Kazuchika Okada reveals the reason why he joined All Elite Wrestling over any other company last year.
The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion left New Japan Pro-Wrestling last year, after spending 17 years with the promotion. Despite rumors that he would join WWE, Kazuchika Okada was revealed as AEW’s newest signing on the Match 6th episode of Dynamite. Since then, he has won the AEW Continental Championship and the Continental Classic in 2024.
Kazuchika Okada spoke with Tokyo Sports recently, where he was asked why he signed with AEW in March last year. The AEW Continental Champion joked that it was because they made him an offer before he elaborated.
“Because they gave me an offer (laughs). I can’t speak English, and the only thing I can do is wrestling, so I thought AEW would be the place where I could make use of that strength. There are still people I haven’t fought, and I want to fight them,” Kazuchika Okada said.
During the interview, Okada also commented on not competing at NJPW x AEW Wrestle Dynasty. He noted that it wasn’t the right time for him to compete at an NJPW show.
“I can’t really say anything about that,” he said with a laugh. “Whether I got an offer or not is another matter, but I don’t think it’s the right time yet. I quit with the feeling that I would never compete again (in Japanese matches). If I were to go back while I was determined to fight hard in the US, something might change my mind. Personally, I have no intention of competing in even a single match, and that’s the feeling I had when I went to the US.” (Translation via meraWRESTLING)
Kenny Omega Wants Will Ospreay And Kazuchika Okada To Return To NJPW
Kenny Omega wants to see Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada back in NJPW after making his own return to the promotion.
Speaking to Tokyo Sports, Kenny Omega revealed which AEW stars he wants to join him in returning to NJPW in the near future. (H/T to Fightful for the translation).
The Canadian star named former IWGP World Heavyweight Champions Will Ospreay, Jay White and Kenny Omega as the wrestlers he’d love to see back in NJPW in the future.
Kenny Omega added that he’d love to see who would win a match between these AEW stars and the best NJPW has to offer on their roster.
“Many of the top wrestlers in AEW have an aspect of having come from New Japan,” Kenny Omega said. “like (Will) Ospreay, Jay White and (Kazuchika) Okada. They achieved results in Japan, came to AEW, won the belt and became stars. So I think it would be more interesting if those kinds of wrestlers came back to New Japan. And had more matches to see who would win, the current AEW star or the New Japan star.”
