Kenny Omega Addresses Backlash To Tiger Driver '91 Spot From AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door

In a recent interview with Uproxx Sports, Kenny Omega spoke about a particular moment in his recent AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door match against Will Ospreay.

In the closing moments of the bout, Ospreay dropped Omega headfirst with a Tiger Driver '91 - a move which prompted criticism on social media, and sparked debate about the danger and necessity of such a manoeuvre. Omega explained:

“There were a number of things that were designed to elicit a response from people, whether it be positive or negative. But I wanted to take people on an emotional rollercoaster.

“Hopefully it leaves fans questioning, 'Is he okay?' It’s all about the match. We’re battling in that ring and I want you to go along for the ride with us. If they thought everything else in that match was just the worst s*** they’ve ever seen in their life, but that one moment got them for a second, ‘He’s not going to kick out, he’s not going to get up' [...] that’s perfect. And if I had a whole match of those types of reactions, even better.

“People that wanted to s*** on something, or people that want to frown upon something, or for people that want to say, ‘Well, if it were me, I wouldn’t have done that.’ - I didn’t get to where I was by being able to do things that everyone else could do. I realised, and I recognized that I do have special talents that maybe not everyone else can do.

“Without revealing too much, I think a lot about my health. I think a lot about life after wrestling. I think a lot about my current life. I think about next week’s Dynamite and the week after that. I would never do something I didn’t trust myself in performing 100 percent.”