Hold on tight, AEW fans. Kenny Omega will be coming home someday.
It's been about three months since we last saw Kenny Omega, who took some time after losing the AEW World Championship to Hangman Adam Page. It wasn't the sour grapes over his defeat that drove him away, however.
The Cleaner had apparently been wrestling with some nagging injuries that were beginning to grow more severe. He eventually relented to those aches and pains, scheduling multiple surgeries to get everything cleaned up, repaired and stitched together. Omega himself has said that he felt like he had several injuries due to the fact that he kept overcompensating for other areas of his body that were hurt, and that eventually wore his entire body down.
Omega pressed on with his many maladies, long enough to win multiple world titles at the same time in AEW, AAA, and IMPACT Wrestling. He dropped them all over the course of a few weeks, culminating in him losing his home promotion's top title to The Hangman at AEW Full Gear.
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Then? Just like that, Kenny Omega was gone.
Since his departure in November, much has been going on in AEW. Many new faces and promising prospects have joined the promotion. Cody Rhodes has departed and more performers are coming through 'the forbidden door'. This includes Jay White, who has aligned himself with his former Bullet Club brothers, and Omega's running mates in The Elite: The Young Bucks.
Kenny Omega is still recovering, but may be returning in the weeks ahead
Many people close to the situation say that it could be as late as May or June before Omega can make a return to action. That may be true, however, he could come back sooner or make some appearances to cut promos ahead of that timeframe.
The Leader of The Elite recently spoke with Dave Meltzer about the complications of trying to schedule major procedures, especially in the COVID-19 era. He also stated that his wrestling style and having to rely on his other strengths contributed to him developing multiple physical conditions at the same time.
Kenny Omega still has a scheduled hernia surgery and the eight-week rehabilitation stint that follows. So, you're talking about a minimum of two months before he can take any kind of real bump. Even then, things will have to go at a slow pace to ensure that he doesn't reinjure himself.
In the meantime, the AEW faithful are anxiously waiting for their former champion to make his comeback. He is one of the founding fathers of their favorite promotion, along with being one of the best in-ring performers in the world. His absence naturally leaves a huge void in All Elite Wrestling.
Having said that, his eventual re-emergence will be met by a huge explosion. It won't be from pyrotechnics. It will come from the fans in the stands.
For a while, it seemed as if the AEW audience was starting to take Omega for granted. They just assumed he would be out there, giving highly-acclaimed performances on a regular basis. They possibly didn't even realize how good they had it until he was gone. Now? They are ready for his return.
It won't be right away, but we are getting closer to the time when Omega will rise from the ashes like a fiery phoenix. And when he does, be ready for The Best Bout Machine to chase the AEW World Championship once again.
Hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later. Because the fans are ready for it.
When do you think we will see Kenny Omega in an AEW ring again? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.