AEW star and Executive Vice President Kenny Omega recently opened up about the challenges and “regrettable” aspects of his executive role, particularly how it has impacted his creative freedom and the ability to engage in the spontaneous, BTE-style humor that was a hallmark of The Elite. In a candid new interview with Adi Shankar, creator of Netflix’s “Devil May Cry” series, Omega discussed the weight of responsibility that came with being an EVP.
Omega pinpointed the shift in accountability as a significant change. “For me, that was [one of] the most regrettable things about becoming an EVP for AEW,” Omega stated. “By becoming an EVP for AEW, we were now on the hook for anything that we did, said.”
He elaborated on the potential consequences they faced. “If it wasn’t to the network’s liking or if it offended people or fans and they wrote a formal complaint, we could essentially immediately be taken off the air,” Omega explained. “That responsibility to our fan base and the hundreds of people that we employed at AEW, that’s a bit of responsibility.”
This heightened scrutiny made him nostalgic for the earlier, more freewheeling days of The Elite. “It really made me miss the days of just having a ragtag group of guys that were just being creative and doing whatever it was that came to our minds that we thought would entertain our fan base and create new fans,” he shared.
Omega emphasized their intentions were never malicious. “It was like myself, the Bucks, Hangman, Cody, all of us were respectful, polite individuals, always trying to do things — we would never go out of our way to maliciously hurt anybody. If ever we did anything in character in that manner, it was to tell a story.”
Reflecting on past comedic content with The Young Bucks, Omega noted how times have changed. “I was actually recently watching some old clips back when I was joking around with the Bucks… we’re just laughing at all these old scenes where we’re just doing the silliest of things,” he said. “It’s like, we knew we were joking. People loved what we were doing back then and they’re all laughing with us and at us and we love that they were.”
He then expressed a sense of loss regarding that style of content today. “We’re just like, man, isn’t it kind of sad that we just can’t do it anymore?” Omega mused. “It’s like, who did we hurt by doing this? Nobody. Who would we hurt if did it again today? Nobody, but it would offend somebody and that somebody would go out of their way to make sure they hurt us.”
This potential for backlash has led to a more cautious approach. “They would feel empowered by that. It’s like, okay, well I’ll just stay in my shell and just do what I am being paid to do then,” Omega admitted. “That part of it was kind of a debbie downer.” His comments offer a rare insight into the pressures that come with executive roles in a major wrestling promotion, balancing creative desires with broader corporate and network responsibilities.
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