The Writing Is on the Wall: Kenny Omega Is Rejecting WWE for AEW

It appears Kenny Omega could be a trailblazer of sorts in the wrestling industry, turning down what is undoubtedly a massive offer from WWE and joining All Elite Wrestling instead.

The latest hint of this possible colossal, industry-shaking event came in an episode of the Being The Elite web show, featuring The Young Bucks and others. It's a small thing, but with the Royal Rumble over for WWE, the little tidbits keep adding up.

Omega announced he was leaving New Japan Pro-Wrestling after dropping his IWGP heavyweight title to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in early January. He's been speculated as WWE-bound for a long time, yet AEW has always lurked in the background as a possibility for a few reasons.

But rumors suggested WWE anyway, especially after the company reportedly sent Omega a "fantastic offer," according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Wrestling Inc's Raj Giri).

Before Royal Rumble passed, the whole situation seemed reminiscent of when WWE landed AJ Styles—and we know how that has played out since.

However, the outlook keeps swinging in the other direction. AEW has landed big stars such as Chris Jericho, and the whole thing is funded by Tony Khan, son of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan, according to Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet.

In other words, AEW might not have any problems offering similar money as WWE, if not engaging in bidding wars outright for superstars like Omega. On top of this, wrestlers might be looking at a more lenient schedule and more creative freedom. 

It comes down to what Omega wants, right? Every wrestler pursues different goals, but rarely have wrestlers had an option outside of WWE.

What WWE offers someone like Omega isn't hard to figure out. Its biggest events dwarf the attendance numbers of NJPW's live events. And AEW, at least for now, won't come close, either.

Keep in mind the power of the company as a whole and its WWE Network as a way to extend Omega's reach on a global scale, especially as WWE presumably shifts more into the sports side of things later this year thanks to the Fox deal. 

And none of that even touches on the talent. WWE has Bullet Club veterans and past rivals such as Finn Balor and AJ Styles to feud with, not to mention guys like Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Keep in mind other talents ranging from Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins to Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura, and that's just briefly touching on the main roster.

In this sense, other promotions can't touch WWE. And chairman Vince McMahon knows this, so some level of creative control likely comes with the deal. Omega gunning for revenge on Styles for a past Bullet Club sendoff could unfold on a stage like WrestleMania, for example. No promotion can offer some of the historic moments and matchups WWE can.

Yet it doesn't seem like it will end up mattering.

Omega's friendships with The Young Bucks and others in AEW may have too strong of a pull. Keeping the ball rolling with those guys while forging ahead with a start-up contender that can rival WWE could carve out a legacy for Omega nobody else in wrestling could achieve—and he is talented enough to do it.

And if he's the first megastar to start the trend, why wouldn't some of the WWE guys mentioned here eventually join him in AEW?

It helps the WWE angle isn't flawless. In WWE, for every Styles, there seems to be a Hideo Itami, who asked for his release. Dean Ambrose's future with the company looks murky too. There are simply too many talented players on the stacked roster, and the chance Omega arrives and goes right to the top—where he would deserve to be—doesn't seem great.

With AEW, there is no question where The Cleaner lands right out of the gates.

It almost seems like a "why not?" scenario for Omega. If AEW doesn't work out, he still likely has another chance at WWE given his talent and star power. Making good money with friends while pursuing an ambitious goal that will only come around once is worth it—WWE will be there regardless.

Should Omega shun WWE, as it seems he's about to do, perhaps more interesting than anything else is the ramifications on the industry. For now, that industry still has one company running a monopoly, which has inevitably led to an overflow of talent looking for other options.

If someone as big as Omega is the first part of this change, he will be far from the last.