 Okada in March 2024 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1987-11-08)November 8, 1987 (age 38) Anjō, Aichi, Japan |
Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Kazuchika Okada Okada Suicide[1] Okato Dragon George[2] |
| Billed height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[3][4] |
| Billed weight | 107 kg (236 lb)[3][5] |
| Billed from | Aichi, Japan |
| Trained by | Último Dragón[6] |
| Debut | August 29, 2004 |
Kazuchika Okada (岡田 和睦,Okada Kazuchika;ring name:オカダ・カズチカ; born November 8, 1987) is a Japaneseprofessional wrestler. As of March 2024[update], he is signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of theDon Callis Family stable and is a triple champion, holding theAEW Continental andInternational Championships in his first reign with each (with the former being the longest reign in the title's history and the longest for any AEW championship), and theAEW Unified Championship, for which he is the inaugural holder. Okada is best known for his 18-year original tenure inNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a five-timeIWGP Heavyweight Champion, with his fourth reign being the longest in the company's history at 720 days. He also holds the record for most successful title defenses with 12. After the title wasunified into theIWGP World Heavyweight Championship, Okada became the first to win it twice, making him a seven-time world champion in NJPW.
Initially trained byÚltimo Dragón and making his debut in August 2004, Okada spent his first years in professional wrestling working inMexico before returning to Japan and making NJPW his home promotion in mid-2007. Originally working as ajunior heavyweight, Okada graduated to the heavyweight division in April 2008 with limited success. In February 2010, NJPW sent Okada on a learning excursion to American promotionTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) where he spent the next 20 months, mainly performing on the promotion's secondary television program,Xplosion. From January to March 2011, he performed under the nameOkato on TNA's primary television program,Impact!, asSamoa Joe's sidekick in his rivalry withD'Angelo Dinero.
Okada's run with TNA ended in October 2011 and he returned to NJPW in January 2012, repackaged as the "Rainmaker" (レインメーカー,Reinmēkā), complete with a new look and avillainouspersona. Just a month later, Okada defeatedHiroshi Tanahashi to win NJPW's top title, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, which he would hold for four months before losing it back to Tanahashi. The following August, Okada won NJPW's premier tournament, theG1 Climax. At the end of the year,Tokyo Sports magazine named Okada the 2012MVP in all ofJapanese professional wrestling. The following year, Okada first won theNew Japan Cup in March and then regained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Tanahashi in April. After a 13-month reign, Okada lost the title in May 2014. Three months later, he won his second G1 Climax. Okada went on to win his third G1 Climax in 2021 and his fourth in 2022, which makes him the wrestler with the second-most wins in the tournament with four, just behindMasahiro Chono with five. Okada won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship three more times and headlined NJPW's biggest annual event—Wrestle Kingdom—eight times (7,9,10,11,12,14,16, and17). Okada left NJPW in March 2024, immediately signing with AEW.
Considered as one of the greatest active professional wrestlers in the world,[7][citation needed] he became the first Japanese wrestler to topPro Wrestling Illustrated'slist of the top 500 wrestlers in the world in 2017. Readers of theWrestling Observer Newsletter named him as the most outstanding wrestler of the 2010s in March 2020.[8] Okada's match withKenny Omega atDominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall in June 2018 is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestling matches of all time,[citation needed] and received a rating ofseven stars by journalistDave Meltzer, the highest rating Meltzer has ever awarded a wrestling match. Okada was inducted into theWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2021 (his first year of eligibility).
Okada was born on November 8, 1987, inAnjō, Aichi.[3][5] As a child, he lived and attended a primary school in Anjō. However, before completing primary school, Okada was lured by the nature in his mother's hometown in theGotō Islands inNagasaki Prefecture and chose to complete the rest of his primary education in a special boarding school there.[9] Upon graduation, he returned to Anjō.
In middle school, Okada joined the school's baseball and track team. Although he did not stand out as a baseball player, Okada was able to win first place in a regional 100 meter dash competition. His reputation as a sprinter was good enough to be scouted by high school recruiters.[9] He was exposed toprofessional wrestling for the first time when one of his older brothers happened to borrow aNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) video game from his friend.[9]
Trained byÚltimo Dragón at hisToryumonprofessional wrestling school, Okada made his debut on August 29, 2004, losing toNegro Navarro[3][5] and would spend the next couple of years wrestling primarily in Toryumon Mexico.[4] In December 2005, Okada won the2005 Young Dragons Cup.[3][10] Okada would also make appearances in the United States and Canada forpromotions such as UWA Hardcore Wrestling andChikara.
