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News​Kenny Omega Says The WWE NXT Debut Of Shinsuke Nakamura Was An...

​Kenny Omega Says The WWE NXT Debut Of Shinsuke Nakamura Was An Insult, More

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During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard, Kenny Omega discussed a possible WWE NXT debut, seeing the debut of Shinsuke Nakamura in NXT as an insult and more. Here are some highlights:

On Being Offered a Spot With NXT: “I have spoken with the heads at NXT, and they’ve all said, ‘If you want to come down, let us know–the second your visa is in place, you’re on TV the next week,’” said Omega, who has a rocky history with WWE developmental territories from his time a decade ago in Deep South Wrestling. “I thought that was really cool of them to say and I appreciate they recognize that I’d add some value to their product, so I always kept that in my mind as an option. But this is going back to my Deep South days–I still haven’t quite shown them what I can do on my own, and that’s what I think this year is going to do for me.”

On Seeing The Debut of Shinsuke Nakamura in NXT as an Insult: “I certainly think it is,” said Omega. “A lot of people heard the reaction that AJ received when he came out of nowhere at the Royal Rumble–if Nakamura debuted at WrestleMania, knowing that fans in that crowd travel from around the globe for that weekend, Nakamura’s reaction would have dwarfed AJ’s. That’s not saying Nakamura is better than AJ, but that atmosphere is built for someone who eats it up like Nakamura. It’s not like you can say, ‘We’ll hold off until next year’s WrestleMania,’” explained Omega. “It’s a shame that they have decided it was on an NXT show. As someone who knows what he’s capable of and seen his character develop, I just think it’s a missed opportunity. Perhaps it’s a trust issue, not knowing if he can handle the big stage right off the bat or whether the fans will appreciate the kind of character he brings to the table.”

On His Issues With Former WWE Developmental Deep South Wrestling: “Every now and again, Johnny would stop by and check on everyone’s morale,” said Omega. “He’d heard rumors that it wasn’t so hot. The last time I met him in person, he said–‘If ever there are people who want to quit, there might be a fix to the problem,’ and he was referring to Bill. ‘So don’t just quit because there might be something we can do for you, and talk to me–we care about you guys as performers and people.’ So I called John and said I didn’t mind the degree of physicality. I said I didn’t mind being the scapegoat if I helped the morale that was piss-poor. But I said, ‘My heart isn’t here. Any sort of creativity and freedom that I had was taken away from me. I don’t feel like I can flourish as the robot you guys have programmed me to be. I want to prove to you, elsewhere, that I don’t need your programming. I don’t need some guy in the back to tell me what to do, how to do it, what moves make sense, what comments I should say, the way I should dress, the way I should look–I want to show you that the way I have pictured myself, in my brain, is as a superstar. I’m not doing this to spite you, I’m doing this to increase my own value. Where you may look at me as contender in your light heavyweight division, I’m telling you I can be more than that. You may not believe me right now because, when you found me, I was a nobody. But I know, in my mind, I can be somebody. That’s what I want to show you to increase my value for your company.’ That’s what I told him.”

His Thoughts on The New Day: “New Day rocks,” admitted Omega. “I can’t lie. What would it do and what would it prove if they sucked? We’re The Elite, so we have to challenge the top act on the planet. You don’t see us challenging some other three man unit–we’re trying to make history, and we’re challenging the best–New Day rocks.”

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