Kenny Omega had one of the most successful careers in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and once the star broke into the US market with AEW, fans had hoped to see him replicate that success on US television, but unfortunately, Omega had to step back from wrestling after a diverticulitis diagnosis. During an interview with “Wrestling Observer Radio,” Omega opened up about his original diagnosis and what he went through at the time.
“I never really understood the severity of [diverticulitis] until they kinda came clean with the details,” Omega recalled, claiming the memory of his diagnosis is clearly vivid but he initially believed that he had flu or COVID at the time. “When these pains hit, it’s really bad, I look at myself in the mirror and I look really pale, really blue.” Omega then added that in his talks with AEW, he still was concerned that he was getting worked up over a minor issue but when he tested negative for COVID, he kept pushing himself.
Omega further claimed that he went as far as going to the makeup department to help him not appear as pale as he was, but that even they couldn’t completely alleviate the issue. “I had so much bronzy make-up on, but I was still pale!” he recalled. “My lips were blue and purple, and I remember even asking for a heating pack because my stomach was just ice cold… It felt like a, you know, sort of like a bubbly-type of feeling, the muscles were contracting, it was a terrible feeling!”
‘Well, we don’t want to worry you or anything but you could be at risk of dying’
Kenny Omega claimed he continued to try and handle the pain on his own, even developing a formula for his matches so he could keep going, but even that wasn’t enough. “It was a mental struggle of ‘don’t fall over, don’t pass out, don’t struggle, like get through this one segment!'” he said and added that he eventually had to go to a hospital and was asked to come back for an extended stay, which he wasn’t too keen about at first. “And they’re like: ‘Well, we don’t want to worry you or anything, but you could be at risk of dying, so you need to come now.'”
Omega then recalled that he ended up losing a lot of weight and muscle during the time he was being prepared for surgery, but noted he wasn’t too hard on himself despite the odds he was facing. “I remember not having any core stability, of course – you know – levels of power, endurance, stamina, they’re just all gone…” he recalled, but claimed he could feel himself improve in small increments. “I got myself into a position where I felt like, ‘Yeah, maybe I could do this again?'” He then admitted that the Tokyo Dome show he did around this time was something he was so thankful for that he wouldn’t have cared if he was forced to retire then; however, Omega is very realistic about the time he has left in the industry.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Wrestling Observer Radio” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
