Kenny Omega has been seen over the last several years as one of the top in-ring performers in the wrestling world. Following AJ Styles’ exit from New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2016, Omega took up the banner of the Bullet Club as the factions leader and had a real coming out party that year. As time went on, he eventually became the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and achieved notoriety for his matches literally breaking Dave Meltzer’s respected ratings scale in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The former “five star” scale saw Omega earn six stars for his match with Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom in 2017.
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Since Omega broke the scale, he’s now had nine matches rated by Meltzer above the old five star standard, including a seven star match with Okada at Dominion in 2018. During an interview with The Natural Aristocrat, Omega talked about the sense of higher expectations over the last few years when it comes to his matches.
“Yeah, I mean it’s a double edged sword really because when you set that standard, that precedent that you can have a six star match,” Omega began. “For some people there’s an expectation that, ‘Oh, if I see Kenny Omega, this is what I expect and hope to see!’ And there’s a lot of variables that go into making a 6-star match. Now, I’ve had I think four or five matches that have went over 6-stars. I’ve had more than that go over 5 stars, but I never feel the pressure to have to deliver what one critic deems over a 5-star match.
“What I’m trying to do is just diversify my resume, I never want to have to give what in one person’s mind is a 6-star match. That 6-star match to him isn’t necessarily what I think is a 6-star match. It isn’t necessarily what my neighbor that was beside me thinks is a 6-star match. It’s not what little Jimmy who lives across the world and generally likes watching Sailor Moon, maybe he doesn’t consider that a 6-star match. I’m trying to always have performances that can appeal to all sorts of different people, from all walks of life.
“I think as long as there is somebody in the world, that looks at one of my performances and considers it time not wasted. Or one of the best things that they’ve seen, I feel like my job is complete. So, yes there’s pressure to always give a performance that I think merits somebody’s interest and high praise. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be that one person’s praise.”
Omega is currently one-half of the AEW Tag Team Champions alongside “Hangman” Adam Page. The duo will defend the titles against Private Party this Wednesday night on AEW Dynamite’s “Fyter Fest, Night Two.”
