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While nowadays, AEW fans see Kenny Omega as the self-proclaimed "Best Bout Machine", that was not always the moniker that the leader of The Elite, and former leader of Bullet Club, was known as. During Omega's rise to fame in New Japan, he would arrive in the Bullet Club as "The Cleaner", a new gimmick for the rising star. While many fans known the nickname for Omega, there is a meaning behind the title that goes deeper than just sounding catchy. So what's the story behind Kenny Omega's "The Cleaner" character and nickname? It all stems from his debut in NJPW as a part of Bullet Club.
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Kenny Omega Joined Bullet Club To "Clean Up" The Junior Heavyweight Division
Beginning in 2008, Kenny Omega would begin appearing for New Japan Pro Wrestling, though he would not officially join the company until 2014. Having spent years working as a freelance talent making sporadic appearances, Omega would slowly see his stock raise within the company, wrestling as one of the stars in the Junior Heavyweight division. Upon signing full-time with NJPW, Kenny Omega would debut as the newest member of the Bullet Club faction, being brought in under AJ Styles' leadership as the newest star for the faction. As soon as he joined the group, Kenny would receive his first notable nickname; The Cleaner.
Dubbed "The Cleaner", Kenny Omega would join the group during the Power Struggle PPV in 2014, where he would announce that he was ready to "clean up the junior heavyweight division". Within months of making his Bullet Club debut, Kenny Omega would capture the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, defeating Ryusuke Taguchi at Wrestle Kingdom 9. Thanks to his turn in the top heel faction within NJPW, Kenny Omega would begin his rise to superstardom, eventually being regarded as the best wrestler alive and helping to launch All Elite Wrestling years later.
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Kenny Omega Would Later Use Taunts And A Broom To Play The Cleaner More Comedically
Originally meant as a more serious gimmick, Omega would state that the inspiration for the gimmick was the people that clean up crime scenes, as well as citing Albert Wesker from the Resident Evil games as another source of inspiration. Things would change fairly quickly, with Kenny playing up the fun factor behind the gimmick, as Japanese fans would originally not get what "The Cleaner" moniker was supposed to be. In doing so, Kenny would begin bringing a literal broom to the ring, sweeping the entrance ramp during his entrance and pretending to broom the ring during matches, showing off his comedic chops that he developed years prior working outside of New Japan in promotions such as DDT.
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Despite dropping "The Cleaner" gimmick after becoming the leader of Bullet Club, redubbing himself as "The Best Bout Machine", Kenny Omega eventually brought back the broom iconography during his time at the top of AEW. Omega would debut a new entrance in the second half of 2020, as he would begin his rise to the AEW World Championship. Playing into the more comedic side of his personality, Omega was escorted to the ring by dancers with brooms while having a less-than-serious introduction from Justin Roberts. Nowadays, Omega has found a balance of being taken seriously while also seemingly having a ton of fun as he and The Young Bucks are the stars of AEW's trios division as The Elite.
