15 Misconceptions About AEW You Probably Believe

5. “AEW Has Wasted Kazuchika Okada”

Kazuchika Okada arrived in AEW as a man in his mid-thirties, but that is true and isn’t.

Okada emerged and quickly dominated the New Japan Pro Wrestling resurgence era as a very young man. He entered the main event bracket a month after returning from excursion in 2012, and spent the subsequent decade-plus as the top headliner. This involved countless lengthy main events premised on stiff, intricate, complex athletic action. These matches would only get longer and more arduous as the promotion attempted to outdo itself. The 20-25 minute main event evolved into the 30-40 minute epic; this was so ingrained that, after a while, going back to 20 would have felt like they were all phoning it in.

Kazuchika Okada is the oldest 37 year-old in wrestling history.

He’s not anywhere close to finished, but he’s broken-down. He can’t go all-out as he once did, and he lacks the motivation. He has nothing left to prove. He has enshrined himself into pro wrestling folklore.

To borrow from the football vernacular, Okada to AEW was a luxury signing. Neither party was in desperate need for the move, but circumstances made it so. The idea that Okada is being wasted is wrong. He’s in his “good once as he ever was” phase, and is still capable of delivering the odd great performance, but he isn’t the same guy. He deserves immense credit for his reinvention. He is a total delight as a funny, mischievous presence.

This is no disgrace - the man himself delights in his own brand of oddball charisma - and he can still come off the bench to blast in a winner.