Kazuchika Okada Is Returning to TNA Next Year

The Rainmaker will appear in TNA for the first time in thirteen years

By: James Carlin

It was thirteen years ago that Kazuchika Okada last wrestled for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. It was prior to his time as “The Rainmaker” as it became a run showered in infamy that cost the partnership of TNA and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. A few months back when the Motor City Machine Guns and Josh Alexander challenged Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii for their NEVER Six-Man Tag Team Championships, Okada stated that he hated TNA but admitted that he was “a huge Motor City fan back in the day”.

Besides his defence of the NEVER Six-Man Championship, Okada, teaming with Tanahashi, had challenged the Motor City Machine Guns and Aussie Open in a three-way match at Capital Collision earlier this year for the STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships.

TONIGHT

STRONG OPENWEIGHT TAG CHAMPIONSHIPS

vs MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS

vs OKADA/TANAHASHI #AussieOpen #RunTheWorld #UnitedEmpire #CrownsUp pic.twitter.com/F5vqhPYUbx

— dunkzilla – マーク・デイビス (@DUNKZILLADavis) April 15, 2023

With a new and flourishing working partnershipe between the two companies, The Rainmaker will make his return to TNA on January 14th in Las Vegas at Snake Eyes. Okada has not taken part in any of the Multiverse United shows so far, meaning that this will be his first proper appearance for the company since June 2011, where he lost to current IMPACT World Champion Alex Shelley.

.@rainmakerXokada RETURNS to TNA at #SnakeEyes at The Palms on Sunday, January 14th!

Get tickets and be there LIVE: https://t.co/uIMNT4ffq6#IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/clys9Xtqvz

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) December 8, 2023