Kenny Omega: I will not be at the Royal Rumble

Just yesterday, my colleague Sean Rueter passed along word that Kenny Omega said this past weekend that he wasn’t sure if he would be able to make the Royal Rumble this coming Sun., Jan. 29, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas. Today, he’s coming right out and saying it’s not happening.

From his interview with Wrestling Observer Radio:

"I'm just going to say it: I will not be at the Royal Rumble. I don't want people to have this sort of false hope of me showing up in the Royal Rumble and then not being there and being disappointed when there's a fantastic match happening with fantastic competitors in it. I don't want the lack of me being in that to disappoint people or catch people off guard or surprise people. 'Oh, I thought you were going to be in it for sure, we were waiting for you.' You know, there are 30 other superstars in that Royal Rumble. I want people to enjoy it and appreciate it for what it's worth. But I will not be appearing at that pay-per-view. So, there it is. You heard it from the horse's mouth."

Yes, that means he’s likely heading back to New Japan, though he says it’s not official just yet:

"I have not yet come to terms on a new New Japan contract; however, I am flying back out in mid-February to renegotiate and it's looking positive. There's always that small percentage where the whole thing might go belly up. But I'm just going to be honest, it's looking like I'm going to be with New Japan for at least one more year."

There you have it.