On October 27, 2006, Okada participated in UWA Hardcore Wrestling's 2006 Grand Prix Tournament, but was eliminated in the first round byPuma.[11] The following day, Okada and Último Dragón unsuccessfully challengedAlex Shelley andChris Sabin for theNWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship.[11] On November 12, 2006, Okada made his debut for Chikara by defeating Osiris.[12]
During his time in UWA Hardcore Wrestling, Okada also unsuccessfully challenged Josh Prohibition for the UWA Canadian Championship on May 26, 2007.[11] On July 22, 2007, Okada took part in Último Dragón's 20th anniversary show, where he wrestled in asix-man tag team match alongside NJPW wrestlersJyushin Thunder Liger andMilano Collection A.T.[3] After the match, it was announced that Okada was graduating from Toryumon and joining NJPW.[3]
Upon joining NJPW, Okada entered theNJPW Dojo, where he went through further training.[13] He would have a pre-debut match for the company on August 26, 2007, losing toTetsuya Naito.[13] A legitimate injury would sideline Okada for the next eight months and upon his return in April 2008 he would be billed as a heavyweight instead of ajunior heavyweight,[13] and have his official debut match on April 12, 2008, againstTaichi Ishikari.[14] His career would start to pick up steam the following year with breakout performances in the NJPW vs.Pro Wrestling Noah war against the likes ofTakashi Sugiura andGo Shiozaki.[13] He would also wrestlemain eventers such asShinsuke Nakamura,Hirooki Goto andTajiri and—despite losing all of his big matches—he was becoming a big crowd favorite.[13] In January 2010, NJPW announced that they would be sending Okada toTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) for a developmental tour in order for him to become the wrestler NJPW believed he could be.[15][16] NJPW president Naoki Sugabayashi predicted the tour could take up to two or three years.[15] On January 31, 2010, Okada was defeated by former four-timeIWGP Heavyweight ChampionHiroshi Tanahashi in his NJPW farewell match.[17]
Okada made his TNA debut at the February 16, 2010, tapings ofImpact!, losing to Alex Shelley in adark match.[18] At the March 9 tapings, Okada was defeated byJay Lethal in another dark match.[19] On March 20, Okada made his debut forJersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) at Wild Card VI, where he was defeated by fellow TNA wrestlerSamoa Joe.[20] Okada's dark matches for TNA continued on March 23 with a loss againstDaniels.[21] On April 6, Okada, using only his last name, competed in his first televised TNA match when he andHomicide were defeated byGeneration Me (Jeremy and Max Buck) in atag team match, which was later broadcast on theXplosion television program and the company's official website andYouTube channel.[22][23] That same week, Okada also began wrestling at TNA'slive events.[24] On May 4, Okada and Homicide were defeated in anotherXplosion match byInk Inc. (Jesse Neal andShannon Moore).[25] On May 17,X Division ChampionDouglas Williams defeated Okada in a non-titleXplosion match.[26] On July 15, Okada made his first appearance onImpact!, running out to the ring in an attempt to stop formerECW wrestlers from taking over the show.[27] At the August 9 tapings, Okada picked up his first victory in TNA, defeatingKid Kash in a dark match.[28] On the October 8Xplosion, Okada formed atag team with compatriotKiyoshi, but the two of them were then defeated in their first match together by Ink Inc.[29] On the November 26Xplosion, Okada was defeated byRob Terry.[30] On the December 17Xplosion, Okada was defeated byStevie Richards.[31] Okada and Kiyoshi had a rematch with Ink Inc. at the December 7 tapings ofXplosion, but were once again defeated.[32]
On January 20, 2011, Okada turned into afan favorite as he made his second appearance onImpact!, when he was revealed as the camera man whom Samoa Joe had hired to followD'Angelo Dinero in order to expose his lies about helping the needy.[33] During the appearance, Okada debuted a new look inspired byKato fromThe Green Hornet series.[34] Okada, now renamed Okato, made his firstTNA pay-per-view appearance atAgainst All Odds on February 13, preventing Dinero from leaving the ring during his match with Joe. After losing the match, Dinero attacked both Okato and Joe.[35][36] Okato made hisImpact! in-ring debut on March 24, when he defeated Dinero viadisqualification.[37] The match concluded Okato's participation in thefeud between Joe and Dinero and he subsequently returned to performing under his real surname. On the June 21Xplosion, Okada was defeated by Alex Shelley in the first round of theXplosion Championship Challenge.[38] On October 13, his profile was removed from TNA's roster page.
TNA's handling of Okada was reportedly one of the reasons NJPW ceased the relationship between the two promotions shortly afterwards.[39][40][41] Despite not being used by TNA, Okada has stated that he felt that his time in the promotion was beneficial to him as he learned he needed more than just a good match—he needed acharacter. According to Okada, inJapanese professional wrestling "there is no character – it's fight, fight, fight", but TNA'sagents kept telling him that he needed a character, which led to him creating the "Rainmaker" persona upon his return to NJPW.[42][41] In October 2017, it was reported that while representatives of the American promotion, now known as Impact Wrestling, were visiting Japan, attempting to revive the relationship between their company and NJPW, they specifically apologized to Okada for his treatment.[43]
On December 14, 2010, NJPW announced that Okada would be returning to the promotion on January 4, 2011, atWrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, where he would team with Hirooki Goto against Noah representatives Takashi Sugiura andYoshihiro Takayama.[44][45] On December 23, he made a surprise return to the promotion, performing aGerman suplex on Takayama, after a match where he andMinoru Suzuki had defeatedYuji Nagata andWataru Inoue.[46] At Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, Takayama pinned Okada to win the match.[47][48] After the event, Okada returned to the United States and TNA.[49] Okada returned to NJPW during theNJPW Invasion Tour 2011 (NJPW's first tour of the United States) on May 13 inRahway, New Jersey, but was defeated byMVP in the first round of atournament to determine the inauguralIWGP Intercontinental Champion.[50] At the following day's event inNew York City, Okada teamed withRyusuke Taguchi andTogi Makabe in a six-man tag team match, where they were defeated byDavey Richards, Homicide andRhino.[51] On May 15, during the final day of the tour inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, Okada teamed withCharlie Haas, Josh Daniels andTiger Mask in an eight-man tag team match, where they were defeated byChaos (Shinsuke Nakamura,Gedo,Jado andYujiro Takahashi).[52] On December 9, 2011, NJPW announced that Okada, having gained 11 kg (24 lb) of muscle to increase his overall weight from 96 kg (212 lb)[53] to 107 kg (236 lb),[3] would be returning to the promotion on January 4, 2012, atWrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome, where he would faceYoshi-Hashi, also making his return after a learning excursion toConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL).[54]
