8 Reasons Why Kazuchika Okada Is #1 In This Year's PWI 500
7. His Long Reign On Top
Okada has been IWGP Heavyweight Champion for the duration of the 2017 PWI 500's window. Having won the belt on 19 June 2016, he is now over 430 days into his run with the belt, and will surpass Shinya Hashimoto's 21-year record as the longest reigning champion of all time if he's able to hold onto it until Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4th.
'The Rainmaker' has defended his prize seven times since taking it from Tetsuya Naito, though title fights were hard to come by earlier in his reign. His first major defence took place in October 2016, when he overcame Pro Wrestling NOAH's Noamichi Marufuji. He defeated Kenny Omega in their first six-star match on in January, then continued his run with wins over Minoru Suzuki, Katsuyori Shibata, and Bad Luck Fale, with his and Omega's June 11th rematch the last of Okada's eligible bouts.
Simply put, Okada is the strongest champion in wrestling today. His reign has delivered in every single category, from match quality to calibre of opponent, and given the way WWE's two "World Titles" have been booked during this time period, Okada has little competition in this department.