In New Japan, rookie wrestlers (known as "young lions") typically make a journey overseas in order to get experience and learn different styles before returning as fully-fledged top-level competitors. In the case of Kazuchika Okada, his excursion didn't go as planned - a year in TNA saw the future legend relegated to a comedy sidekick role, learning little. When Okada returned to New Japan, he had something to prove, and immediately challenged company ace (and IWGP Heavyweight Champion) Hiroshi Tanahashi to a match. Okada pulled off an incredible upset and won the title, and while Tanahashi would soon reclaim it, the world now knew that Okada had arrived. That wasn't enough for the young star, who had dyed his hair blond and taken the nickname "The Rainmaker" in recognition of all the money he was poised to make for New Japan (and himself, of course). He won the 2012 G1 Climax tournament and the 2013 New Japan Cup before defeating Tanahashi for the title once again. This time, he would reign for over a year, taking on all comers and, in the eyes of many, surpassing Tanahashi himself.
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
