Kenny Omega Opens Up on Health Journey, Eyes Championship Run Ahead of Forbidden Door Match with ZSJ

Kenny Omega has given fans a candid look at where things stand with his health as he prepares to step back into one of the biggest matches of his recent career — a singles showdown with Zack Sabre, Jr. at AEW Forbidden Door on June 28.

The two men last met in a singles bout back in August 2018 during the NJPW G1 Climax, making this reunion nearly eight years in the making. For Omega, just getting to this point is a victory in itself. Speaking to The Sportster, he described his recovery from diverticulitis as an ongoing process — one that’s trending in the right direction but still requires daily attention.

“It still goes day by day. I have good days, I have bad days, but generally speaking, it’s moving in a positive trajectory. I feel like how I felt when I came back is leagues different than how I feel now,” Omega said.

He also made clear that the timing of his improved condition is not lost on him. “I’m very glad that things have gone in the direction they have and that I feel the way that I do right before Forbidden Door, because otherwise I don’t know how else there would be a chance to wrestle against Zack Sabre, Jr., so that’s very fortunate for me.”

Beyond the match itself, Omega spoke with real conviction about what he wants from the next chapter of his career. After missing all of 2024 to his illness — a stretch that had him seriously considering a permanent pivot to a backstage role — he’s hungry to prove something to himself.

“I just feel like now that I’ve come back after some very complicated issues with my health, I want to push myself as far as I can go,” he said. “What’s even better is being that main event guy that actually can win, can hold a belt, can represent a company. To me, that would be the ultimate victory over this sickness that I’ve had to incur. For me, it’s a personal battle, absolutely.”

Omega is already AEW’s first Grand Slam Champion, having held the World Championship, International Championship, World Tag Team Championship alongside Adam Page, and the World Trios Championship twice with the Young Bucks. Adding another title run to that legacy would be a statement few could argue with.

With Forbidden Door fast approaching, Omega vs. Sabre, Jr. shapes up as one of the most technically compelling matches on the card — and for Omega, it carries the weight of everything he’s fought through to get back here.