Kenny Omega Talks Comeback, Facing MJF At AEW Dynasty, And Being The ‘God Of Pro Wrestling’

Lee South; Kenny Omega MJF Segment; Edmonton, AB; AEW Dynamite April 8, 2026 All Elite Wrestling When the conversation about the best pro wrestler on the planet comes up, Kenny Omega’s name is always in it. Whether it’s “The Cleaner” from his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling, “The Best Bout Machine” from the instant classics he’s produced around the world, or even “The God of Pro Wrestling,” Omega has built a legacy as one of the defining performers of his generation and a cornerstone of AEW since its inception. However, that was nearly taken away from him in 2023.

Omega suffered a life-threatening diverticulitis attack that resulted in surgeons removing 20 inches of his intestines and colon, keeping him out of the ring for over a year before returning in 2025 for his current run. Now, that comeback leads him to Dynasty on Sunday, April 12, in Vancouver, where he’ll face MJF for the AEW World Championship. The 42-year-old spoke candidly with Forbes about his road back, why he’s surprised he was able to return to singles competition at all, and what makes this match with MJF different the second time around.

Kenny Omega Talks Comeback, Facing MJF At AEW Dynasty, And Being The ‘God Of Pro Wrestling’ Rob Wolkenbrod: After everything you went through with your health, did your perspective or relationship with wrestling change at all in your time away? Kenny Omega: Yeah, I would say that it did. It really focused a new energy into what I wanted to do if I were to return to wrestling in somewhat of a healthy state.

When you feel like there’s a clock ticking and there’s not much time left, or at any point something may just show up and say it’s over, it’s done, you want to be, if you can, satisfied with how things end. A lot of times you don’t get to choose how things end. So as best as you can, you just want to be proud and happy with how you’ve lived your life up until that point.