Kenny Omega. Max Gersh / The Commercial Appeal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Kenny Omega was No. 1 on WWE's wanted list before re-signing with AEW

Kenny Omega, Adam 'Hangman' Page, and The Elite recently signed contract extensions with AEW. All four wrestlers have had a significant impact on the growth of AEW since its inception, with Omega and The Elite also being executive vice presidents. 

However, the future of the quartet wasn't set in stone, with Matt and Nick Jackson recently stating how the group went back and forth on their decision to re-sign with AEW long-term. 

Interestingly, had The Elite decided not to re-sign, there would have been another promotion ready to welcome them with open arms, most specifically Omega.

According to a report by David Meltzer of Wrestling Observer (paid subscription required), the WWE had earmarked Omega as their number one free agent target, should he become available. 

"The other three [Page, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson] were under contract until the end of 2023, so WWE wouldn't have been able to pitch for them for many months," Meltzer wrote. "No formal offers could have been legally made for months, but Omega was No. 1 on the company's most wanted list."

Omega has been a smash hit at AEW since arriving from New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). With a distinct style of wrestling, professional control of the mic, and unreachable charisma, there's no doubt that WWE would have been adding a star talent to their roster if they had landed Omega. 

AEW tends to focus on their in-ring product over their storyline development, whereas WWE tries to blend a 50/50 mix, which could arguably have worked in Omega's favor. 

Fortunately for AEW, four of their star talents will be sticking with the promotion for the foreseeable future. However, if we had to pinpoint which of those four talents would have been the biggest loss, Omega's name would have been atop the list. 

The only thing that could have made losing Omega worse, is if he had joined the company's biggest rival — WWE.  

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