Kenny Omega thinks that the biggest difference of the wrestling fandom in America compared to Japan is the social media interactions.
The Cleaner stopped by the office of naprapath Dr. Beau Hightower to get himself in a better shape for his Full Gear match against Hangman Page before the PPV this past Saturday. The now-former AEW champion had a detailed conversation about things such as developing his persona, being a fan of anime, and more while getting the adjustments.
Omega spent over half a decade in Japan rebuilding his character after some failed stints in America. He has been reintroduced to the wider American audience in the past couple of years ever since AEW started putting out a weekly show on national television.
When asked what’s the biggest difference he has noticed in the fandom of Japan and America, Kenny Omega said that the major difference is the social media interaction with fans.
“I would say the major difference is social media interactions. I find that by far and away native English speakers are much more volatile online. You just don’t get that [in Japan]. At the very least, even at the most basic level, I would say a [Japanese] wrestling fan respects the effort wrestlers put in. Whereas in America or the UK or sometimes Canada or whatever, you know, people want us to die.
They want us to get injured. They want us to be retired. They want us to be out of work and I hear it hundreds of times a day. And if I wasn’t kind of numb to it, I don’t know. I feel like I might be in a real terrible mental place. That’s why I worry for other people who may not be in similar shoes and may not be used to that.”
“Fans Feels Like They Are Fighting The War”: Kenny Omega
Discussing the mentality behind the negative reactions of fans, Kenny Omega explained that people believe they are fighting the war alongside their favorite team. Though it’s not something the wrestlers or the companies want them to do:
“The fans feel like they’re fighting the war alongside their favorite team and so they feel like they’re doing their due diligence. And what they’re actually doing is probably not what anyone really wishes them to do.”
Kenny Omega dropped the AEW world championship to Hangman Page during the Full Gear PPV. This culminated one of the longest-running storylines of the company. The former IWGP champion has since confirmed that he is taking a break from AEW programming to heal from his various injuries. While an exact timetable for his return is not known, he is expected to stay out of action for at least a few months.
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