“It’s Not All About Moves” – Kenny Omega on What He Learnt While Wrestling Without Fans in AEW

Published 07/26/2021, 11:30 AM EDT

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Kenny Omega is arguably one of the hottest wrestlers in the world today. Since joining AEW, his career has only gone uphill with no signs of stopping. And the fans had a big part to play in his popularity. But in the pandemic era, how did he manage his wrestling without the fans?

During a recent interview with “Wrestling Observer Radio“, AEW Champion Kenny Omega revealed his point of view on the whole wrestling with no fans deal. He said,

“Having to work in front of no people was a huge eye-opener for a lot of wrestlers. It’s a whole new skill set and an entirely different art form. It really brought into perspective that, ‘wait a minute, even though moves are cool and cool moves are even cooler, maybe it’s not all about the moves.’

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He continued, “When you don’t have the artificial reaction from the crowd, all that’s left is the athletes in the ring. You have to judge based on what you see and feel and how those performers draw you in. A lot of times, what draws you in, is how the crowd is reacting.” (H/t Fightful for transcriptions)

Since becoming all-elite, Kenny Omega has won the AEW championship, the AAA Mega Championship, and the Impact World Championship, that too all in his first reign! Like every other wrestler, Omega too had a habit of wrestling in front of large crowds. But the pandemic provided him a fresh perspective on his own way of wrestling.

Check Out This Story – John Cena Ridicules Roman Reigns, Finn Balor Steps Up: Best Moments from WWE SmackDown (July 23, 2021)

How did Kenny Omega have a different perspective?

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Kenny revealed that when he studies wrestling, he likes to watch matches that are heralded as incredible and perfect. Fun fact, Kenny likes to watch those matches on mute. He feels that if he can still take appreciation for that match without hearing a crowd reaction, then those athletes really did something special.

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Omega added in some cases there are performances that won’t hold up to the ‘mute button test.’ And that is why he is looking for the energy in the selling, the energy in the face. He is also looking for the reactions, how the referee is performing and selling near falls. That’s why certain people thrived more than others during the pandemic.

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Kenny Omega is Very Optimistic About a Potential WWE-AEW Partnership in the Future

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Written by:

Aditya Pran Mahanta

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Aditya Pran Mahanta is a WWE and AEW author for EssentiallySports, who is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Arts degree. Being a sports fanatic, he has played at the state level badminton in his younger years but his love for WWE overtook all other passions. Being a decade-long wrestling fan, he relishes the older wrestlers and wishes that the newer generation had the same Edge. He is a passionate fan of Rey Mysterio for his high flying style, Edge for being The Ultimate Opportunist, and Razor Ramon because nobody messes with the Bad Guy!
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