Kazuchika Okada "Will Never Go To WWE"

Don't hold out hope for a CHAOS reunion...

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada was in tears at his friend and stablemate Shinsuke Nakamura's New Japan farewell show last month, but he has absolutely no plans to join Nakamura stateside. According to Twitter user enuhito (@enuhito_eng), tomorrow's edition of Japanese publication Weekly Pro Wrestling contains a vow from Okada: "I will never go to WWE." Last year, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE scouts were interested in all three of New Japan's top stars - Okada, Nakamura, and perennial company ace Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tanahashi was doubtful to make the jump due to his age and status in Japan, while Nakamura's journey has been well-documented. Okada - who turned 28 last November and is already among the best workers in the world - seemed like a natural fit for WWE, but he expressed an interest in staying with New Japan to help lead the company for the next several years. This statement confirms that "The Rainmaker" is not going anywhere. Okada's antipathy toward working for an American company likely stems from the time he spent in TNA earlier in the decade. As a rookie, Okada was sent to the organization to learn and grow as a wrestler. He was instead forced to play a stereotypical sidekick role modeled on The Green Hornet's Kato, gaining little in-ring experience in the process. Upon his return to New Japan, Okada was pushed as a huge star and backed it up with talent, but he has never spoken fondly of his time working in the U.S. WWE's loss is New Japan's gain, as the company cannot afford to lose its young superstar.
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Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried. *Best Crowd of the Year, 2013