10 Things You Need To Know About Kazuchika Okada

4. He Created The Rainmaker Fund

Okada NJPW
NJPW

As 2013 turned into 2014, Okada found himself playing more of a babyface role. His feud with Minoru Suzuki and Suzukigun saw him take to portraying a good guy, while his title loss to AJ Styles saw Okada (and his CHAOS stable) positioned as just as vehemently against Bullet Club as the rest of the New Japan faithful.

Today, Okada is largely a determined babyface, but he's never lost his arrogant edge, and when he wrestles members of New Japan's Seigigun (wrestlers not affiliated with any stable), it tends to come out. Still, it's clear that Okada can play any role he needs to play.

In real life, though? Okada's a total softy. In 2014, he established Rainmaker Kikin, or the Rainmaker Fund, a cancer charity inspired by diagnoses of the disease received by Okada's uncle and cousin. For every match he wins with the Rainmaker, Okada donates ¥30,000 (or, at the time of this writing $268.83, or £211.06) to the charity. Given Okada's record and how devastating his hold is, that adds up quickly.

Contributor
Contributor

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