Paul “Triple H” Levesque took firm control of the WWE creative process after the formation of TKO Group Holdings, with Vince McMahon no longer having the final say. Along with Levesque’s creative sway has come the ability to sign the talents he thinks will fit his creative vision. In recent months, KAIRI, Jade Cargill, and CM Punk have been among the notable acquisitions under his leadership. Now, another free agent is hitting the market, and the rumor mill is working overdrive in regard to where they could be headed: Kazuchika Okada.
Per a NJPW announcement last night, Kazuchika Okada will become a free agent when his NJPW contract expires at the end of the month. The former IWGP World Champion will honor a handful of appearance dates in February before deciding what he wants to do next in his career. In the wake of that news, it has been reported that AEW is Okada’s most likely landing spot, but The Rainmaker is also weighing a leap to WWE.
Sports Illustrated reports that there is “significant interest” on WWE’s end in signing Okada, particularly from Levesque and Shawn Michaels. Multiple NJPW sources they spoke with confirmed that performing at WrestleMania has been a long-time goal of Okada’s, and that dream is something Levesque may use to his advantage. With the right WrestleMania opponent, Levesque could be able to land Okada. Names like AJ Styles and Finn Balor are already being considered, as both men have a history with Okada from their time in NJPW and could play off that..
WWE securing Okada would also give Levesque and WWE President Nick Khan the opportunity to form a “genuine relationship” with NJPW. This is not to say WWE is trying to replace AEW as NJPW’s North American partner and end the popular Forbidden Door events. Rather, if WWE were to allow Okada to return to NJPW for one or two matches a year, it would go a long way in building trust between the two companies.
One possible point of contention when it comes to where Okada signs next may come down to where he wants to live. If he wants to continue to reside in Japan, Tony Khan and AEW would be open to that. WWE, however, would not be okay with that and would likely make him relocate to Florida. His decision is expected soon.