Kazuchika Okada’s departure from New Japan Pro Wrestling is imminent as his contract expires at the end of the month.
Okada has not revealed any plans for his future in the wrestling industry, although he has interest from both WWE and AEW.
On a recent edition of his “Strictly Business” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff discussed Okada’s NJPW exit, his next move, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On whether Okada could be a draw for an American promotion: “Possibly. I’m trying hard to figure out a way to say this without offending anybody, or giving anybody an opportunity to reach into their hater bag simply because I’m taking a view of this that may be different than fanboys’ view. Outside of the internet and an incredibly small viewing audience for New Japan Pro Wrestling here in the United States, I would say 90% or — no, that’s too high. I would say a large percentage of the domestic viewing audience for professional wrestling in that market of which AEW, has about 30% of, tops. Not even that because there’s duplication. But outside of the internet, and people who follow wrestling religiously on the boards and social media, nobody knows who he is.
“And the question is, who can get him over? Who can take Okada from whatever Q rating he currently has, meaning recognizability domestically here in the United States, because that’s all that matters right now in terms of this conversation. Who has the best ability to take Okada from where he is now and elevate him to the level of AJ Styles and some of the other big names in WWE? Can Tony Khan do that? I think the answer to that is pretty obvious. He hasn’t been able to do it with anybody else. MJF being a — kind of an exception. MJF is definitely the hottest talent in AEW right now. But I think that has a lot more to do with MJF than it does Tony Khan, because if you look at everybody else on their roster, there just hasn’t been anybody that you can say, ‘Wow, Tony Khan and his booking philosophy and style took this unknown character and catapulted me into this next level.’ Outside of the internet wrestling universe, 75% of that roster could walk down the street in any city in the United States, and nobody would recognize them outside of the internet and a small portion of the audience that AEW has. So again, I’ll go back to the question: which is best to really — if Okada has the talent that I assume he does, that you’re pointing out and that everybody else is excited about — if you’re a Kata warrior, you want to go? Do you want to go somewhere where you could end up with a rocket ship strapped your back? Or do you want to fight for table scraps over here at AEW and have the internet put you over? All depends on him.”
On Triple H learning from past mistakes with Shinsuke Nakamura and booking Okada properly: “Absolutely, because until — look, until he can learn how to do a promo or gets a great mouthpiece? Because that’s a big part of it. And that’s another factor in this equation. In order to grow, to prosper, to be at that AJ Styles level or above you’ve got to be able to handle narrative. It’s got to be more. You’ve got to bring more to the table than an ability to put on an exciting match inside of the ring. You’ve got to be able to have a character. You’ve got to be able to engage with a microphone. You’ve got to be able to carry that portion of the package in order to survive or succeed in WWE. Because it’s not the Dave Meltzer school of booking, where you just go out there and have amazing five-star matches and you’re considered one of the best in the world. That’s one aspect. And in WWE, the narrative is obviously an important part of it. You’re never going to get to the top of the roster without that ability unless you’ve got a mouthpiece it’s helping to do it for you.
“In AEW that doesn’t matter. All you gotta do is go out there and have a Dave Meltzer five-star match, and you’re a hero, yay! You won’t have any impact on the business; it won’t mean anything outside of the internet. But it’s also not a prerequisite in AEW either. Whereas, it really is in WWE. And you can be critical — and I know that you’re not being critical, you’re just pointing out a fact. Nakamura, part of the reason he didn’t get over is that audience, the vast majority of the domestic television audience — even though Dave Meltzer doesn’t care and Tony Khan doesn’t care, 80% of the television market for wrestling does. So that may be a decision.
“And also, this is the wildcard. What’s worse, AEW, going to be six months from now a year from now, 18 months from now. You get that big contract, it may not mean much 18 months from now if AEW and Tony Khan are knocking on doors, looking for a place for the show. Things could change pretty quickly. Now I don’t know how Tony’s contracts are structured, I don’t know what kind of guarantees there are in place, or whatever that would allow somebody that makes a big career move to AEW in the midst of something tragic happening to the television partnership with with Turner currently. You know, what happens to AEW after that? What happens if they can’t find a place? What happens if nobody picks them up? Not saying it’s gonna happen; we still don’t know what’s gonna happen with Warner Brothers Discovery. I have a strong feeling about it, based on the patterns that I’ve seen and what I’ve been talking about on this show and on 83 Weeks for the last two years in terms of what needs to happen in order to grow. So while I’ve got a strong opinion about it, nobody knows. It could work out really well for AEW. But if I’m Okada or his agent, or his manager or just his friend, I would bring that up because it’s a consideration.”
Kazuchika Okada, one of the top stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), is set to depart from the promotion as his contract expires at the end of the month. This news has sparked interest from both WWE and AEW, two major American wrestling promotions. On a recent episode of his “Strictly Business” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff discussed Okada’s potential move and what it could mean for his career.
Bischoff started by addressing the question of whether Okada could be a draw for an American promotion. He acknowledged that while Okada is highly regarded within the internet wrestling community, he is not widely recognized outside of that niche audience. Bischoff estimated that only a small percentage of the domestic wrestling viewership in the United States is familiar with Okada. This raises the question of who can elevate Okada’s profile and make him a household name in the American wrestling scene.
Bischoff then turned his attention to AEW, questioning whether Tony Khan, the president and CEO of the promotion, has the ability to take Okada to the next level. Bischoff pointed out that AEW has not been successful in catapulting unknown talents into stardom, with the exception of MJF. He emphasized that it is crucial for Okada to go somewhere that can provide him with a rocket ship strapped to his back, rather than fighting for table scraps at AEW and relying on internet praise.
The discussion then shifted to Triple H and WWE. Bischoff noted that Triple H has learned from past mistakes, particularly with Japanese star Shinsuke Nakamura. He highlighted the importance of having a strong character and the ability to engage with a microphone in order to succeed in WWE. Bischoff explained that WWE’s booking philosophy goes beyond just having great in-ring matches and requires a talent to handle narrative and storytelling. He also mentioned that the majority of the domestic television audience for wrestling still values these aspects, despite what some critics may say.
Bischoff also raised a wildcard factor in Okada’s decision-making process. He questioned what AEW’s future would look like in six months, a year, or 18 months from now. Bischoff speculated on the potential impact of any changes in AEW’s television partnership with Turner Broadcasting. He advised Okada and his team to consider the uncertainties surrounding AEW’s long-term stability before making a career move.
In conclusion, Kazuchika Okada’s departure from NJPW has generated interest from both WWE and AEW. Eric Bischoff analyzed the potential moves and discussed the factors that could influence Okada’s decision. The podcast episode provides valuable insights into the wrestling industry and the considerations that a top talent like Okada must take into account when choosing their next career move.