Kenny Omega Speaks On Tribalism In Wrestling, ‘Keep In Mind Those Athletes Are Still Human Beings’

Kenny Omega might work for AEW, but it’s no secret that he is good friends with WWE’s Xavier Woods. The two trade barbs on social media and on the gaming sticks, but it’s all in good fun and banter.

While Omega and Woods can have fun with their friendship, fans of promotions or wrestlers might take it too far online. Omega spoke on fans keeping perspective when it comes to cheering for their favorites.

“The truth of the matter is, those favorite sports teams may not necessarily feel the exact same way as you do toward the professional rivalry,” he said. “I do think it’s great for us to have had the opportunity to be in public with it and say, ‘Hey, look, yeah, we’re competing, but it’s all in good fun.’ We’re doing this so you guys can share a laugh. It’s not so that you can write in on a smurf account online and say a bunch of nasty things that you’re probably going to regret if [people] ever found out it was really you,” Omega told Cam Hawkins of Yahoo’s Uncrowned.

He continued, “[If] you really have skin in the game, you’re involved at the business level of professional wrestling, perhaps you’re an investor, then maybe I can get it. Maybe I can understand why you’re really pushing hard for one team over another because you spent your life savings or something. But I think if it’s about just enjoying a product or enjoying a specific style of wrestling, or maybe your favorite athletes are in one place over another, just keep in mind that those athletes are also still human beings.”

Omega and Woods battled in Capcom Fighting Collection 2 at PAX with Omega coming out victorious.

Kenny Omega will take on Kazuchika Okada to crown the first-ever AEW Unified Champion at AEW All In.