Kazuchika Okada Reveals The Origin Of His Rainmaker

Kazuchika Okada underwent a massive character change upon his return to New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2012. He returned as The Rainmaker with a finisher of the same name. He has since risen to the top of pro wrestling, with many considering him the best wrestler in the world.

Now, he has revealed where the name came from. In a recent Q&A on the New Japan website, Okada let everyone know that his name came from the American phrase. Here is the full quote:

“But to make a long story short, it’s this American phrase connected to people that can come into a company and instantly make a ton of money for them, and I thought it would be a cool fit for me in NJPW. So it became my nickname. And then to make sure it was used and that brand of mine got strengthened, I made it the name of my finish, too,”

As far as the move itself goes, it would be easy for a clothesline to look like a weak finish. The first time he used it against YOSHI-HASHI at Wrestle Kingdom VI exemplifies this. Okada also discussed how he came up with his finisher.

“As for the move itself, you see that wrist clutch and extension quite a lot in lucha libre; I can’t remember the match, but I remember seeing it in America and thinking it looked cool. And I always thought something leading to a lariat would be a cool finish, so one was added to the other. Well, it just came down to thinking which would have more impact. Unleashing everything through a lariat like that is more powerful, I thought. Then again, if it were the other way round; if I used the lariat first time out, then the neckbreaker did more damage, then the Rainmaker would be very different today.”

What do you think of Kazuchika Okada and his Rainmaker monicker? Let us know on Twitter!

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