Kazuchika Okada Shaken After Outpouring of Korakuen Hall Love

11 months ago Kazuchika Okada tears up in backstage comments on 1.23.24

Kazuchika Okada tears up in backstage comments on 1.23.24

Kazuchika Okada Shaken After Outpouring of Korakuen Hall Love

With Kazuchika Okada likely heading to WWE, NJPW fans are relishing every moment they have with The Rainmaker

By: Thom Fain

There’s a fervent fanbase in Tokyo dedicated to New Japan Pro-Wrestling – most viewers in Japan are loyal to one brand or another – and with the end in sight for his time with the company, Kazuchika Okada received an outpouring of love from every seat in the house at Korakuen Hall tonight. Their collective love for “The Rainmaker” is comparable to the so-called WWE Universe and its unending love for The Rock; a People’s Champ who enjoyed a special and unique connection with everyone who watched WWF during its peak.

As many wrestling experts have pointed out, there’s no replacing Okada. His talent is rarer than a diamond, his impact on the wider landscape of Japanese wrestling immeasurable at the time of writing.

The Korakuen Hall crowd was deafening in their love for #njpw’s The Rainmaker tonight, erupting in unison with every move.

📸 @_MasahiroKubota pic.twitter.com/UxVt2zQRpO

— Monthly Puroresu (@MonthlyPuroresu) January 23, 2024

After soaking in the cheers reverberating from wall to wall throughout an 8-man tag match that paired him with Hiroshi Tanahashi, the response this Tuesday night left The Rainmaker visibly shaken. After retreating backstage and addressing reporters, Okada had choice words for what will go down as some of his final moments in puroresu’s most famous and passionate venue.

His thoughts seem to indicate he’s been replaying parts of his career as his victory lap in Japan nears its end and the wrestling world awaits Rainmaker’s next move.

“When I joined New Japan… I used to lose a lot. Tomorrow, I would like to win and defend the NEVER 6-Man belt for the last time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.”

Although we’re unable to verify with The Rainmaker himself, one source close to NJPW’s top talent has indicated to Monthly Puroresu that it appears Okada is WWE bound, potentially starting in NXT first.