Kenny Omega Confirms His Future as a Singles Competitor in AEW

Kenny Omega was at the top of the wrestling world in 2021, simultaneously holding the AEW World, Impact and AAA Mega Championships as "The Belt Collector." But a series of injuries plagued Omega throughout his reign, resulting in him stepping away from AEW TV to undergo a handful of surgeries after he dropped the AEW title to Hangman Page. He didn't even get the chance to drop the AAA title to El Hijo Del Vikingo in their scheduled match, instead opting to relinquish the title so Vikingo could win in a five-way match at Triplemania Regia II in December 2021. 

Omega vs. Vikingo will finally take place on tonight's AEW Dynamite. It will be just the third one-on-one match Omega has been involved in since returning from injury last year and his first on Dynamite since November 2021. And in a new interview with Sports Illustrated, Omega indicated seeing him in singles matches is going to become increasingly rare.

"AAA's mega championship was so important to me," Omega said. "It represents a particular idea and style, one I'll never claim is my strong suit, so it was the result of arduous testing. I put myself through the paces. I was not trained in that style primarily. I watched hours and hours and hours of videotape to understand the ideas and concepts. In AAA, I applied all that I learned and became the longest-reigning mega champion in the world. That still means a lot to me.

"And at this stage in my career, I'm not quick to put my name on a singles match unless it means something," he continued. "There's not a belt on the line, I'm not contending for a title. It's all about the opportunity to put my style against someone I think can be one of the greatest luchadores of all time. This is very much a personal test, but I also take pride in being part of the introduction of someone I think will have a very successful career. Vikingo is going to be known worldwide, so it's an honor for me to be part of this. And I hope we'll see him in AEW again."

AEW Dynamite (March 22, 2023)

• Kenny Omega vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo
• Jon Moxley vs. Stu Grayson 
• AEW World Tag Team Championships: The Gunns vs. Top Flight
• Orange Cassidy, Darby Allin & Sting vs. Kip Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade
• Toni Storm vs. Skye Blue
• Hook vs. Stokely Hathaway (No DQ)
• Adam Cole Promo