Word of Kazuchika Okada’s contract status with New Japan Pro Wrestling made waves a few weeks ago when reports surfaced that his current contract with NJPW is said to expire at the end of January and at the time he seemed to be considering other options outside of Japan. It’s no secret that WWE and AEW have interest in the decorated and well-traveled wrestling star. Okada has appeared in AEW a number of times for the annual NJPW/AEW Forbidden Door event and other one-off matches but WWE is said to have a “renewed interest” in the wrestler.
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“I have nothing but gratitude for having been a part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling since 2007, and for NJPW bringing me from a 19 year old kid off the plane in Mexico to the Rainmaker I am today,” Okada said in a statement. “Thank you to the best of companies in NJPW, to the best of opponents that I’ve been able to face here, and to the best of fans that have cheered and booed over the years. I promise to make it rain in every match I have left, so keep watching.”
Okada will still finish out his prior commitments with NJPW, competing in the New Beginning series. He will appear at the February dates on February 11 in Osaka, and February 23 and 24 in Sapporo. Okada has been consistently competing in NJPW since 2007 and has been a mainstay with the company ever since. He is a seven-time singles champion, holding the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, and the current NEVER Openweight Six Man Champion with Tomohiro Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Okada isn’t the only star set to leave NJPW. Tama Tonga also announced his departure from NJPW in his post-match comments at WrestleKingdom 18, citing wanting to be closer to his family as his reason for leaving. Will Ospreay is also finishing up with the company following his groundbreaking signing with AEW. He later revealed he will be full-time with AEW come AEW Revolution in March.
Stay tuned for more on New Japan Pro Wrestling and Okada’s status in professional wrestling.
