I saw Jerry (Lynn), he kind of sprinted up beside me and was like, ‘Kenny, don't do it man. I know you're pissed off, but don't do it.' I'm like, ‘Jerry, I don't know what I'm going to do, I feel like crying.' ‘It's okay, nothing you did wrong. I'm pissed off too. Hopefully you don't blame anyone involve in the match.' ‘No, I don't.' That was the most upsetting part in that moment. I don't know who to blame, I don't know who is at fault, I just feel so terrible for Jon, Eddie, and myself. Boy do we look like sorry saps. I was nice to, as best as I could, scrub the finish and just think how did our work aside from that one technical flub. I liked it, I really did. It sucks that the last part is what's going to stick in everyone's mind. It just reinforces that, everything we do as performers and artists, don't ever say, ‘Kenny, you had the greatest match of all time.' Let's say you really think that. I was just a part of it. I had an opponent, a great crowd, a great ring, I hit my entrance, the referee was there selling the counts. It's such a team effort. If one of those things goes sideways, then the whole experience suffers as a result.”
Had Omega's explosion worked as planned, fans may still be talking about the match as one of the best of the pandemic era, but alas it wasn't meant to be; now when Bared Wire Exploding Death is brought up in conversation, which is rare, it's to laugh at the ridiculously disappointing ending. *sigh* oh well, at least it got the Eddie Kingston-Jon Moxley friendship that was a highlight of AEW over the next few months.
Follow Us
Subscribe