Kenny Omega was scared of facing "monster" AEW star; reveals big change amid hiatus

Kenny Omega admitted being afraid of facing Kazuchika Okada in a recent interview. He also addressed how his time away from the ring brought a huge change in his life.

The Cleaner has been on hiatus since December last year after being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease called diverticulitis. He was already at home recovering from his disease by the time The Rainmaker arrived in the company.

Kenny Omega recently had an interview with NJPW and confessed that he was scared of clashing against The Elite's Kazuchika Okada in AEW.

“Knowing just the weight that was on my shoulders of being the position that I was in for that company [AEW], here we had someone [Okada] that took everything out of me, everything, it took every ounce of my being to finally defeat for a major belt in this company, and he’s coming here 100%, with only the wrestling to have to worry about. I looked at that man as a monster, and I can’t lie, I was scared. I can’t face this guy as current Kenny Omega."

He added that the hiatus has helped him change into a better human being and performer as well. Therefore when he returns he'll be fully ready to challenge the person he was scared to face.

"So maybe by the Young Bucks putting me out and allowing me to step back and refocus on bringing myself back as the wrestler that I know that I can be, taking the mental burden away of being an EVP, just for a little bit, to focus on what is it that I have to do to get back to that level, I feel like the ghost of my past and the skeletons in my closet have all followed me back to this stage, and although getting sick in the way that I did set me back almost a year now, it’s almost a blessing in disguise because it really allows you to assess things in a different way, and it allows you to prioritize the things you should be prioritizing, and I feel that when I do come back, I can come back with a clear head space and possibly be a top-flight performer again." [H/T Fightful]

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Kenny Omega to make a major appearance outside AEW

A few hours ago, NJPW on X revealed that Kenny Omega would be making a special guest appearance at NJPW Power Struggle which will take place at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka in November 2024.

He last wrestled in AEW against Ethan Page on Collision in December 2023. He also made an appearance on the May 1 edition of Dynamite to talk about his health condition, after which he was attacked on the show by The Elite.