The current IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega, was recently interviewed by Paste Magazine. During the interview, Omega discussed the differences between the crowd at the NJPW G1 Special in Long Beach vs. the crowds in Japan. Kenny also touched on what it means to him to be the first-ever IWGP U.S. Champion along with much more.
Here are the highlights:
The Reaction From The Fans At The G1 Special:
“I had high hopes that we’d create a party-like atmosphere, but the fans went above and beyond to blow away everyone’s expectations. It’s awesome that people all over know and enjoy our product. It’s huge motivation for me to push for a way larger venue next time.”
The G1 Special Crowd vs. Japan’s Crowds:
“Dominion at Osaka has historically been one of our best, most lively crowds of the year. Whether my match with KUSHIDA, the ladder match with Michael Elgin, or the 60 minute draw with Okada, the fans have been among the best in my career three years running now. That being said, from even before the first bell all the way until the closing mic performance, the Long Beach crowd was rocking the house in the greatest way a wrestler could ask for.”
Becoming The Face Of NJPW & Being An Ambassador:
“It definitely didn’t hurt. Since last year, I’ve been pretty open about my aspirations to become our international ambassador. I feel like even if I weren’t poised to be in a main event slot, these shows would have still been tremendous. That being said, I have faith in myself, The Elite and the Bullet Club that as the focus of the shows, we can turn that already tremendous product into something even more special and memorable.”
Making The IWGP United States Title Prestigious & Looking For His Next Opponent:
“My priority is to make this belt worth caring about. It can’t be swept under the rug and it can’t be the belt that’s third or fourth string under our other singles belts. NJPW has a bevy of talent but only a small core of big match performers. With that in mind, my hope is to actually venture out and find new challengers. New Japan has great guys, but we don’t have all of the great guys. Whether I can succeed in my plan or not remains to be seen. However, I hope for the US Championship to allow for defenses that you couldn’t see with any other championship under the NJPW banner.”
