Major news came out of the world of New Japan Pro Wrestling last night, when it was announced that their star player, Kazuchika Okada, would be leaving the company at the end of his current contract on January 31.
With Okada set to become a free agent, both AEW and WWE set to fight hard to secure the Rainmaker’s services.
While there are a lot of signs that point towards him heading to AEW, imagining the coin dropping for a huge entrance at WrestleMania 40 could be too much to turn down.
Here are 6 potential WrestleMania 40 opponents for Kazuchika Okada should he sign with WWE following his free agency.
Gunther
This is the number one match people have been pitching for Okada in WWE, and it’s obvious why, because it’s the Ring General.
Gunther has defeated all comers during his reign so far, and an outsider like the Rainmaker coming in to face off against him could be the only way to dethrone him.
It would also be a huge statement of intent for Okada’s run in WWE, if he came in and was the first person to pin Gunther in his WWE main roster career.
Gunther recently hit a Rainmaker during a title defence, as well as Michael Cole asking if “anyone in the world” could defeat him, which some could take as a hint. Not me of course.
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Shinsuke Nakamura
The other obvious opponent for Okada should he arrive in WWE is an old running mate of his, Shinsuke Nakamura.
Shinsuke’s recent resurgence in WWE was said to have been, at least in part, to help show Okada that a Japanese star can be positioned prominently on WWE television.
Easing Okada into the company with a big WrestleMania match against his old friend could be the way to go to get him accustomed to the landscape.
They also obviously have a lot of history to play off should WWE want to go that route.
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AJ Styles
Another man who Okada has a lot of history with during his time in NJPW is AJ Styles.
AJ is set to be a part of the four-way for Roman Reigns’ Championship at the Royal Rumble, but after that he really doesn’t seem to have an obvious road to WrestleMania.
The former Bullet Club leader facing off against Okada once again would be poetic in more ways than one, given Okada’s arrival would likely be similar in size to AJ’s in 2016.
Speaking of Bullet Club leaders…
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Finn Balor
The original leader of the Bullet Club and another New Japan Pro Wrestling alum, you also couldn’t go wrong with using Balor to bring Okada into the WWE picture.
Potentially a tag match with Okada teaming with Nakamura against the Judgment Day, but that’s an angle for later down the line rather than right away.
The issue with Finn is that he currently holds the tag titles, but with questions surrounding the World Heavyweight Championship picture right now, pivoting Damian Priest over there could leave Balor open.
This would also mean Okada’s first promo would get interrupted by the Judgment Day, which makes me chuckle.
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John Cena
“John Cena? Why?”
Well because it’s John Cena vs Kazuchika Okada. If you get Okada in, you may as well say ‘f**k it’ and be as bats**t insane as you possibly can be.
Cena doesn’t have very many matches left in him, and the sight of Okada across the ring from him would be surreal to see.
If you can get Okada but there is no clear opponent for him, just throw this on the card because it’d be insane.
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CM Punk
Okay so with Seth Rollins’ injury, there is a potential gap opening up at the very top of the card.
So with Punk potentially needing a new opponent for WrestleMania, slide big Kazu in there to get a big match out of the two of them.
Punk was supposed to face Hiroshi Tanahashi at the original Forbidden Door, and here we are at WrestleMania and I am pitching for CM Punk to face Kazuchika Okada.
Crazy this wrestling stuff in 2024.
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