Omega on Cornette: “I can’t be supportive of the way that he conducts himself”
In an interview with Wrestling Observer Radio, Kenny Omega discussed Jim Cornette’s recent ousting from the NWA over his controversial comments on NWA Powerrr. As you likely know, Cornette resigned from the NWA over a line on last week’s Powerrr in which he said, “Trevor Murdoch is the only person who can strap a bucket of fried chicken to his back and ride a motor scooter across Ethiopia.”
Omega is a regular target of Cornette’s rants, including a memorable episode in 2017 where he went off on Omega on Twitter and said he “should not be allowed in our business” because of some of his comedy work in Japan and his “match” with a young girl.
Highlights from the discussion are below:
On the comments that caused Cornette to resign: “It’s sad, I never want to wish ill upon someone. I do believe that that’s sort of a generational thing in the case of Jim. It was, he dug down deep and pulled out one of the age-old lines that he’s used time and time and time again, whether it be from the ’70s or ’80s, or whatever it was, when it first made its debut. And I think without thinking, you know, he was saying something that just isn’t acceptable in today’s world. And you know, it speaks volumes, it really does, to his way of thinking, his line of thinking. Even you know, how kind of carnie he is in the way he conducts his business. It’s just not accepted anymore. It’s too negative, it’s too toxic.”
On Cornette’s attacks on him and others: “And you know, Jim at his best is a great mind for the business. He’s great at commentary, he’s great in a managerial position, whatever it may be. But we’ve seen him at his worst, and more times than not. And I have been the punchline to many of his jokes, and I’ve been the focus to a lot of his rants where he’s just trying to get attention to keep himself as a topic of discussion. And that’s fine, I get it, but that’s just so carnie and that’s not me. And that’s not what I love about wrestling. I hate that carnie type of stuff, it’s terrible. I don’t think there’s any place for it anymore. I’m much like how you [Meltzer] are where, it’s just that you’re good. That should be what propels you to the top. The cream should always rise to the top, it shouldn’t be, you know, ‘Stab this guy in the back,’ or that type of stuff, which got people in the position of power the way that it used to be in the olden days.
“But Jim is so much just a believer in that. And to this day, that’s how he survived. And that’s how he still has a position and a place in wrestling. So that’s why he has no choice but to really lean on that. And like you said, he doubles down and he doubles down, and he doubles down. And now that it’s too late to go back and turn back the clock, he’s out of a job. And people are seeing him for what he really is. And it’s a shame, again, that someone who has a lot of talent now is out of a job. But again, I can’t be supportive of the way that he conducts himself anyway.”
On being attacked by Cornette’s fans online: “People always tell me via my timeline, ‘Hey @KennyOmegamanX, Jim Cornette said this,’ Or he has his followers, and they’ll tag me in something he said to kind of suck up to Jim. ‘Hey look Jim, look what I did. I’m so tough, I tagged Kenny Omega in something.’ Stuff like that that pollutes my timeline and whatever, it rolls off my back because I just care so little. I have so much more things to worry about. And luckily, fielding these types of comments on social media isn’t one of them. And I’ve developed a skill just to not care. So those guys have to try harder or now they’re going to have to find a new hero, unfortunately.”
On Cornette’s future: “I’m sure Jim will be back, because people tend to forget things anyway. And when he’s back, I’ll — who knows? I might be the target again. And if not me, Joey Ryan. If not them, it’s just whoever is kind of the hot thing going.”
