Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega made a name for himself under the NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) banner. It turns out that Omega was actually in WWE at one point. He was placed in their developmental system as he worked in Deep South from 2005 – 2006.
Earlier this month, Omega made big news when he announced that he was “stepping away” from NJPW. As a result, this led to speculation that he could be headed to the WWE or potentially sign with AEW.
While doing a recent interview with The Warmup, Omega reflected on his time in WWE’s developmental system over a decade ago.
“I was in their developmental system. They develop you to be a star on their television show when they feel like you’re ready or they have a spot for you,” said Omega. “I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I appreciated the opportunity and I learned a lot but I felt going into the system and being nobody and them not knowing my limitations or potential, I really want to prove to them that I could be more to them and the business than what they thought of me. So I decided to leave WWE and started my journey to Japan.”
Omega admitted that once he made the call to depart from the sports entertainment company, he was still young and foolish and money didn’t mean anything to him.
“When I made the decision to leave WWE, I was still young and foolish and money didn’t mean anything to me. I had parents who were supportive of my career and I was able to live at home for free. No one really understands that there are other options and there is more to wrestling than WWE,” stated Omega. “You can make a living and a difference and be regarded as one of the best on the planet but not stepping foot in WWE. When I decided to venture into Japan, it wasn’t really possible. Things have changed so much where other promotions and wrestlers are making headlines across the world. The landscape and culture is very different. The general image of WWE being end-all, be-all is no longer a thing. It’s still the largest company in the world but does that mean it has the best programming, matches or competitors? Probably not. That’s what makes it fun to be a wrestling fan right now.”
