Kenny Omega admits he has been thinking about retirement 'a lot' after near-death experience

Kenny Omega is a first-ballot professional wrestling Hall of Famer. He is a gifted athlete and one of the best pure wrestlers of his generation. Now, grappling with serious, unexpected health issues, Omega is adjusting to his new normal while contemplating what his future looks like.

In late 2023, Omega was hospitalized with a severe case of diverticulitis, a life-threatening colon infection. Doctors told him he was 24 hours from dying. Omega later underwent surgery, removing 25 centimeters of his colon. He returned to the ring in May after a 17-month layoff and has wrestled 14 matches. The "Best Bout Machine" now grapples with a new reality: his body doesn't always let him be that performer.

"It's very difficult to find and test my limit when what I have affects me day by day," Omega told CBS Sports ahead of AEW Full Gear on Saturday. "Some days I feel great, and some days I don't. Not only do I have to find how far I can push myself when I feel good, but I have to find that limit for the days I feel bad. The show must go on."

Mainstream audiences saw wrestling's bleak underbelly through Mickey Rourke's portrayal of Randy "The Ram" Robinson in 2008's "The Wrestler." It's a story all too real for many wrestlers, but not one Omega intends to become.

"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 reputation," Omega said. "So I'd like to leave while I have some semblance of athleticism left in my body. I don't want to completely work until the wheels fall off, and the person who leaves wrestling is one who barely resembles the Kenny Omega of old."

Retirement looks different for each wrestler. John Cena wraps up a year-long farewell tour in December. Sting went out in a chaotic and memorable tag team match at AEW Revolution in 2024. Some legends outstay their welcome, while others have retirement forced on them. For Omega, a perfect scenario involves quietly shifting into the background. Not because no one cares, but because AEW, the company he helped build, is strong enough to thrive without him.

"I've been thinking a lot about when that timing would be. Another important thing for me is, when I finally do leave, whenever that may be, and this might sound odd, I don't want people to be sad," Omega said. "In fact, the best-case scenario for me is that they don't realize I'm gone at all. I'd love to 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 most happy."

Professional wrestling is sleight of hand, and Omega has long mastered the illusion. He delivers swift strikes and explosive suplexes with such precision that it can't possibly be stuntwork, even if everyone knows it is. But with his health shifting day to day, preserving that illusion becomes harder.

"I'm trying to do that without making it very obvious that there are good and bad days for Kenny Omega," he said. "I want to do the best I can. I don't want people to worry about me. I want to do a performance that I'm proud of, and that my opponent can benefit from... without further endangering myself. 

"Some days I feel I have the answer, and some days I don't. I haven't completely pieced together everything, but I'm getting there. I'm getting closer and I'm feeling more confident as the days go by."

If retirement is closer than fans realize, matches like Saturday's carry extra weight. Omega teams with Jurassic Express against The Young Bucks, his longtime frenemies and business partners, and Josh Alexander at Full Gear. It's imperative, maybe now more than ever, to enjoy Omega's expert craftsmanship.

"I didn't learn to regret the decisions I made. I learned to appreciate the moment more," Omega said. "You never know when something might swing by in your life and change everything."