On January 4, 2012, Okada defeated Yoshi-Hashi in his return match and then challenged Hiroshi Tanahashi to a match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship following the show's main event.[55] At the following day's press conference, where the title match was made official, Okada revealed that he had joined Chaos, NJPW's topvillainousstable, enlisting new stablemate Gedo as hismanager and spokesperson.[56] Adopting the new villainous persona of "Rainmaker", Okada changed the Japanese writing of hisring name from "岡田かずちか" to "オカダ・カズチカ".[3][5][53] Okada described his new persona as a combination of the three professional wrestling styles he had learned, stating that he took hisdropkick from Mexico, his "fighting spirit" from Japan and the "TV and the entertainment" from the United States.[41]
In the month leading to the title match, Okada went on a main event win streak, which included pinning Tanahashi in a tag team match on January 29.[57][58][59] On February 12 atThe New Beginning, Okada defeated Tanahashi to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the first time.[60] Okada made his first title defense on March 4, defeating Tetsuya Naito in the main event of NJPW's 40th anniversary event.[61] On May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2012, Okada defeated2012 New Japan Cup winner and reigning IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hirooki Goto to make his second successful title defense.[62] On June 16 atDominion 6.16, Okada lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship back to Hiroshi Tanahashi, ending his reign at 125 days.[63]
On August 1, Okada entered his firstG1 Climax tournament.[64] In the tournament, Okada wrestled in the same block as Chaos leader Shinsuke Nakamura and, on August 5, was defeated by Nakamura, who effectively solidified his spot as the group's leader in the process.[65] However, Okada bounced back from the loss, winning five of his eightround-robin stage matches and finished at the top of his block, advancing to the finals of the tournament.[66][67] In the finals on August 12, Okada defeatedKarl Anderson to win the 2012 G1 Climax.[66][67] BreakingMasahiro Chono's record for the youngest G1 Climax winner in history, Okada announced that he wanted his shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on January 4, 2013, atWrestle Kingdom 7 in Tokyo Dome.[68] Okada signed a contract for the Tokyo Dome match on September 6, making him the official number one contender to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at NJPW's biggest event of the year.[69][70] However, before January 4, Okada would have to defend his contract as if it were a championship.[71] On October 8 atKing of Pro-Wrestling, Okada made his first successful defense of the contract against Karl Anderson.[72][73] On November 11 atPower Struggle, Okada made another successful defense against Hirooki Goto. Later in the event, after Hiroshi Tanahashi had successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Yujiro Takahashi, the Tokyo Dome title match between him and Okada was made official.[74][75] From November 20 to December 1, Okada took part in the round-robin portion of the2012 World Tag League, alongside stablemate Yoshi-Hashi under the team name "Chaos Ride the Lightning".[76] The team finished with a record of three wins and three losses, with a loss to Sword & Guns (Hirooki Goto and Karl Anderson) on the final day, costing them a spot in the semifinals of the tournament.[77][78] On December 10,Tokyo Sports named Okada the 2012MVP in all ofpuroresu.[79][80] His match with Hiroshi Tanahashi from June 16 was also named theMatch of the Year.[79][80] On January 4, 2013, at Wrestle Kingdom 7 in Tokyo Dome, Okada failed in his title challenge against Tanahashi.[81][82] On January 15, Okada publicly dismissed rumors that he was going to be signing withWWE and instead announced that he had just signed a contract extension with NJPW.[83]
In February, Okada led Chaos to a war with NJPW's other heel stable,Suzuki-gun,[84] which built to a match on February 10 atThe New Beginning, where Okada, positioned as the face, was defeated by the stable's leader Minoru Suzuki, following interference fromTaichi.[85] In preparation for the2013 New Japan Cup, Okada announced that he had created a new submission finishing maneuver, theRed Ink, in order to win the tournament.[86] On March 11, he used theRed Ink to defeat Suzuki-gun member andIWGP Tag Team ChampionLance Archer in his first round match.[87][88] Six days later, Okada advanced to the semifinals of the tournament with a win over Karl Anderson.[89] On March 23, Okada first defeated Chaos stablemateToru Yano in the semifinals and then Hirooki Goto in the finals to win the 2013 New Japan Cup and once again become the number one contender to Tanahashi's IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[90][91][92] On April 7 atInvasion Attack, Okada defeated Tanahashi to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the second time.[93][94][95] On May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2013, Okada made his first successful title defense against Minoru Suzuki.[96][97] His second successful defense took place on June 22 atDominion 6.22 against Togi Makabe.[98][99] On July 20, Okada made his third successful title defense againstIWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionPrince Devitt.[100][101][102][103] From August 1 to 11, Okada took part in the2013 G1 Climax,[104] where he opened by losing three of his first four matches.[105] After bouncing back to a three-match win streak and a time limit draw with Hiroshi Tanahashi,[106] Okada finished his tournament with a loss againstSatoshi Kojima, which meant that he was eliminated from the tournament.[107][108] On August 18, Okada made a rare appearance outside of NJPW, when he took part in theDDT Pro-Wrestling promotion's annualRyōgoku Peter Pan event, defeatingKota Ibushi in a special non-title match.[109][110][111] On September 29 atDestruction, Okada avenged the loss from G1 Climax by defeating Satoshi Kojima for his fourth successful defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[112][113]
