Kazuchika Okada says goodbye to NJPW, takes Rainmaker name with him

Next stop, AEW? That remains to be seen, but Kazuchika Okada said farewell and thank you to NJPW and its fans.

It’s going to rain somewhere other than New Japan Pro-Wrestling very soon.

Now that it’s Feb. 1 in Japan, the contract of Kazuchika Okada, the top star in NJPW over the past decade, has expired. Shortly after he became a free agent, Okada posted a short thank you and farewell message on social media.

Here’s the translation in English, according to Google Translate:

Thank you for supporting New Japan Pro Wrestling for 17 years!
thank you very much!
I laughed, got angry, cried, it was great!
I look forward to playing the remaining three games as a free agent!

His comment at the end refers to several dates he will still work this month with New Japan even though he’s not re-signing with the company. Where will he turn up next? PWInsider repeated today that “the expectation is that Okada is AEW-bound,” though until he actually shows up somewhere, that’s not set in stone.

Wherever he goes, Okada will be able to call himself the Rainmaker just as he did in Japan. He filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office last month for Rainmaker, and has filed one for the use of his own name in wrestling contexts as well. That will be a big help for any company that lands his services, as he won’t have to change his presentation or gimmick.