Ahead of Saturday’s Full Gear, AEW Executive Vice President Kenny Omega spoke with CBS Sports, not only to promote the pay-per-view, but to share that it was current WWE star AJ Styles that saved his pro wrestling career and inspired AEW.
Back in 2006, Omega requested his release from WWE’s developmental territory, Deep South Wrestling, as his experience had had a negative impact on him, causing him to be disillusioned with the business.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d continue wrestling after I left developmental. When I saw the business end of professional wrestling, or at least what was shown to be in developmental at that time, I thought, ‘Maybe this isn’t for me because it isn’t fun anymore. I don’t feel like the creativity I have access to on the indies is viable on that level. Everything is micromanaged. Even the micromanaged stuff is micromanaged from there. I felt I couldn’t be me and being me was fun.”
Then with Omega having essentially one foot out the door of pro wrestling, an independent wrestling organization, Premier Canadian Wrestling, booked him a match with AJ Styles. For Omega this was an opportunity to give himself a send-off that he could be proud of.
“That’s a great way to go out. A good last match.”
The match with Styles, even though not on a big stage in front of several thousands of fans, made a huge impact to the fans and to the pro wrestling business. Omega’s initial thought was that this would be his match, but instead it inspired him to move forward with seeking new opportunities in the pro wrestling business.
“We had no interactions ever before, but there were moments in that match that really felt like the give and take felt so symbiotic. The chemistry was naturally there. I thought, ‘Wow, this is what wrestling someone at this level feels like. I’m not embarrassing myself. Maybe I’m not exactly keeping up, but I’m not embarrassing myself. Maybe if I push myself harder, I can reach this level.'”
Omega and Styles crossed paths again in 2016, but this time in NJPW. They did an angle with Omega taking over as leader of the Bullet Club faction, as Styles was on his way out due to signing a major deal with WWE. Before leaving for WWE, Styles passed the torch to Omega as the new leader of Bullet Club leader, as both kept it a secret that Omega would turn on Styles and send him packing and out the door.
“AJ, having a keen sense of what’s best for business, knew exactly how to go along with it. In a way, by his turning his back and allowing for that moment to happen, whether he knows it or not, that led to the forming of The Elite.”
Omega told CBS Sports that without this iteration of The Bullet Club and the Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), there is no All Elite Wrestling and because of Styles being involved in their lives, it led to AEW.
“Ultimately, it kind of led to AEW. Him being involved in our lives is very pivotal for the company and our careers.”
Omega teams up with Jurassic Express (Jack Perry and Luchasaurus) against the Young Bucks and Josh Alexander. The winning team will get $1 million in cash.
AEW Full Gear takes place live on pay-per-view on Saturday, November 22 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Wrestleview will have live coverage of the event, starting at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT.