Inaugural IWGP United States Champion, Kenny Omega, looks to be heading to the disabled list.
The New Japan star has had such a successful year that he’s drawn the interest of casual wrestling fans. For now, his momentum is on pause. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Omega has been suffering from a chronic knee issue and this fall presents the perfect window to get things healed. The lateral meniscus injury will not need surgery and Omega should only miss a few weeks of action.
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Omega addressed the situation personally on Twitter.
Unfortunately, I’ll have to take a short break. Hold the fort, Leo Tonga. See you in Kobe.
— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) September 6, 2017
The 33-year old wrestling machine has garnered worldwide interest in the wrestling community. The popular sentiment is that his time in WWE is imminent.
If that turns out be the case, Stone Cold himself thinks that Omega could have tremendous success in WWE. On recent an episode of The Steve Austin Show, the Texas Rattlesnake and his guest, Don Callis, discussed New Japan Wrestling. When the conversation turned to one of the Japanese promotion’s brightest stars, Kenny Omega, Stone Cold issued some high compliments.
“If they wanted him to be, I think he could be the next big thing in the United States. I think he could be the guy…if WWE brought him in and just gave him everything he needed..if it was a green light push and everything was all systems go on making Kenny Omega the guy, he could be the guy,” he said.
There may not be a more glowing endorsement a wrestler can receive. Austin would go on to gush over not only Omega’s ring work but his skills on the microphone. To put it simply, Austin sees Omega as a can’t miss talent.
For those unfamiliar, Kenny Omega is a 33-year-old from Winnipeg, Canada. Omega is made from the same mold as AJ Styles and Seth Rollins and has actually mimicked their rise through the independent circuit. He was recently crowned IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion at New Japan’s G 1 Climax.
Back in January, the rumor mill churned on the potential of Omega being a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble. Things got so juicy that even John Cena teased an Omega WWE debut by Tweeting a picture of the New Japan Star. Omega would refute the rumors in an interview with Sports Illustrated by saying that he had no interest in being “a cog in the machine,” in reference to joining WWE. True to his quote, Omega never showed in WWE.
But the most talented wrestlers in the world typically find their way to WWE. If Omega is in fact that, then we can assume his arrival is imminent if not inevitable. Stone Cold seems to believe that WWE could place Omega at the top of the conglomerate’s empire and things could get ludicrous. We’ll have to wait and see.
