Kazuchika Okada has addressed his absence from the recent crossover show Wrestle Dynasty.
On January 5th, stars from AEW, NJPW, CMLL and STARDOM all competed inside The Tokyo Dome as part of the inaugural SuperShow. Although the show saw the in-ring return of Kenny Omega along with AEW stars such as The Young Bucks, Mercedes Mone and Ricochet all in action, The Rainmaker did not make an appearance.
Given his legendary run in New Japan and a current champion in AEW, some had hoped to see Okada factor into the show when it was first announced. However, despite the magnitude of the event, the Continental Champion did not compete or make an appearance.
Speaking with Tokyo Sports about his absence from the show, Okada admitted that it is not the right time to compete in Japan again, adding that when he left New Japan he did so with the intention of not having any more matches in the country:
“I can’t really say anything about it (laughs bitterly). 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.” [Translated by Google]
NJPW Star Calls Out Kazuchika Okada
Approaching one year since he became All Elite, Okada has reigned as the Continental Champion for more than 300 days, competed inside Wembley Stadium and emerged as the overall winner in the 2024 Continental Classic Tournament. Despite this, one member of the NJPW roster has blasted Kazuchika Okada for taking “an easy paycheck.”