On October 14 atKing of Pro-Wrestling, Okada made his fifth successful title defense against Hiroshi Tanahashi in what Tanahashi claimed would be his final challenge for the title.[114][115][116] On November 9 atPower Struggle, Okada defeated Karl Anderson in a rematch of the 2012 G1 Climax finals for his sixth successful title defense.[117][118][119] Okada and his next challenger, 2013 G1 Climax winner Tetsuya Naito, faced off on November 23 during the first day of the2013 World Tag League in a match, where Okada and Yoshi-Hashi were victorious over Naito andLa Sombra.[120] Okada and Yoshi-Hashi however managed to win only one of their five remaining matches in the tournament and finished second to last in their block, failing to advance to the semifinals.[121] Following a disappointing fan reaction to a confrontation between Okada and Naito, NJPW announced that fans would get to vote whether they or Shinsuke Nakamura and Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship would be the true main event of the Tokyo Dome show.[122][123] When the results were released on December 9, Okada and Naito had gotten only half the votes Nakamura and Tanahashi had gotten and, as a result, lost their main event spot for NJPW's biggest show of the year.[124][125] That same day, Okada became the first wrestler in 25 years to win back-to-back MVP awards fromTokyo Sports.[126][127] On January 4, 2014, atWrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome, Okada defeated Naito for his seventh successful title defense.[128][129] Okada's eighth successful title defense took place on February 11 atThe New Beginning in Osaka, where he defeated Hirooki Goto.[130][131] On April 6 atInvasion Attack 2014, Okada found himself a new challenger inBullet Club's newest member, the debutingA.J. Styles, who claimed that Okada was still the same "young boy" (rookie) he had known in TNA.[132][133] On May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2014, Okada's thirteen-month reign as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion came to an end, when he lost the title to Styles in his ninth defense, after Yujiro Takahashi turned on him and Chaos and joined Bullet Club.[134][135][136]
In May, Okada took part in NJPW's North American tour, during which he received a rematch for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. On May 17 atWar of the Worlds in New York City, Okada unsuccessfully challenged Styles for the title in a three-way match, which also includedMichael Elgin, whom Styles pinned for the win.[137] Okada received another shot at the title on May 25 atBack to the Yokohama Arena, but was again defeated by Styles.[138][139] From July 21 to August 8, Okada took part in the2014 G1 Climax, where he won his block with a record of eight wins and two losses, which included a win over Styles,[140] advancing to the finals.[141][142] On August 10, Okada defeated Chaos stablemate Shinsuke Nakamura to win the 2014 G1 Climax.[143][144] On September 21 atDestruction in Kobe, Okada teamed with Yoshi-Hashi to unsuccessfully challenge Bullet Club'sDoc Gallows and Karl Anderson for the IWGP Tag Team Championship.[145][146] Two days later atDestruction in Okayama, Okada successfully defended his IWGP Heavyweight Championship number one contender's contract against Karl Anderson.[147][148] On October 13 atKing of Pro-Wrestling, Okada made another successful defense of his contract against Tetsuya Naito.[149][150] The following month, Okada once again teamed up with Yoshi-Hashi for the2014 World Tag League.[151] The team finished their block with a record of four wins and three losses, failing to advance to the finals.[152] On January 4, 2015, atWrestle Kingdom 9 in Tokyo Dome, Okada received his shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but was defeated by the defending champion, Hiroshi Tanahashi.[153][154] Okada then started a storyline, where the loss to Tanahashi had broken him both physically and mentally, causing him to enter aslump.[155] This led to a rivalry between him and Bullet Club'sBad Luck Fale, who scored several pinfall wins over Okada, including in the first round of the2015 New Japan Cup.[156][157] Okada finally defeated Fale in a singles match on April 5 atInvasion Attack 2015, after which he announced his intention of regaining the IWGP Heavyweight Championship by attacking A.J. Styles at the conclusion of the event.[158][159]
On July 5 atDominion 7.5 in Osaka-jo Hall, Okada defeated Styles to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the third time.[160][161] From July 23 to August 15, Okada took part in the2015 G1 Climax.[162] He entered the final day with a chance to advance from his block, but a loss against Chaos stablemate Shinsuke Nakamura cost him a spot in the finals, giving him a record of seven wins and two losses.[163] On August 16, Okada had a staredown withGenichiro Tenryu, who chose him to be his opponent in his retirement match.[164] On November 15 atRevolution Final, Okada defeated Tenryu in his retirement match.[165][166] On December 7, Okada won his third MVP award fromTokyo Sports, while his match with Tenryu was named the Match of the Year.[167][168] With the win, Okada became only the fifth three-time MVP award winner.[169] In December 2015, Okada signed a one-year contract extension with NJPW. However, following A.J. Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura's departures from the promotion the following month, NJPW ownerTakaaki Kidani announced that the promotion was scrapping the one-year contract system and was looking to offer Okada, their top priority, a new five-year ¥200 million contract.[170] On January 4, 2016, Okada defeated 2015 G1 Climax winner Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event ofWrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and becoming the newace of the promotion, the match at that time was the longest in the history of theJanuary 4 Dome Show .[171]
Okada made his third successful title defense on February 11 atThe New Beginning in Osaka against Hirooki Goto.[172] On April 10 atInvasion Attack 2016, Okada lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to2016 New Japan Cup winner Tetsuya Naito, following outside interference from Naito'sLos Ingobernables de Japón stablematesBushi,Evil and the debutingSanada.[173] Okada gained revenge on Sanada by defeating him on May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2016.[174] This led to a rematch with Naito on June 19 atDominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall, where Okada won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the fourth time.[175][176] From July 18 to August 12, Okada took part in the2016 G1 Climax, where he finished tied second in his block with a record of five wins, one draw and three losses.[177] A 30-minute time limit draw against Hiroshi Tanahashi on the final day eliminated both men from advancing to the finals.[178] During the G1 Climax, Okada was defeated by Pro Wrestling Noah representativeNaomichi Marufuji, which led to his first title defense following the tournament on October 10 atKing of Pro-Wrestling, where Okada retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Marufuji, thus setting up the main event ofWrestle Kingdom 11 in Tokyo Dome between Okada and the 2016 G1 Climax winnerKenny Omega.[179] On December 14, Okada became the second wrestler to win three consecutive Match of the Year awards fromTokyo Sports for his 2016 G1 Climax opener against Naomichi Marufuji.[180]
