Kenny Omega has spoken publicly for the first time since losing the AEW World Championship to Will Ospreay in the main event of AEW All In 2026, offering a candid look at the concerns he carried into one of the biggest matches of the year.
Appearing on The Anime Effect Podcast, Omega reflected on the days surrounding the Wembley Stadium event and described the anxiety that can accompany a major match before the opening bell even rings. His focus was not on the result or the scale of the occasion alone. Instead, Omega said he was concerned about factors that can derail a performance without warning: an injury in the opening minutes, a severe stomach issue on the day of the show, or even a dangerous misstep during a rain-soaked entrance.
Ospreay ultimately defeated Omega to win the AEW World Championship. Since that loss, Omega has not appeared on AEW television. His comments provide some perspective on the physical and mental pressure he felt before stepping into the ring with Ospreay, as well as the relief he took from being able to complete the match as planned.
Omega’s concern was getting through the match at full capacity
Omega said his central concern before All In was being unable to deliver the kind of performance he believed the audience had paid to see. He explained that, no matter how much preparation is done before a major match, there is always a possibility that something goes wrong at a moment that cannot be anticipated or controlled.
For more background on this topic, read Kenny Omega Explains Why He Thinks Outside the Box for AEW’s Biggest Matches.
“What if I injure myself in the first five minutes of the match? What if I’m having a terrible stomach attack on the day of and I can’t really show what Kenny Omega’s all about and give the people the show that they paid for and deserve?”
Those fears were not framed as a prediction that something would happen. Rather, Omega described the familiar uncertainty of entering a physically demanding match, particularly one taking place in front of a massive crowd and positioned as the closing contest on a major pay-per-view.
For Omega, the possibility of an injury is not limited to a major move or a hard exchange once the contest begins. He noted that an accident can happen at virtually any time, including before a wrestler even reaches the ring. The uncertainty, he said, sits in the background because no performer can completely eliminate the chance of something going wrong.
That concern was heightened by the weather at All In. Omega recalled rain around the time of his entrance and said the ramp had become especially slippery. What could have added an eye-catching visual element to a stadium-scale presentation also created a practical safety issue for the wrestler making his way to the ring.
A rainy entrance created another risk
Omega said he believed it was raining during his entrance, and he described having to be cautious on the slick ramp. In his view, the conditions left little margin for error.
“You could moonwalk your way down easily if you wanted to. But man, it got so slippery. You had to be very careful.”
The remark captured the mix of humor and concern Omega brought to his recollection of the night. A wrestler’s entrance is typically part of the performance, especially at an event as large as All In, but it can also become another place where the conditions require immediate adjustments. Omega said he looked at the rain and understood that it could either contribute to a memorable atmosphere or become an unwelcome problem before the championship match had even started.
“Oh boy, this is either really cool or I’m asking for it,” Omega recalled thinking.
Despite those worries, Omega said he was grateful that he made it through the entrance, the full match, and the night without losing because of something outside his control. The fact that the bout could reach its intended conclusion mattered deeply to him. Ospreay won the championship, but Omega was able to give his all in the match rather than having the contest altered or stopped by an injury or health complication.
A visit to the ring changed Omega’s mindset
Omega said his confidence shifted after he arrived a day before All In and had an opportunity to take in the setup. While there was a Fan Fest event taking place, Omega was also able to see the ring and get a feel for it ahead of the show.
That moment at the venue did not remove the inherent risk of wrestling, and Omega acknowledged that accidents can never be fully controlled. Still, he said something about seeing the ring gave him a powerful intuitive sense that the main event would go from start to finish and would be a good match.
Omega described the feeling as difficult to explain. He did not claim to know where it came from, but said he felt a strong reassurance while looking at the ring. In his recollection, it was as though an “otherworldly force” had given him the belief that the match would be completed even with all of the possible variables he had been considering.
“Something’s telling me ... this match is happened to go from start to finish and it’s gonna be good, and I’m gonna make sure the fans leave home happy.”
He added that the feeling was particularly meaningful because the prospect of an injury can linger “in the pit of your gut” before a match. Omega’s comments were not a suggestion that he expected a flawless night or that he believed risk had disappeared. Instead, he felt reassured that he and Ospreay would be able to work through the match and deliver for the fans in attendance.
That confidence proved important on a night where the weather added an extra complication before the main event began. Omega said that he had a profound feeling there would not be an accident in the match, while still recognizing that wrestling offers no guarantees.
Omega reflects on a championship loss without an injury-related ending
The All In result remains a major turning point for Omega: Ospreay left the event as AEW World Champion, while Omega has been absent from television since the defeat. But Omega’s comments on the podcast centered less on the championship changing hands and more on his satisfaction that the match happened under the circumstances it was intended to happen.
He said he was glad he did not “lose via injury or something that was beyond my control.” That distinction underscores the importance he placed on being present and physically able to compete. In Omega’s view, a championship match of that magnitude deserves to be decided in the ring through the match itself rather than being compromised by an early injury, an illness, or a hazardous entrance.
Before All In, AEW President Tony Khan had discussed making accommodations intended to help Omega be in the best condition possible for the event. Omega did not elaborate on those accommodations during this appearance. His own comments instead emphasized the emotional side of preparing for the match: the private doubts, the awareness of physical danger, and then the unexpected peace of mind he felt after seeing the ring setup.
There is no indication in Omega’s remarks of when he may return to AEW television or what will follow his loss to Ospreay. For now, his first comments since All In make clear that simply reaching the finish line of the Wembley main event was a significant personal relief.
Omega entered the night worried that an unpredictable issue might keep him from giving fans the performance they expected. He left having lost the AEW World Championship, but having competed through the entire match without the feared injury or health setback. As he put it, he was thankful he could “go out, give my all and do the best that I could.”
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.