Real Reason For Sudden AEW World Title RESHUFFLE Revealed (AEW News)
Kazuchika Okada is out of his AEW World Title match with Darby Allin - here's why.
Kazuchika Okada is OUT of his AEW World Championship match with Darby Allin on this week's Dynamite, replaced by Konosuke Takeshita - and there's a good reason for it.
Don Callis announced the change during Saturday's special 'Fairway to Hell' Collision episode, stating that Okada was returning to Japan to tend to "family business." Given that the announcement took place within AEW's kayfabe universe, and could be perceived as an extension of Takeshita and Okada's ongoing rivalry, this may have been interpreted as a work.
Which it isn't.
Per Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio:
“This was not an angle. He did legitimately have to go back to Japan for some family business, and so this was a legitimate change. So that match is off.”
There is currently no word on how long Okada will be away from AEW.
Okada vs. Allin came together on last week's Dynamite. After defeating Bryan Keith to retain his AEW International Championship, 'The Rainmaker' declared that he was coming after the World Championship. Later, after Allin's win over Kevin Knight in the main event, Okada hit the ring to challenge Allin for the title, setting the bout up for this Wednesday.
As members of the Don Callis Family, Okada and Takeshita have been involved in a passive-aggressive rivalry for several months. Takeshita effectively taking Okada's spot in a World Title match could be used to extend this and build further tension between the two ahead of the expected payoff: a singles match.
Allin has been AEW World Champion since 15 April, when he defeated MJF.