25 Best Wrestling Moments Of 2024
17. The Depth Of Thought Behind Kazuchika Okada’s AEW Debut
The presentation of Kazuchika Okada in AEW has yielded mixed reviews.
Some bemoan his goofier leanings, insisting that it’s how he would have been portrayed under Vince McMahon in 2019. Others, recognising that Okada had grown very stale in his last few years atop New Japan Pro Wrestling, enjoyed the levity and Okada’s incredible comedic timing.
The launch of the character, however, was truly Elite.
Ahead of Okada’s debut, the Young Bucks took on their EVPs gimmick, as part of which they doled out fines for minor infractions. Eddie Kingston was threatened with a fine shortly afterwards. He marched out on the March 6 Dynamite - and this was genius, because the Kingston character absolutely would be so aggressive and impatient about it - and paid the fine upfront, showering Matthew and Nicholas with bills.
These bills took on a very different significance. After the Bucks had worn gowns and basked in the “rain” of their business cards at Revolution - with trademark deft foreshadowing - Okada made his debut as an AEW full-timer.
He turned on Eddie, after which the perfect, earned visual materialised: the Bucks used Eddie’s money to emulate Okada’s entrance with a mocking taunt.
It’s a shame that the resulting civil war storyline was so illogical and half-baked: this first chapter was delightfully clever and massively promising.