Wrestler Kenny Omega's Winnipeg arena homecoming
After winning wrestling acclaim around the world, Kenny Omega is bringing the company he helped build to his home city of Winnipeg. Today, a conversation with Omega about his push to expand the sport and the stories it tells.
As a kid in the Winnipeg suburb of Transcona, Tyson Smith was obsessed with hockey and the Winnipeg Jets. He dreamed of being a professional goaltender.
Decades later, Smith – now known as "Kenny Omega" – has made his way to the Jets' home arena for a different reason: he's performing as a professional wrestler.
Omega is the headliner for a show with All Elite Wrestling, the wrestling company he helped build into the first direct competitor to the WWE in almost 20 years.
Before he stepped into the ring, Omega joined Front Burner host Jayme Poisson to discuss the culture of wrestling in Winnipeg, his path to fame in Japan, his push to expand inclusivity and storytelling in the sport, and swirling rumours about what he'll do next.