On January 4, 2017, Okada successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 11 in Tokyo Dome.[181] At 46 minutes and 45 seconds, the match was the longest in the history of theJanuary 4 Tokyo Dome Show until the main event ofWrestle Kingdom 15.[182] Wrestling journalistDave Meltzer, in hisWrestling Observer Newsletter, gave the match a six-star rating. He added that Okada and Omega "may have put on the greatest match in pro wrestling history" and that it was the best match he had ever seen.[183] The match was also praised by the likes ofDaniel Bryan,Mick Foley andStone Cold Steve Austin.[184][185] The day after Wrestle Kingdom 11, Okada and Chaos were attacked by the returning Minoru Suzuki and his Suzuki-gun stable,[186] which led to his third title defense on February 5 atThe New Beginning in Sapporo, where he defeated Suzuki.[187][188] Okada's fourth defense took place on April 9 atSakura Genesis 2017, where he defeated2017 New Japan Cup winnerKatsuyori Shibata.[189][190] Okada's fifth defense took place on May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2017, where he defeated Bad Luck Fale. After the match, Okada nominated Omega as his next challenger for the championship.[191][192] The rematch between Okada and Omega on June 11 atDominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall ended in NJPW's first 60-minute time limit draw in 12 years, meaning that Okada was successful in his sixth defense.[193][194] Okada's seventh title defense took place during the first night ofG1 Special in USA on July 1, where he defeatedCody.[195][196] Okada then entered the2017 G1 Climax, where he finished with a record of six wins, one draw and two losses,[197] failing to advance to the finals due to losing to Kenny Omega in their third match against each other on August 12.[198] On October 9 atKing of Pro-Wrestling, Okada avenged a loss suffered during the 2017 G1 Climax by making his eighth successful title defense against Evil, setting him up against G1 Climax winner Tetsuya Naito in the main event ofWrestle Kingdom 12.[199][200]
On October 22, Okada became the longest-reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion in history by breaking the previous record of 489 days, held byShinya Hashimoto. On January 3, 2018, Okada also broke Hiroshi Tanahashi's record of 1,358 combined days as champion.[201] The following day at Wrestle Kingdom 12, Okada defeated Tetsuya Naito to retain the title.[202] On February 10 atThe New Beginning in Osaka, Okada defeated Sanada to retain the championship for the tenth time.[203] On March 21, Okada was challenged for the title byNew Japan Cup winnerZack Sabre Jr. and atSakura Genesis went on to defeat Sabre to tie Hiroshi Tanahashi's record for most successful title defenses in one reign at 11 defenses. After the match, Okada was confronted by Tanahashi, indicating a future match for the title. They met atWrestling Dontaku 2018, where Okada defeated Tanahashi for his record-breaking 12th successful title defense,[204] breaking Tanahashi's record of 11, and earning a 5 1/2 Star rating from Wrestling Observer Newsletter. His next challenger was then revealed to be Kenny Omega, having been chosen due to Okada's frustration with having one win, draw, and loss against him. In their fourth match, they competed in a two out of three falls match atDominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall (with no time limit to ensure there is no possibility of a draw as in their second singles match atDominion 6.11), where Omega defeated Okada 2–1 to win the championship after a 65-minute match, ending Okada's record-breaking championship reign at 720 days.[205]
Okada then entered the2018 G1 Climax, where he finished with a record of six wins, one draw and two losses, exactly the same as the previous year's event, failing to advance to the finals.[206] The event saw a change of image for Okada following the defeat by Omega, with his hair dyed red and portraying an indifferent attitude.[207] This caused him to lose his first two matches againstJay White and Bad Luck Fale,[208][209] although he would go on to the win the rest of the matches in his block, until the last one; another 30-minute time limit draw against Tanahashi.[206] At the 2018 G1 Climax Finals, Okada parted ways with his longtime manager Gedo.[210] Unsatisfied by their draw in the G1, Tanahashi opted to defend the contract for hisWrestle Kingdom 13 title shot against Okada. On September 23 atDestruction in Kobe, Okada was defeated by Tanahashi.
Afterwards, he was attacked by Jay White before Gedo, his former manager, came out seemingly to stop him, only to betray Okada by hitting him in the back with a chair.[211] This led to a match between White and Okada atWrestle Kingdom 13, where he was defeated. In March, Okada competed in theNew Japan Cup. He defeated Michael Elgin in the first round, and fellow Chaos membersMikey Nicholls,Will Ospreay, and Tomohiro Ishii in the second round, the quarter-finals, and semi-finals, respectively. He went on to defeat Sanada in the finals of the tournament and win his second New Japan Cup. In doing so, he won the opportunity to challenge Jay White at New Japan/Ring of Honor joint show,G1 Supercard, for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[212] At the event on April 6, Okada defeated White to win the title for the fifth time.[213]
Okada then successfully defended his title against Sanada on the second night of theWrestling Dontaku 2019 event.[214] Then, Okada successfully defended his title againstChris Jericho atDominion 6.9 for his second title defense.[215] AtRoyal Quest, Okada defeatedMinoru Suzuki for his third title defense, subsequently going on retain the title again atKing of Pro Wrestling vs Sanada which would set up a title match withG1 Climax winnerKota Ibushi atWrestle Kingdom 14. On the first night of the two-day event, Okada retained the Championship against Ibushi, enabling him to advance to the Double Gold Dash Title-For-Title Match on Night 2, where Okada's fifth reign was ended byIWGP Intercontinental ChampionTetsuya Naito.
Okada then entered a feud withTaichi, where at night two ofThe New Beginning in Sapporo, Okada defeated Taichi. Okada was then announced to be facing Jay White in the first round of theNew Japan Cup, however due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, all New Japan Cup and further New Japan events were postponed. Okada defeated Gedo in the first round of the New Japan Cup, followed by subsequent victories overYuji Nagata,Taiji Ishimori, andHiromu Takahashi, before losing toEvil in the final.
