Kenny Omega is one of the most talented performers in the pro wrestling industry. He has gained the respect of fans and critics alike with his scintillating performances over the years and has gained tons of accolades for himself. He's currently one of the Executive Vice Presidents of All Elite Wrestling while also performing as an in-ring talent. He's a former AEW World Champion and has also won numerous titles across promotions like NJPW, ROH, and Impact Wrestling.
Whenever there's a conversation about Kenny Omega, it would mostly be about his pro wrestling career, as most fans might not know about Tyson Smith, the man behind the character. With that said, let's take a look at ten things fans might not know about Kenny Omega's life outside wrestling.
10 He Considered A Career In Ice Hockey
During his early years, Kenny Omega developed a passion for Ice Hockey and chose to pursue a career in the sport. He usually played as a goalie for his club team, the St. Boniface Seals, before getting called up to the junior ranks.
He also received a scholarship at the Bemidji State University, but let's say the universe had different plans for Omega as his attention turned to pro wrestling when one of his friends started training at Top Rope Championship Wrestling in Winnipeg. He soon dropped his Ice Hockey ambitions and started training under TRCW promoter Bobby Jay, and the rest they say is history.
9 He's A Huge Trekkie
Trekkie is a term used to denote a person who is a fan of the Star Trek franchise. Kenny Omega is also a big fan of the franchise and has credited it to have played a huge role in his pro wrestling career.
Omega revealed that he inspired his in-ring attire and moves from the Star Trek series and stated that the franchise made him who he is, to some degree. Apart from Star Trek, Kenny Omega has also drawn inspiration from superhero cartoons to develop certain elements of his in-ring style.
8 He's A Big Fan Of Anime
While fans might expect pro wrestlers to engage in some intense training and other tough guy things during their free times, but Kenny Omega finds pleasure in laying back and watching some classic anime. Omega claimed that he's a big fan of Japanese anime and revealed that he used to watch it right before his workout sessions. Sports animes are his specific choices during the time as he feels that it energizes his workout.
He's stated that Midosuju from Yowamushi Pedal is his favorite anime villain and claimed that he is the sports equivalent of Thanos.
7 He Is Best Friends With Michael Nakazawa
Kenny Omega spent a considerable time of his career competing in Japan, and during that phase of his career, he managed to befriend several Japanese wrestlers and ended up forming a very close friendship with Michael Nakazawa.
Nakazawa is one of Kenny Omega's former tag team partners, with whom he has held the KO-D Tag Team Championship during his time in the Japanese promotion DDT Pro Wrestling. The two eventually became close personal friends over the years, and when Omega landed an influential position in AEW, he made sure to bring Nakazawa into the new promotion as well.
6 Rumored To Be Dating Hikaru Shida
Despite being in the spotlight for many years, Kenny Omega has managed to keep his personal life secret from the outside world. There have been little to no reports in the past regarding his relationship status or any other personal subjects, but there have been rumors that the former AEW World Champion is dating fellow AEW wrestler Hikaru Shida.
Omega and Hikaru Shida has a long history from their time together in Japan and has also worked a few mixed tag team matches together. Despite the rumors, both wrestlers have been tight-lipped about their alleged relationship, and it's also not clear if they are still together.
5 He's An Avid Gamer
Kenny Omega is a self-professed avid gamer and has talked about his love for gaming on multiple occasions. He used to host a YouTube series called Cleaner's Corner on his old channel, in which he played some of his favorite video games.
He also attends video game conventions whenever he gets the time and has also competed against WWE's Xavier Woods in a game of Street Fighter V when he made a guest appearance at a Community Effort Orlando event in June 2016. It sparked some rumors of a potential match between The Elite and The New Day, but it didn't come to fruition.
4 Played Cody Travers In The Trailer Of Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition
Kenny Omega never had any major acting gigs in the past, as he gave his full attention to his pro wrestling career. However, his love for gaming gave him the opportunity to portray Cody Travers in a live-action portion of the trailer for the game Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition.
However, Kenny Omega's selection was received with mixed reviews from the wrestling fans as they believed Cody Rhodes looked more similar to the video game character, but The Cleaner did an excellent job in portraying the character in the trailer.
3 He's Fluent In Japanese
Kenny Omega spent a significant part of his pro-wrestling career competing in Japan. During his time in the country, he competed for promotions like New Japan Pro Wrestling and DDT Pro-Wrestling, and as time went by, he became so interested in Japanese culture that he ended up learning the language.
He can speak fluently in Japan, and that can be one of the reasons why he became so popular among Japanese wrestling fans. It led him to obtain Japanese citizenship, and he currently holds dual citizenship with both Japan and his home country of Canada.
2 Has Been Suffering With Vertigo Since 2018
A professional wrestler's body can take only so much damage that it results in permanent complications after going past a certain level. Kenny Omega is no different, as he has put his body on the line in brutal and hard-hitting matches in the past.
As a result, Omega has been suffering from a condition named vertigo since 2018. The disorder is a common type of dizziness that results in a person having a sensation of moving or of surrounding objects moving when they are not, and it's especially worse when the person moves his head.
1 He Is Straight Edge
CM Punk was the wrestler who made the term Straight Edge famous in the pro wrestling industry, and like him, his rival Kenny Omega has also embraced the Straight Edge lifestyle and abstains from alcohol, tobacco, and drug consumption.
It's especially hard to maintain the lifestyle when a person is surrounded by a locker room full of wrestlers with polarizing personalities, but Omega managed to stick to his motto and remains Straight Edge to this day.