10 Things You Need To Know About Kazuchika Okada
9. He Was Originally A Junior Heavyweight
Kazuchika Okada may currently be the heavyweight champion of the world, but when he started his career, he was firmly in the junior heavyweight ranks. That's not surprising, given how young he was - in his late teens, Okada likely hadn't finished filling out yet - but he was still quite tall. In those early days, he was billed at 6'3", 196 pounds.
Being classified as a junior heavyweight meant that Okada wrestled fellow juniors. In the early days of his career, he took on the likes of Puma (currently TJP), Sonjay Dutt, and current CHAOS stablemate Rocky Romero. With trainer Ultimo Dragon as his partner, he even challenged The Motor City Machine Guns for the NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship.
By 2007, Okada would join New Japan. After an ill-timed leg break that put him on the shelf for eight months, he would return to action in 2008 as a heavyweight, billed at 212 pounds.