AtDominion in Osaka-jo Hall, Okada was on the losing side of a tag team match, teaming with Goto against Bullet Club's Yujiro Takahashi and Taiji Ishimori, when Takahashi pinned Goto. This began a small feud with Takahashi, culminating in Okada defeating him atSengoku Lord in Nagoya on July 25. During a post-match interview, Okada teased a "controversial announcement".[216] Three days later, during a press conference, NJPW chairman Naoki Sugabayashi alongside Okada announced the creation of theKOPW Championship; Okada then proceeded to introduce the title and its concept, also announcing KOPW 2021 for the following year.[217][218] The tournament to crown the inaugural champion began on August 26 with four first round matches leading to a four-way final atSummer Struggle in Jingu.[219] In the first round, Okada was paired off against Takahashi and the fans were allowed to vote for the stipulations online on the social networking serviceTwitter. Fans had the choice to vote for either athree-on-one handicap match including Gedo and Jado (Okada's choice) or alumberjack with leather belts match (Takahashi's choice); fans voted for the former. On August 26, Okada soundly defeated his three opponents but would lose to stablemate Toru Yano three days later in the final which also included El Desperado and Sanada.[219][220] From September 19 until October 16, Okada took part inG1 Climax 30 as part of block A, finishing the tournament with a record of six wins and three losses.[221] Going into the final day of block A matches, Okada had a slim chance to qualify for the final needing a victory against Ospreay and for both Kota Ibushi and Jay White to lose their respective matches. However, Ospreay's girlfriendBea Priestley and the returningGreat-O-Khan interfered in the match, helping earn victory for Ospreay and ending Okada's tournament. Afterwards, Ospreay cemented his heel turn by attacking Okada and would officially leave Chaos to start a new faction namedThe Empire. Following the tournament, Okada was gunning for revenge against Ospreay for his actions. On November 7, atPower Struggle, Okada defeated O-Khan via referee's decision.[222] Post match, he was confronted by Ospreay who challenged him to a match atWrestle Kingdom 15, which Okada accepted.[223] On January 4, 2021, at night one ofWrestle Kingdom 15, Okada defeated Ospreay.[224]
FollowingWill Ospreay relinquishing theIWGP World Heavyweight Championship afterWrestling Dontaku, Okada facedShingo Takagi atDominion 6.6 in Osaka-jo Hall in a losing effort for the vacant title. In October 2021, Okada would win theG1 Climax for the third time in his career, finishing top of his block with 16 points (a joint record for ten-man G1 blocks) and defeatingKota Ibushi in the tournament finals, and earning himself another shot at Takagi and the championship.[225] After winning the G1, Okada requested that, instead of the usual briefcase and contract for the title shot at Wrestle Kingdom, he be awarded the former IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt which Ibushi had retired earlier in 2021.[226] Okada's request was approved and he appeared at Road to Power Struggle on October 25 with the belt, and he would defeatTama Tonga atthe event to retain the certificate. On November 13, Okada returned to the United States to defeatBuddy Matthews atBattle in the Valley.[227] On night one ofWrestle Kingdom 16, Okada defeated Takagi to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. On night two, he would also retain it against a returning Ospreay. On night three, Okada teamed withHiroshi Tanahashi to defeatPro Wrestling Noah'sKeiji Muto andKaito Kiyomiya.[228]
Okada's second title defense came on February 20, during the NJPW New Years Golden Series, where he defeatedTetsuya Naito.[229] Okada once again teamed with Tanahashi alongsideTatsumi Fujinami to defeatZack Sabre Jr.,Minoru Suzuki andYoshiaki Fujiwara, at theNJPW 50th Anniversary Show on March 1.[230] On April 9, Okada defeated Sabre, who had won theNew Japan Cup, atHyper Battle.[231] On May 1, Okada once again defeated Naito atWrestling Dontaku.[232] After being attacked by the returningJay White, Okada was scheduled to face White atDominion 6.12 in Osaka-jo Hall. White defeated Okada for the World Championship at the event, ending Okada's reign at 159 days.[233]
Also at Dominion, Okada was announced to be part of theG1 Climax 32 tournament in July, where he would compete in the A Block.[234] He finished with 10 points, only losing once toJonah, to advance to the semi-finals.[235] In the semi-final round, Okada defeated B Block winnerTama Tonga.[236] In the final, Okada defeated Ospreay to win his second consecutive and fourth overall G1 Climax.[237] The following day, during a press conference, instead of receiving a briefcase containing a contract for a title shot at Wrestle Kingdom, Okada proposed the winner of the G1 Climax should be automatically inserted into the main event at the Tokyo Dome, instead of defending his title shot. On October 10 at Declaration of Power, Okada avenged a loss suffered during the 2022 G1 Climax by defeating Jonah. Later that night, Okada confronted Jay White, after he successfully defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, setting up the main event forWrestle Kingdom 17. On December 15, Okada won his fifth MVP award fromTokyo Sports, while his match with Will Ospreay was named the Match of the Year.[238][239] With his fifth overall MVP award, he is just one behindAntonio Inoki in most overall MVP Awards. On January 4, 2023, atWrestle Kingdom 17, Okada defeated White, regaining the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.[240] The following day atNew Year Dash, Okada teamed with longtime rival and newIWGP United States Heavyweight Champion,Kenny Omega to defeat United Empire'sAaron Henare and Jeff Cobb.[241]
