Photo Credit: NJPW/TV Asahi

Kenny Omega Wants His WK12 Match w/ Jericho ‘To Be A Wake-Up Call To New Japan & WWE’; Talks Shinsuke Nakamura’s Run In WWE, More

Kenny Omega Wants His WK12 Match w/ Jericho ‘To Be A Wake-Up Call To New Japan & WWE’; Talks Nakamura In WWE, More
Photo Credit: NJPW1972.com

Justin Barrasso has released his latest Week In Wrestling for Sports Illustrated and it features an exclusive interview with IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega.

You can read the full interview HERE. We have included some highlights below.

Related: Chris Jericho Reacts To His Kenny Omega Challenge For Wrestle Kingdom 12

On wanting to present a new kind of pro wrestling match against Chris Jericho at Wrestle Kingdom 12:

“I really want this match to be a wake-up call to New Japan and WWE,” said Omega. “This match is going to open up a lot of eyes, and it’s going to invoke a feeling you’ve never felt when watching a wrestling match. It’s a clash of unique worlds, and the match we’re going to show with aggression, violence, and disdain is going to evoke a new kind of emotion from people watching.”

On his failure to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship:

“I can’t lie, winning that belt was a goal of mine,” admitted Omega. “When I crossed over to the heavyweight division, I immediately set my sights on the Intercontinental title. I knew that was going to take some time away from pursuing the IWGP heavy, but generally speaking, the Intercontinental title had this reputation behind it as the workman’s belt with the matches that would steal the show. I wanted to continue with that legacy, and I also wanted to enter my own name in history and do some original things with the belt, for example with the company’s first-ever ladder match. For me, introducing that was a huge accomplishment, as well as executing the match in a way that the fans would want to see another one.”

On Shinsuke Nakamura’s run in WWE:

“I’m happy for the response that he’s getting, of course, and all of us in New Japan knew when he left that he was going to get over with his charisma,” said Omega. “But when I see Nakamura in WWE, it’s hard for me to say he’s done anything compelling in-ring since he’s been there, which is a shame. It will just take the one right story and the one right moment and then people will be captivated by everything that he does. Right now, he hasn’t had that.”

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