Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name Kenny Omega, is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. He performs in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is also an executive vice president.
Before joining AEW in 2019, Omega was known for his tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) from 2014 to 2019, during which he held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, as well as other titles. A member and one-time leader of the Bullet Club stable, he incorporates elements from video games in his persona. Throughout his career, Omega has also performed as part of independent promotions worldwide, including DDT Pro-Wrestling, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, as well as larger promotions, such as Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling, and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. While wrestling in the last two promotions, he held the Impact World Championship and AAA Mega Championship. In AEW, he has held the AEW World Championship, AEW World Tag Team Championship, and AEW World Trios Championship.
Hailed as one of the best professional wrestlers in the world, Omega was named Sports Illustrateds Wrestler of the Year in 2017 and topped Pro Wrestling Illustrateds list of top 500 male wrestlers the following year and in 2021. He has also attained the latter publication's Match of the Year distinction three times; one of those matches, in which Omega competed against Kazuchika Okada in a two out of three falls match at Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall in June 2018, received a seven-star rating from sports journalist Dave Meltzer, the highest rating Meltzer has ever awarded a professional wrestling match. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2020.
Early life
Tyson Smith was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on October 16, 1983. He grew up in Transcona, a Winnipeg suburb. As of 2016, Smith's mother works in family services while his father works for the Canadian government as a transport officer. Smith's affinity toward professional wrestling began during childhood when he watched tapes of WWE (then-WWF)'s Saturday Night's Main Event, which became his favorite program. Growing up, Smith played ice hockey as a goalie. He also worked at branches of retailers IGA and Costco.
Smith first became interested in a career in professional wrestling after one of his friends from Transcona Collegiate Institute (TCI) began training with Top Rope Championship Wrestling (TRCW) in Winnipeg. Smith ended his ice hockey career plans, turning down a scholarship offer from Bemidji State University and began training under TRCW promoter Bobby Jay, whom he met while he was stacking shelves at an IGA store. After training with Jay for a year, 16-year-old Smith made his professional wrestling debut in the year 2000. He went on to wrestle as part of TRCW for two years, where he developed the gimmick of a Hawaiian surfer named Kenny Omega. The surfer aspect was later dropped and replaced with an otaku-influenced gimmick. In 2001, he graduated from TCI and enrolled in university but dropped out during his first year in order to fully pursue professional wrestling.
Professional wrestling career
Independent circuit and WWE (2001–2011) In 2001, Omega debuted in the Winnipeg-based promotion Premier Championship Wrestling (PCW). He won the PCW Heavyweight Championship and the PCW Tag Team Championship in 2003 and 2004, respectively. He unsuccessfully challenged Petey Williams for the TNA X Division Championship at the National Wrestling Alliance's 56th Anniversary Show on October 17. He later won an eight-man tournament, defeating Nate Hardy, Chris Sabin, and Amazing Red, to win the Premier Cup and the NWA Canada X-Division Championship on June 2. After competing for Harley Race's promotion World League Wrestling in September 2005, losing to Keith Walker in a match, Omega was invited to a week-long tryout by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
In October 2005, Smith was sent to Deep South Wrestling (DSW), WWE's then-developmental territory for a tryout, after which he was offered a developmental contract and subsequently assigned to DSW full-time. In August 2006, he requested his release from his contract. Omega later stated that his time in DSW was poor, particularly criticizing promoters Bill DeMott and Jody Hamilton, and trainer Bob Holly. Nevertheless, he expressed praise for trainer Dave Taylor. WWE has since reportedly approached him with contracts in the spring of 2014, three times in 2015, and in early 2019.