The Rainmaker should soon be getting his own All Elite graphic.
While the feeling has been that Kazuchika Okada would eventually land in AEW, today brought the most emphatic report yet that he will sign there and not with WWE.
Fightful Select (subscription required) says that “barring some unforeseen catastrophe,” Okada will finalize a deal with AEW soon and debut there in earnest in the not too distant future.
We haven’t heard firm plans on when Kazuchika Okada is slated for his debut as an AEW-contracted star. However, we’ve heard it’s expected to be after he finishes up his commitments with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
The 36-year-old Okada became one of pro wrestling’s hottest free agents earlier this year, when New Japan Pro-Wrestling confirmed that it’s longtime pillar would not be re-signing with the company once his contract expired Jan. 31. Both WWE and AEW were said to have had discussions with Okada, but the latter always felt like it was the frontrunner.
Okada is no stranger to an AEW ring, and that familiarity could have played a factor in his decision. Along with appearing on both editions of the AEW/NJPW dual-branded Forbidden Door event, Okada also teamed with Orange Cassidy for a tag team match on the Oct. 25, 2023 episode of Dynamite (interestingly, Okada lost all of those matches).
All eyes will now be on when Okada might make his debut as a regular member of the AEW roster. The company’s next pay-per-view is Revolution on March 3, which is certainly a possibility.
However, the recently announced Big Business episode of Dynamite scheduled for Boston on March 13 seems like an even better bet. While the event name and location hint heavily that it will be the site of the AEW debut for Mercedes Moné, Okada also has a money theme and would help prove Tony Khan’s assertion correct that it will be an unforgettable night.
Regardless of when he starts, Okada gives AEW another world class talent who would be a potential main event-level talent on any roster. Having accomplished just about everything possible in New Japan, the next chapter in his career will be worth watching.