Following his victory at Wrestle Kingdom 17, Okada began an interpromotional rivalry with Kiyomiya, who was the reigningGHC Heavyweight Champion at Pro Wrestling Noah. The feud began when at night two of Wrestle Kingdom 17, a tag-team match between NJPW's Okada andTogi Makabe and Noah's Kiyomiya andYoshiki Inamura, broke down as Okada and Kiyomiya continuously brawled outside the ring, due to Kiyomiya kicking Okada in the head and causing him to bleed, which infuriated Okada. This caused the match to end in a no-contest as Makabe and Inamura attempted to restrain their partners.[242] The rivalry intensified when Okada attacked Kiyamoya atNoah Great Voyage in Osaka, following Kiyomiya's successful title defense.[243] A few weeks later, Okada made his first IWGP World Heavyweight title defense on February 11 atThe New Beginning in Osaka, defeating Shingo Takagi.[244] Okada made a second successful title defense the following week atBattle in the Valley, defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi.[245] On February 21, Okada defeated Kiyomiya atKeiji Muto Grand Final Pro-Wrestling "Last" Love.[246] Okada lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship atSakura Genesis toNew Japan Cup winner Sanada, ending his second reign at 94 days.[247]
On May 3, atWrestling Dontaku, Okada teamed with Ishii and Tanahashi to defeat Strong Style (Suzuki,El Desperado andRen Narita) to win theNEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship, marking Okada's first non-world/heavyweight championship and first ever tag team championship in his entire wrestling career.[248] At theDominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall event on June 4, Okada, Ishii and Tanahashi successfully defended the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship againstBlackpool Combat Club (BCC) (Jon Moxley andClaudio Castagnoli) andShota Umino).[249] After the match, Moxley announced that he had an announcement for Okada, leading to a pre-taped video being showed, involving Moxley and Castagnoli's BCC teammateBryan Danielson, who challenged Okada to a future match.[250] In a NJPW press conference two days after the event, Okada officially accepted Danielson's challenge, setting up a match between the two atForbidden Door.[251] Before the event, Okada represented NJPW atAll Together Again, which was a co-event between Japan's top three wrestling promotions, teaming withAll Japan Pro Wrestling's (AJPW)Yuma Aoyagi and Pro Wrestling Noah's (Noah)Kenoh to defeatKento Miyahara (AJPW), Kaito Kiyomiya (Noah) and Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW).[252]
Following a loss to Danielson at Forbidden Door, Okada attempted to rebound by competing in the annualG1 Climax tournament in July. Okada would compete in the B Block, finishing with a near-perfect record of 12 points, after losing to rival Will Ospreay.[253] Despite this, Okada finished top of the block, thus advancing him to the quarterfinal round.[254] Okada went on to defeat both Zack Sabre Jr and Evil to advance to the finals.[255][256] In the tournament final, Okada lost to Tetsuya Naito, marking Okada's first-ever loss in a G1 final.[257] Okada, Tanahashi and Ishii continued defending their Never Openweight 6-man tag-team Championships, defeatingImpact Wrestling'sMotor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley andChris Sabin) andJosh Alexander, atDestruction in Ryōgoku in October.[258] Another successful title defense was made the following month atPower Struggle, where the trio defeatedTMDK (Mikey Nicholls,Shane Haste andZack Sabre Jr.).[259] After the match, Bryan Danielson appeared on the titantron, challenging Okada to a rematch atWrestle Kingdom 18, which Okada immediately accepted.[260] On January 4, 2024, at Wrestle Kingdom 18, Okada defeated Danielson, avenging his loss at Forbidden Door. Following the match, the two men bowed to each other, showing their mutual respect.[261]
In January 2024, NJPW announced that Okada would not be renewing his contract at the end of that month, and would cease being a full-time performer for the company after fulfilling his dates atThe New Beginning series of events a month later.[262] On January 24, after successfully defending the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship against TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste), Okada decided to vacate the titles, due to him leaving NJPW, ending their reign at 266 days.[263] On February 11 atThe New Beginning in Osaka, Okada defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi.[264][265][266] Okada wrestled his last match as a NJPW talent on night 2 ofThe New Beginning in Sapporo, teaming with fellow Chaos membersHiroki Goto,Yoshi-Hashi,Tomohiro Ishii, andToru Yano, in a winning effort againstUnited Empire andMatt Riddle.[267]
On August 17, 2018, Okada, withNegro Casas andÚltimo Guerrero, defeatedDiamante Azul,Valiente andMístico inArena México.[268]
Due to NJPW's working relationship withAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), Okada made some appearances in AEW. He made his debut on the June 22, 2022 episode ofAEW Dynamite, coming to the aid ofAdam Page while he was being attacked byJay White andAdam Cole.[269] He would have his first match atForbidden Door, where he lost to Jay White in afour-way match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, also including Cole and Page.[270] On the June 21, 2023 episode ofDynamite, Okada made his return to AEW to confrontBryan Danielson ahead of their match at Forbidden Door.[271] At the event on June 25, Okada lost to Danielson viasubmission.[272]
