Did you notice that Kazuchika Okada was missing from Wrestle Dynasty?
The joint New Japan Pro-Wrestling/AEW pay-per-view saw The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Ricochet, and Konosuke Takeshita compete against the top stars in the Japanese promotion, but the most interesting aspect is that the Continental Champion was nowhere on the card.
Okada was a main staple in New Japan Pro-Wrestling for over a decade and then the 37-year-old opted to sign an exclusive deal with All Elite Wrestling. Now his deal doesn’t prevent him from competing in New Japan events like Wrestle Dynasty, but Okada told Tokyo Sports that it just wasn’t the right time to return to the promotion:
"I can't really say anything about it (laughs). Whether I get 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 feeling like I wanted to fight well in the US, then something might have changed in my feelings. I don't have any intention of competing in a single match, so that's the feeling I had when I went to the US," Okada explained.
When could we see Okada back in a New Japan ring? Only time will tell, though the annual Forbidden Door pay-per-view is still set for 2025, so perhaps it’ll be the right time for the Continental Champion then. Okada’s reasoning for leaving New Japan last year was that he didn’t want to become complacent with his work, even if it would’ve kept him in the main event for years to come.
“After announcing that I was quitting and going on a tour… I guess I felt too comfortable, [and] I wondered about that,” Kazuchika Okada said to Tokyo Sports. “I started my wrestling career in Mexico, came to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and became a rainmaker 12 years ago.
Maybe if I stay here, I can wrestle without any inconvenience. But I don’t want to become the same Kazuchika Okada who doesn’t have that kind of hunger. I don’t want to be in a situation where I have to rest on my laurels. If I were “human” Okada Kazuchika, I would have friends here, and it would be the best environment. But as “wrestler” Okada, I felt different.”
However, he’ll be facing a similar New Japan rival at the upcoming Collision special this Saturday. Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii has been confirmed for January 18th, and it should be one hell of a match.