--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was growing up, I thought there…" description: "\"When I was growing up, I thought there was only WWE. That's it. One promotion in the world. And then, as I grew up, I found that there's local wrestlin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/kenny-omega-5651_mexico_when-i-was-growing-up-i-thought-there-wa_849324.jpg" --- # When I was growing up, I thought there was only WWE… ![“When I was growing up, I thought there was only WWE. That's it. One promotion in the world. And then, as I grew up, I found that there's local wrestling. There's WCW, there's ECW. In Mexico, there are the luchadores. And then, finally, I realized there's wrestling in Japan.” quote by Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/kenny-omega-5651_mexico_when-i-was-growing-up-i-thought-there-wa_849324.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/kenny-omega-5651_mexico_when-i-was-growing-up-i-thought-there-wa_849324.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/kenny-omega-5651_mexico_when-i-was-growing-up-i-thought-there-wa_849324.jpg) > “When I was growing up, I thought there was only WWE. That's it. One promotion in the world. And then, as I grew up, I found that there's local wrestling. There's WCW, there's ECW. In Mexico, there are the luchadores. And then, finally, I realized there's wrestling in Japan.” [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He recounts discovering wrestling beyond WWE, learning about WCW, ECW, Mexican luchadores, and Japanese promotions. **In simple terms:** He realized wrestling is global, not just WWE. Key Takeaway Explore diverse wrestling styles and cultures. Themes culture discovery sports Mood curious enthusiastic Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - watching international matches - researching promotions - attending events - fan community building Key Concepts globalization of wrestling genre evolution Questions to Reflect On - Which wrestling style intrigues you most? - How does cultural context shape wrestling? A Different Perspective Focusing only on mainstream can limit appreciation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Finally I Realized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finally-i-realized-213927/) [Local Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/local-wrestling-732392/) [Mexico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mexico/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Realized Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realized-wrestling-732393/) [Thought Wwe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-wwe-732396/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling/) [Wrestling Japan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling-japan-732395/) [Wrestling Wcw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling-wcw-732394/) [WWE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wwe/) ## Related quotes > [When kids tune in and see Jordan Devlin, Trent Seven, Pete Dunne, Wolfgang on the WWE Network, and then they see a poster at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-balor/when-kids-tune-in-and-see-jordan-devlin-trent-seven-pete-dunne/) [Finn Balor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-balor/) > [I watched Japanese style wrestling, European style wrestling, and WCW.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-black/i-watched-japanese-style-wrestling-european-style-wrestling-and-wcw/) [Aleister Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-black/) > [My wife loves to tell me that I love to tell people, 'Oh, I never thought WWE would sign me. I never thought I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-harper/my-wife-loves-to-tell-me-that-i-love-to-tell-people-oh-i-never/) [Luke Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-harper/) > [There's some guys whom you never thought would go back to WWE because of what they've said in the past or the drama that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-kanellis/there-s-some-guys-whom-you-never-thought-would-go-back-to-wwe-because/) [Maria Kanellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-kanellis/) > [I was just lucky to be there ahead of the curve to be the driving force behind bringing this amazing style of wrestling from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-sydal/i-was-just-lucky-to-be-there-ahead-of-the-curve-to-be-the-driving/) [Matt Sydal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-sydal/) > [Wrestling in Japan is very much sports based.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neville/wrestling-in-japan-is-very-much-sports-based/) [Neville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neville/) > [Wrestling in Japan, obviously, the fans are a little bit different - very quiet, very respectful in New Japan - but here in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-styles/wrestling-in-japan-obviously-the-fans-are-a-little-bit-different-very/) [A.J. Styles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-styles/) > [“Bernard is caring, helpful, and enjoyable to be with. Everybody loves him. And he really loves people. But Bernard is a relational sprinter, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/bernard-is-caring-helpful-and-enjoyable-to-be-with-everybody-loves/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [A couple of years ago, right before I made 'Down to You,' there was a moment when I questioned what I was doing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-prinze-jr/a-couple-of-years-ago-right-before-i-made-down-to-you-there-was-a/) [Freddie Prinze, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-prinze-jr/) > [“And because I’d begged my mom for the damn cat, guess who got stuck picking up after her?” I poked both of my thumbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kandi-steiner/and-because-i-d-begged-my-mom-for-the-damn-cat-guess-who-got-stuck/) [Kandi Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kandi-steiner/) > [I ended up at fifty, over-the-hill, thinking I had no future. Finally, I realized that I had allowed myself to write less than I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waldo-salt/i-ended-up-at-fifty-over-the-hill-thinking-i-had-no-future-finally-i/) [Waldo Salt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waldo-salt/) > [I tried to reject everything I knew as a TV writer when I decided to be a novelist, and the books didn't work. Finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crais/i-tried-to-reject-everything-i-knew-as-a-tv-writer-when-i-decided-to/) [Robert Crais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crais/) > [I've been working on a graphic about carbon emissions. It's an incredibly simple graphic - a bunch of blocks and a table below it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccandless/i-ve-been-working-on-a-graphic-about-carbon-emissions-it-s-an/) [David Mccandless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccandless/) > [“DAYS ONE THROUGH SIX, ETC. You keep on asking me that – “Which day was the hardest?” Blockheads! They were all hard – And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-appleman/days-one-through-six-etc-you-keep-on-asking-me-that-which-day-was-the/) [Philip Appleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-appleman/) > [I won contest after contest until finally I realized, "Ok, I am the best in the world, but now what?" So I opened my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-hosoi/i-won-contest-after-contest-until-finally-i-realized-ok-i-am-the-best/) [Christian Hosoi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-hosoi/) ## More by Kenny Omega > [I take a lot of pride in what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-take-a-lot-of-pride-in-what-i-do/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [I am flawed, but at least I can admit it, and at least Kenny Omega, Tyson Smith, is exposed to every single one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-am-flawed-but-at-least-i-can-admit-it-and-at-least-kenny-omega/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [I