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What Got Into Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 17?

1 year ago

What Got Into Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 17?

Kazuchika Okada wrestled against Kaito Kiyomiya in a tag match, but things quickly got out of control between the top wrestlers of each company.

By: R. Faliani

Wrestle Kingdom 17 was an amazing show, filled with the best talent Puroresu can offer today, but between the mesmerizing single bouts and the surprising appearances, the thing that stood out the most was the brutal brawl between the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada and the GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya. Everything started with an stiff kick from a challenging Kiyomiya, but that was enough for the Rainmaker to blast through the referee and the poor Young Lions at ringside, motivated by his drive to beat the absolute hell out of the GHC Champion. Okada was bleeding, but that didn’t stop him from giving Kiyomiya the receipts he asked for. This attitude from Okada was really interesting, and many were asking if the IWGP Champion was like this all along, or if it was a new personality being born out of pure hatred for Kiyomiya, but here in Monthly Puroresu we beg to differ.

 

Okada started his road to the top of New Japan Pro Wrestling by being a young and cocky bastard. Gedo was his mouthpiece, but the personality and charisma of Okada shined in his rivalry with the Ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi. Once he ended his rivalry with Tanahashi, the cocky Okada disappeared, because NJPW needed a real leader, and Okada had the talent, but he understood you needed something else to shine in this business. Just like Muto, just like Tanahashi, Okada needed to have the crowd on his back, Okada was supposed to be the hero of the NJPW faithful, the brave Ace that was willing to risk everything for his company, and after all these years, we can say we have seen this new and more mature Rainmaker step up to the plate more than once to save NJPW from complicated situations. Okada didn’t need to be the cocky bastard no more, Okada didn’t need to be the champion with 12 victories, because he already had his name written in the history books as a living legend.

With all this information given, can we understand what went through Okada’s head when Kiyomiya kicked his face? Of course. Okada stepped up once again to protect not only his company, but his place in Puroresu as the undisputed top star. He knows Kiyomiya is young, he knows Kiyomiya has the same hunger he had when he challenged Tanahashi back on 2012, and he knows Kiyomiya could take his place if he doesn’t give his best. Kiyomiya has been pretty vocal about a match with the Rainmaker for a long time, and as Pro-Wrestling NOAH enters into a new era, the best thing he can do is make a name for himself by beating the top star in his own territory. Last year at Yokohama Arena, Kiyomiya was crying because he couldn’t defend NOAH’s legacy, even with Keiji Muto by his side. He’s out for revenge, and he’s willing to do anything to shine on the biggest stage. And while there’s nothing that shines more than a Supernova, we have seen Okada’s golden robe for 10 years now, and we don’t think Kiyomiya has what it takes to beat The Rainmaker, yet.

Date:

January 21, 2023

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