AEW Star ‘Thinking A Lot’ About Retirement

AEW

A top AEW star has admitted that he’s been “thinking a lot” about the timing of when he will step away from the ring for good.

A mainstay of All Elite Wrestling since its inception and an Executive Vice President of the company behind-the-scenes, Kenny Omega’s 2025 has been a welcome return for the “Best Bout Machine” after missing the entirety of 2024 due to diverticulitis.

While Omega’s in-ring appearances haven’t been quite as frequent since, he is still operating at a high level and has given fans memorable matches throughout the year against the likes of Kazuchika Okada at AEW All In Texas and Konosuke Takeshita at AEW Revolution.

Despite Omega still managing to keep up his high level of performances, he recently admitted on SHAK Wrestling that he has been thinking about his retirement due to his desire to step away whilst he still has some “semblance of athleticism left”.

Omega said:

“I would like to be in a situation where I left the ring not having any regrets and not feeling embarrassed or that I tarnished my own reputation.

“I would like to leave when I have some semblance of athleticism left in my body. I don’t want to completely work until the wheels fall off and that the person that leaves wrestling is one that barely resembles the Kenny Omega of old. So I’ve been thinking a lot about when that timing would be.”

If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

Omega then expressed his wish to step away from the ring when the company has “built enough stars”, so that his absence wouldn’t be felt:

“One important thing for me too is when I finally do leave, whenever that may be, and this might sound odd, I don’t want people to be sad.

“The best case scenario would be that they don’t realise I’m gone at all. I would love to build people or have the peace of mind that the company has built enough stars so that their star is shining bright enough to distract from me stepping away from the scene. That would make me the most happy.”

If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

When discussing his health Omega said how he feels fluctuates greatly from day to day, which make it difficult to consistently test his physical limits inside the ring:

“It’s very difficult to test your limit and find your limit when what I have affects me kind of day by day. Some days I feel great, some days I don’t. So not only do I have to find my limit and how far I can push myself on the days I feel good, but I have to find that limit for the days I feel bad.

“The show must go on, if Kenny feels like he’s got the flu or something, it’s not like okay, close up shop, refund the tickets, we’re not doing Dynamite. Absolutely not I’ve got to go out there and give my best. And not only do I have to do that, but I’m trying to do that without making it very clearly obvious that there are bad days and good days for Kenny Omega.

“I just want to be the best that I can. I don’t want people to have to worry about me and I want to be able to do a performance that I can be proud of, and that my opponent can benefit from, without people having to worry and without further endangering myself too on top of that.

“So that part, because there’s so many things I’m looking to achieve by that, it’s tough. Some days I might feel like I have the answer and some days I don’t, and I haven’t completely pieced together everything but I’m getting there and it’s getting closer. So I’m feeling more confident as days go by.”

If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

On the topic of retirements, Omega also discussed the impending end of AJ Styles’ career and what the WWE star has meant to his and trajectory – click here for full details.