think it's important to show in the 21st century that if you're gay, lesbian, trans, whatever, that you should feel just as welcome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-think-it-s-important-to-show-in-the-21st-century-that-if-you-re-gay/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [When you are in WWE, you're really strapped down by their rules and writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/when-you-are-in-wwe-you-re-really-strapped-down-by-their-rules-and/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [As naturally athletic as I'm gifted to be, where certain things came easily, I always rely on my brain first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/as-naturally-athletic-as-i-m-gifted-to-be-where-certain-things-came/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [Since I'm not in WWE, some people think I'm not even in their league. It's easy for me to tune those people out because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/since-i-m-not-in-wwe-some-people-think-i-m-not-even-in-their-league/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [Before going to developmental, I had next to no fundamentals and that was sort of, doing cool chain wrestling and using a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/before-going-to-developmental-i-had-next-to-no-fundamentals-and-that/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [I sort of took the literal term of 'The Cleaner,' and I started bringing janitorial items to the ring with me, so I took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-sort-of-took-the-literal-term-of-the-cleaner-and-i-started-bringing/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [I think, for many people, they think there's one giant promotion, and that's all that there is. It must be the best. But as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-think-for-many-people-they-think-there-s-one-giant-promotion-and/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [I've always been on the outside looking in. I was never popular in school, despite my success in athletics. I would win track and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-ve-always-been-on-the-outside-looking-in-i-was-never-popular-in/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [I guess what Kenny Omega is, even though the image is something that was given to me by New Japan and then tweaked by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-guess-what-kenny-omega-is-even-though-the-image-is-something-that/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [The Bullet Club has sort of become this pop-culture phenomenon. You don't even have to like wrestling or follow our product, and you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/the-bullet-club-has-sort-of-become-this-pop-culture-phenomenon-you/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [What true 'Strong Style' really is, is the battle of the heart of man. It's not about how strong and how forceful you're throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/what-true-strong-style-really-is-is-the-battle-of-the-heart-of-man-it/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [I can be multi-cultural, multi-lingual, work a physical style, push forward entertaining storylines, and be the more worldly entertainment that the company needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-can-be-multi-cultural-multi-lingual-work-a-physical-style-push/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) > [I had always wanted a top spot, ever since I came to Japan in 2008.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-omega/i-had-always-wanted-a-top-spot-ever-since-i-came-to-japan-in-2008/) [Kenny Omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) [Explore all 100 Kenny Omega quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-omega/) ## More Mexico quotes > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [We don't have a farm-to-table food safety system. I keep saying this. It came as a big surprise to the FDA that tomatoes were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-nestle/we-don-t-have-a-farm-to-table-food-safety-system-i-keep-saying-this/) [Marion Nestle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-nestle/) > [I live in Mexico in the wintertime, and I live off the grid down there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/i-live-in-mexico-in-the-wintertime-and-i-live-off-the-grid-down-there/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [I came to know Christ at the age of 13 during church camp at Glorieta, New Mexico.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/i-came-to-know-christ-at-the-age-of-13-during-church-camp-at-glorieta/) [Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/) > [Mexico is a market economy, but we should have better markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-videgaray-caso/mexico-is-a-market-economy-but-we-should-have-better-markets/) [Luis Videgaray Caso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-videgaray-caso/) > [New Mexico is full of brave men and women who have dedicated their lives to service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-udall/new-mexico-is-full-of-brave-men-and-women-who-have-dedicated-their/) [Tom Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-udall/) > [You could pay a fair market price for a barrel of oil and cut 50 cents a barrel or a dollar barrel off what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bolling/you-could-pay-a-fair-market-price-for-a-barrel-of-oil-and-cut-50/) [Eric Bolling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bolling/) > [NAFTA, by itself, will not collapse. The possibility is that the United States leaves the treaty, but the treaty itself would keep regulating relations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ildefonso-guajardo-villarreal/nafta-by-itself-will-not-collapse-the-possibility-is-that-the-united/) [Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ildefonso-guajardo-villarreal/) > [It appears fashionable these days, and almost politically correct, to blame hard-working immigrants, especially those from Mexico and Central America, for the social and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-mahony/it-appears-fashionable-these-days-and-almost-politically-correct-to/) [Roger Mahony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-mahony/) > [Both my parents came into the United States from Mexico.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cain-velasquez/both-my-parents-came-into-the-united-states-from-mexico/) [Cain Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cain-velasquez/) > [Fifty thousand people in Mexico have been murdered. Puerto Penasco, 60 miles south of our border, just had five people and a police officer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/fifty-thousand-people-in-mexico-have-been-murdered-puerto-penasco-60/) [Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/) > [The media tries to destroy Republicans who make little faux pas and they start telling everybody how dumb and stupid or uncaring they are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-media-tries-to-destroy-republicans-who-make-little-faux-pas-and/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [We loved getting married on the east coast of Mexico.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cooper/we-loved-getting-married-on-the-east-coast-of-mexico/) [Alex Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cooper/) > [I didn't know much about the Mexican gray wolf before January 2011, when we contributed a flight in our Pilatus PC12 to the effort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-covey/i-didn-t-know-much-about-the-mexican-gray-wolf-before-january-2011/) [Joy Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-covey/) [Browse all 1,222 Mexico quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mexico/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was growing up, I thought there was only WWE. 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