Tony Khan believes AEW might have put too much on Kenny Omega after his return from diverticulitis.
After being out of action for over a year while he recovered from diverticulitis, Kenny Omega made his triumphant return to the ring in January 2025 at Wrestle Dynasty, defeating Gabe Kidd in an instant classic. From there, Omega made his AEW comeback, capturing the International Championship from Konosuke Takeshita and competing regularly on TV and pay-per-view.
However, the Best Bout Machine slowed down later in the year, and now Tony Khan has admitted the star might have been pushed too hard. Speaking on a media call ahead of All In, the AEW President explained that after All In Texas, he had to give Omega a break to recover.
“Last year, Kenny Omega undertook a very ambitious comeback. He returned at the Tokyo Dome, came back to America and we inserted Kenny full blast. He won the AEW International Championship and he was going so hard and he was doing so well for us.
“I think that myself and all of us put a lot on Kenny and last year, maybe at first, it was even too much and too fast. Coming out of All In last year, Kenny was really beat up and we needed to give him time to recover. The first six months of the year, he did such a fantastic job for us as the International Champion, and it took a lot out of him. I think he looked back at that and decided, ‘I’m going to have a bigger 2026. I’m gonna accomplish even more in 2026.’
Tony Khan Wants Kenny Omega To Be At The Top Of His Game For AEW All In London
Khan went on to discuss how Kenny Omega has changed his schedule and training regimen in 2026 to allow him to continue to wrestle at the highest levels.
“He’s been taking incredibly detailed care of his body and he managed his recovery this year to get from match to match. It’s helped him wrestle at his highest level, and be the very best Kenny Omega, and he’s been very smart about the training.
“It’s very much by design that there have been times when Kenny has been represented in videos and packages and I think the AEW team has done a tremendous job putting some of the best video packages we’ve ever done regarding Kenny Omega versus Will Ospreay at AEW All In London.
“Kenny’s been training, getting in his very best condition. Taking the very best care of his body and it’s been working for him. I’m going out of my way to absolutely accommodate him because I believe it is what helps Kenny get to his very best. Now, having been through this experience with him and knowing that last year, I probably pushed Kenny harder. Now, seeing that this year, he’s come in at a brilliant pace and he is in the very best condition.
“He knows exactly when to push it himself and working with him to find the perfect schedule to make sure that Kenny is in the very best condition so that when he walks out to that ring as the AEW World Champion, the fans will get the very best of Kenny Omega, the very top of the profession, the main event man, The Best Bout Machine.”
While Kenny Omega’s title defence against Will Ospreay is one of the most anticipated matches of the year, Ospreay recently revealed that alternative bouts were discussed for All In London.
