Kenny Omega hoped to be available for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, but alas, that didn't come to fruition.
Omega has been sidelined since losing the AEW World Title to Hangman Page at AEW Full Gear in November 2021. In the months since then, he has been tending to multiple injuries including shoulder and knee problems, a hernia, as well as dealing with vertigo.
Speaking with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp (full interview above), Omega commented on his recovery and shared that he was on the road recently to help with some Owen Hart Cup matches, but being away from rehab started to feel like it was setting him back.
"My timetable, before all of this started, I wanted to be back for [Forbidden Door]. Being back for this show was incredibly important to me and I really wanted to mix it up with somebody from New Japan, and it sucks that I couldn't do it. It's to the point where I want to be on this show even if it's just to do commentary. I just want involvement, but I'm not there yet. I don't want to take a spot from anybody. I don't want to put a spotlight on myself when it's not going to lead to anything. I'm definitely cool to sit and cheer on the sidelines for everyone to go out there and kill it and have a great show. In terms of timeline, I put myself back on the road to help out with some of the Owen Hart Cup matches, and I felt it was too soon. It was too difficult for me to miss three or four days of rehab, and to have to put myself in a position where I was flying again and being hands-on with talent. When I'm trying to agent something or show something, when I'm moving from point A to point B backstage, I'm moving quicker than I thought that I would and doing more than I thought and I'm not eating or resting properly. I felt it really started to set me back. I'm not saying I would have been ready for Forbidden Door had I not done it, but when I started to recognize that it was a detriment to my recovery, I kept myself home and I'm focusing more on what I can do remotely and I'm doing everything I can for the game to make sure we can make release," Omega said.
Elsewhere during the interview, Omega took shots at NJPW star Will Ospreay, saying that though he is great at doing moves, he has numerous forgettable 'five-star' matches. Click here to read more.
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door is set to go down on Sunday, June 26 from the United Center in Chicago, IL. Fightful will have live coverage of the event, as well as a post-show review immediately following its conclusion. You can view the updated card for Forbidden Door by clicking here.