On the March 6, 2024 episode ofDynamite, Okada returned to AEW, now as a signed talent, turning heel and joiningThe Elite when he attackedEddie Kingston, siding withthe Young Bucks.[273][274] On the March 20 episode ofDynamite, Okada defeated Kingston to win theAEW Continental Championship.[275] On April 21 atDynasty, Okada successfully defended his title in his first title defense againstPac.[276] On the April 24 episode ofDynamite, Okada and the rest of The Elite (now includingJack Perry) attacked AEW President and CEOTony Khan.[277] AtDouble or Nothing on May 26, The Elite defeated Team AEW (Bryan Danielson,Darby Allin, andFTR (Cash Wheeler andDax Harwood)) in anAnarchy in the Arena match.[278] On July 24 atBlood & Guts, The Elite lost to Team AEW (Darby Allin,Mark Briscoe,Swerve Strickland, andThe Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens andMax Caster)) in aBlood and Guts match.[279] AtAll In on August 25, Okada was unsuccessful at winning theCasino Gauntlet, which was won byChristian Cage.[280] On September 7 atAll Out, Okada successfully defended the Continental Championship in afour-way match against Mark Briscoe,Orange Cassidy andKonosuke Takeshita.[281] On October 2 of the 5th anniversary show ofDynamite, Okada unsuccessfully challenged Bryan Danielson for theAEW World Championship, suffering his first singles loss as an AEW talent.[282] As Continental Champion, Okada was an automatic participant in the2024 Continental Classic, where he was placed in the Blue league.[283][284] Okada finished the tournament with 10 points and advanced to the playoff stage on December 30 atWorlds End.[285] At Worlds End, Okada defeatedRicochet in the semi-finals andWill Ospreay in the grand finals, winning the 2024 Continental Classic and retaining his Continential Championship. After defeating Ospreay, Okada was confronted by his long-time rivalKenny Omega, who made his return after a lengthy hiatus due to a recovering fromdiverticulitis.[286]
On February 15, 2025 atGrand Slam Australia, Okada successfully defended his title againstBuddy Matthews.[287] On March 9 atRevolution, Okada successfully defended his title against Matthews'Hounds of Hell stablemateBrody King.[288] On May 25 atDouble or Nothing, Okada successfully defended his title against"Speedball" Mike Bailey.[289]
AtFyter Fest on June 4, Okada confronted Omega after the latter had just successfully defended hisAEW International Championship, leading to aWinner Takes AllChampionship Unification match atAll In on July 12, where Okada defeated Omega to become the inauguralAEW Unified Champion, while also retaining his Continential Championship and winning the International Championship. During the feud, Okada aligned withDon Callis and joined theDon Callis Family, leaving The Elite in the process.[290][291][292][293] On August 11, Okada became the longest-reigning champion in AEW's history at 509 days as Continential Champion, surpasssingJade Cargill's 508-day reign asAEW TBS Champion.[294] Despite holding all three titles, Okada would primarily defend the Unified Championship. On August 24 atForbidden Door, Okada successfully defended his title against Swerve Strickland.[295] On September 20 atAll Out, Okada successfully defended his title againstMáscara Dorada and Konosuke Takeshita in a three-way match.[296] On October 7 atDynamite: Title Tuesday, Okada and Takeshita defeated the reigningAEW World Tag Team ChampionsBrodido (Brody King andBandido) in a "Double Jeopardy Eliminator" match to earn a shot at the titles atWrestleDream on October 18, but failed to win the titles at the event.[297][298] AtFull Gear on November 22, Okada,Hechicero and Takeshita failed to win theCMLL World Trios Championship from El Sky Team (Místico,Máscara Dorada, andNeón).[299][300]
On November 8, 2025, Okada made his surprise return to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as a heel, flanked by Gedo, where he confronted Hiroshi Tanahashi and was confirmed to be Tanahashi's opponent in his retirement match atWrestle Kingdom 20.[301]
Along with fellow NJPW wrestler Shinsuke Nakamura, Okada is featured in the Japanese music video forPharrell Williams' songHappy, released in May 2014.[302] In 2015, Okada voiced a character in theWorld Trigger anime series.[303] The following year, he voiced a character in another anime,Future Card Buddy Fight 100.[304] Okada, along with fellow NJPW wrestlers Hiroshi Tanahashi,Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Tetsuya Naito and Toru Yano, appears as a member of the gang Justis in the 2016 video gameYakuza 6: The Song of Life.[305] In January 2017, it was announced that theTekken 7: Fated Retribution video game would feature Okada's in-ring costume as an alternate outfit for the characterKing. When equipped, King performs Okada's finishing maneuver, theRainmaker, as his "Rage Art" move.[306] The Okada-geared King was featured on the September 12, 2017 episode of WWE's205 Live program.[307] Okada also appears as a wrestler in the 2017 NJPW-licensed video gameFire Pro Wrestling World.
Okada played rhythm guitar on several tracks on The High Crusade'sextended playMain Statement, which was released on January 20, 2020.[308]
Okada was engaged toTV Asahi presenter Yoko Mori, whom he had been in a relationship with from 2013 to 2017.[309] In August 2014, after his uncle and cousin had both been diagnosed with cancer, Okada established the "Rainmaker Kikin" ("Rainmaker Fund") to battle children's cancer. For every match Okada won, he pledged to donate ¥30,000 (the equivalent of US$277.20).[310][311]
In April 2019, voice actressSuzuko Mimori announced her marriage to Okada.[312] In May 2022, it was announced that the couple are expecting their first child.[313] In August, they welcomed a son.[314] In November 2024, the couple welcomed their second son.[315]
Okada supportsPremier League clubManchester City,[316] having become a supporter after watching theAll or Nothing documentary onAmazon Prime, chronicling their success.[317] He also supportsJ1 League clubFC Tokyo, and attended the club's 2023 squad launch as well as their match againstShonan Bellmare on 9 April 2023.[318][319]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | My Dad is a Heel Wrestler | Dragon Joji |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Atashinchi no Danshi | Goro | |
| 2015 | World Trigger | Himself | Voice |
| 2015 | Tamiou | Okada | |
| 2016 | Future Card Buddy Fight 100 | Himself | Voice |
| 2016–18 | 99.9 Criminal Lawyer | Himself | 2 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Yakuza 6: The Song of Life | Okada | Fictionalized version of himself |
| 2017 | Yakuza Kiwami 2 | Okada | Fictionalized version of himself, likeness only |
| 2017 | Fire Pro Wrestling World | Himself | Likeness only |
.jpg)
,Internet Wrestling Database| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
