Kenny Omega is still dealing with the effects of diverticulitis.
Back in December, it was announced that Omega had been hospitalized and diagnosed with diverticulitis. Months later, Tony Khan confirmed at the AEW Revolution Media Scrum that there is still no timetable for Omega’s return to the company.
The Best Bout Machine hosted a Twitch stream tonight where he spoke about his current health status and where he currently stands on his road to recovery.
“I don’t want to say it’s sad news or anything. This could be with anything. Because I understand how I feel physically,” Kenny Omega said. “I’ve been through the wringer in terms of injuries and boos boos and getting banged up and all that. I kind of know now when I feel like I can come back. This is the first time I’ve ever been put out with a sickness. And it’s hard to really know what’s going on in the inside when you feel a little bit of pain, but you don’t actually understand the inner workings of what’s going on.
“I would love to say, ‘Hey guys, I’m on track to coming back next week, next month, or a half of year.’ I don’t have that confidence this time. And when they’re explaining to me that I was 24 hours away from getting a terrible blood infection and possibly dying, this is like news to me. I’ve never heard of anything like that. I was just trying to tough it out. I wasn’t close to dying? Are you kidding me? No way! But the doctors are there to ensure my safety and educate me as to how important this stuff is.
“So I don’t want to talk out of my ass too much and say I’m gonna for sure be back, and I’ll be back at a certain date or time because I don’t know. I will say one thing: after watching Dynamite this past week, kinda getting a feeling for the lay of the land. If I can come back, I feel like I have to. I feel like there are too many great — you may never get an environment like that ever again. And I don’t know if I would call that fun, more of a responsibility.
“I’ve got a responsibility to mix it up with these guys that call themselves the best. I used to be that guy. I used to have that confidence. Now, instead of being the guy who’s got a chip on his shoulder, it’s my job as the old guard to be a gatekeeper. You want to call yourself the best? F**king prove it, bitch. That’s what I’m here for. That’s what I will come back for.”
Kenny Omega isn’t sure if he’ll need surgery or not
Later in the stream, someone in the chat asked if he would need to have surgery to correct this problem. Omega said that he honestly doesn’t know at this point as he recently underwent emergency treatment.
“Do I need surgery? That’s a good question. I still don’t know,” Kenny Omega admitted. “I’m not sure what’s been reported online; I’m just going to be open with you guys in case it’s the first time you hear it; it’s been really touch and go. And I was feeling great, I would say, for a week or two. When you feel terrible, a week or two feels like a long time and it feels like you got momentum and you’re going to push to the finish line or the goal, which is to come back.
“But for two weeks, I was doing great. And I ran into a bit of a roadblock, and I had to get some emergency treatment again. Well, I wouldn’t say it’s two steps forward, two steps back, but maybe it’s like one and a half steps back? I’m better than where I was, but I’m not sure how much improvement I made.
“And when I see these guys, whether it be on pay-per-view or on Dynamite, and I’ll even say it, I’m seeing these guys on RAW, SmackDown, NXT, anybody. It makes me want to get back into that ring shape. So I’m doing this weird balancing act of trying to manage the pain and sickness and also trying to train. I’m trying to make sure things don’t get too out of hand.
“Because if suddenly I’m healed and I’m cleared, I want to be able to hop back in. I don’t want to be like, ‘Whoa, guys. I haven’t done a gosh darn thing in four or five months,’ or whatever it is. If that happens, then I’ll be very disappointed in myself, and you guys will be disappointed too because the bar is so high that I can’t — I guess I could? But I don’t want to come back being below that bar if I can. I’m just gonna try the best I can.”
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What do you make of Kenny Omega’s comments? Are you hopeful to see The Cleaner return to the ring at some point in 2024? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
If you use these quotes, please credit Kenny Omega’s Twitch with a link to this article for the transcription.
