WWE will have the opportunity to pursue a big NJPW name after reportedly showing interest recently. They will also not have to wait long to pursue the star if they so desire.
Tajiri, Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka, IYO SKY, Kairi Sane, and other Japanese stars have found success in WWE. SKY is the current SmackDown Women’s Champion.
As PWMania previously reported, Kazuchika Okada is on the radar of some WWE executives. Okada is 36 years old and close to Nakamura, who knows it’s a gentler style on his body than NJPW. Okada’s reasoning for considering WWE is that it is the one thing he has never done after doing everything in NJPW.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso, Okada’s contract expires at the end of January. According to the report, “While a new deal with New Japan would typically be underway, Okada, 36, is seriously entertaining the possibility of wrestling for a different promotion.”
AEW, a promotion he has wrestled for several times due to their relationship with NJPW, may also be interested. According to the report, Okada worked on Dynamite in October, and part of the journey to the US from Japan allowed Okada to gain a better understanding of AEW.
