If WWE Were Being Honest About ALL IN
Seven years after Kazuchika Okada's opening match loss at 2010's Wrestle Kingdom IV, he was in the main event at the Tokyo Dome supershow against Kenny Omega.
Their IWGP Heavyweight Title clash was a flag-planting moment for wrestling outside of WWE. A year prior, Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles had earned unexpected plaudits across the pond for their own effort, but it was widely speculated that both were about to sign on with Vince McMahon immediately afterwards. WWE was - in spite of a product long-homogonised in line with the advent of the WWE Networks and television rights fees replacing pay-per-view revenues - still the place to become known as a wrestling megastar and the 'dream' destination of many.
Okada's victory over Kenny Omega was a line in the sand, though. WWE had taken advantage of habitual viewers' loyalty (and always will, to an extent), but the dynamic Wrestle Kingdom 11 topliner demanded attention and further emotional and financial investment. Something was happening, and whilst The Young Bucks were ringside for their Bullet Club leader that night, it was a relatively recent WWE evacuee that would be the vital component in their plan to "Change The World".
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