Kenny Omega and Roman Reigns are two very different figures in professional wrestling.
“The Big Dog” is currently chasing Brock Lesnar’s Universal Title in WWE. Omega reigns as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). Both men recently spoke to Mel Magazine and discussed how they like to try and connect with their fans.
Reigns said he chooses to project an image of self-confidence so that hopefully those in his audience who struggle with insecurity can take after him:
“That’s what makes me appealing— that I’m confident, I believe in myself and I think everybody can relate to that,” Reigns said. “That’s something everybody should relate to. It’s called self-esteem for a reason. You can’t get it from anybody else. If I project that, if I portray that, it’s empowering to so many people who are a little insecure, who get nervous.”
Omega was told Reign’s comments and challenged that his style wasn’t “true.” He explained that he chooses to put himself in a position where he can feel pain with his audience:
“[Laughs] It also doesn’t seem true, either,” Omega said. “People go through [heartbreak] in all walks of life, regardless of age, sex, religion or whatever. There are times you break up with a loved one, a friend or whatever. You feel alone. It’s a very easy feeling to understand—the feeling of loss, heartache and pain.
“So I’ve put myself in a position to feel pain alongside with the fans.”
“The Cleaner” primarily blames WWE’s exhausting habit of micromanaging things to the point where they no longer have any emotion attached to them:
“[WWE] keeps it simple, because they feel as simple as possible is best. It’s the easiest to book for television as well,” Omega said. “You can micromanage things to the second that way.
“If there’s real emotion you can’t. … Even if you can’t really understand what’s going on [as a child], you can feel, and as long as you can feel something, it’s better than coming out of it and feeling nothing.”
