According to recent reports New Japan star Kazuchika Okada is currently working through a back injury that has left him “hurting bad” backstage.
Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer commented that Okada had been kept away from the main event and heavyweight title picture due to two slipped discs in his lower back.
“The reason Kazuchika Okada has been largely kept out of the title and main event scene, and worked more basic in his matches the last several months is that he’s working with two slipped discs in his lower back,” Meltzer wrote. “It’s legitimately crippling, which is why he takes it easy when he’s in prelims but when he’s in a main event, he still delivers like in the match with Evil this past week, and I’d bet with Shingo Takagi this coming week. But backstage, he’s hurting bad.”
The internet has been running wild with theories since Paul Wight announced that a “Hall of Fame” worthy talent would be heading to AEW at AEW Revolution. Across social media one of the more prominent names that keeps cropping up is that of Okada. Interestingly it has previously been reported that Okada was due to feature for AEW or IMPACT, although it was noted that there was no timescale for this reported appearance.
Ahead of AEW Revolution, Inside The Ropes have run down the credentials of the candidates for the highly anticipated surprise appearance. It is a list that includes the likes of Kurt Angle and the aforementioned Kazuchika Okada.