IWGP Champion Kenny Omega issued the following apology on Twitter on Saturday after fan backlash for using independent wrestlers Chasyn Rance and Aaron Epic in one of the dark matches for Friday’s NJPW show at the CEO fighting game convention in Daytona Beach, Florida that Omega was heavily involved with running.
Big thanks to all that made #CEOxNJPW possible, but I wanted to address a terrible oversight on my part, in depth, for all to read. pic.twitter.com/JKBiqcuzGK
— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) June 30, 2018
Rance, who works the Florida independent scene, has had legal issues in recent years, notably pleading a no contest in 2011 for having sexual intercourse with an underage female and having to register as a sex offender in Florida.
Epic has also had allegations of sexual assault in the last few years, although no official criminal proceedings have taken place towards the allegations against Epic, but both men have taken very few independent bookings across the United States in recent years due to the refusal of promoters wanting to book them due to their past.
Omega announced that he would be issuing refunds if any fan was uncomfortable with either Epic or Rance being used on the show and will be more heavily involved with all aspects of future joint NJPW shows with the CEO fighting game convention, as he has said he was unaware of either Epic or Rance’s past before booking them for the show.