Kenny Omega Update; WWE, AEW Rumors on Kevin Owens Contract, Swerve Strickland Return

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

---

Omega Says He's Not Medically Cleared to Wrestle

Kenny Omega has not wrestled since December or appeared on AEW programming in any capacity since May, and comments made by the former AEW world champion on Friday suggest his absence may not be coming to an end any time soon.

In a post on X in which he hyped the inclusion of fellow AEW star Samoa Joe in the upcoming Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii video game, Omega noted that he is "not medically cleared" to compete:

The manner in which Omega revealed the information suggests he could be joking, but he has indeed battled his fair share of health issues since the inception of AEW.

His most recent ailment is a bout with diverticulitis. When Omega appeared on an episode of Dynamite in May, he said he required surgery and noted that doctors told him he was lucky to be alive.

Omega was then written off TV again due to an attack by Elite members The Young Bucks, Jack Perry and Kazuchika Okada.

When Okada signed with AEW, it was an exciting prospect for wrestling fans since it meant the potential reprisal of his classic rivalry with Omega during their time together in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

That is likely still the end goal once Omega returns, but there remains no publicly known timeline for that to happen.

When healthy, Omega is widely considered one of the best in-ring wrestlers in the world, and there is no question that he has been sorely missed by AEW fans over the past nine months.

---

WWE Reportedly Talking New Contract with Owens Amid AEW Interest

With Kevin Owens apparently nearing the end of his contract, WWE has reportedly begun talks with him regarding a new deal.

According to Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, WWE could have some competition, as AEW is expected to make KO a "big offer" if he hits free agency.

Back in May, Owens told Metro's Alistair McGeorge that he had nine months remaining on his contract, which suggests it will expire in early 2025.

Owens announced back in December 2021 that he had re-signed with WWE on a multi-year deal, and it was apparently a three-year contract based on the deal's upcoming expiration.

Since signing with WWE in 2014 and then reaching the main roster in 2015, Owens has been a key figure on WWE programming in main event, semi main event and midcard roles.

In addition to being a one-time universal champion, Owens has held the United States Championship twice and the Intercontinental and WWE Tag Team Championships one time each.

Although it is approaching eight years since Owens last held a world title, he has not needed one to remain relevant.

Speaking to WWE's confidence in Owens as a top star, he was chosen as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's opponent for his first match in nearly two decades in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 38.

Owens and Sami Zayn also main evented Night 1 of WrestleMania 39, beating The Usos for the tag team titles.

Recently, Owens lost a WWE Championship match to Cody Rhodes, and last week on SmackDown he and Randy Orton beat A-Town Down Under in a tag team match.

Whatever WWE does with Owens next may very well be done with an eye toward positioning him in such a way that he will want to re-sign and remain with WWE for the long haul, however, it sounds like WWE will have to make a big offer since AEW has deep pockets in its own right and has poached plenty of WWE talent over the past few years.

---

Details on Swerve's Anticipated AEW Return

Former AEW world champion Swerve Strickland has not been seen on AEW programming since losing an unsanctioned steel cage match to "Hangman" Adam Page at All Out earlier this month.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestleTalk), Strickland should be "back sooner than originally expected."

His exact return date remains unclear, but Meltzer noted that Swerve being part of the WrestleDream pay-per-view on Oct. 12 is a possibility since it is taking place in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington.

At All In last month, Strickland was in the main event, defending the AEW world title against Bryan Danielson. In a classic match, Danielson prevailed, becoming AEW world champion for the first time.

Page attempted to interfere during the match, reprising his heated rivalry with Swerve, and leading to a brutal steel cage match at All Out.

Hangman was victorious after a brutal and, at times, uncomfortable bout, and Strickland has been off television ever since.

While AEW is wise to have him sell the effects of such a vicious match, it is difficult to envision the company not wanting to have him involved with a pay-per-view in his hometown in some capacity.

---

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below.