Kazuchika Okada Says He Wants To Focus On Tag Team Wrestling
Kazuchika Okada is beginning a new chapter of his career.
Kazuchika Okada is beginning a new chapter of his career.
Okada is one of the top stars in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and he is a seven-time world champion. He has also won the G1 Climax four times, and he is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world. Okada recently lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to SANADA at NJPW Sakura Genesis, and he’s looking to bounce back by shaking things up.
Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Okada made it clear that he’s shifting gears, as he wants to focus on tag team wrestling following the end of his reign as the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
“For now, I want to focus on tag wrestling. I think Sanada’s challenge will be to be recognized by every wrestling fan as the champion. But then again, he did beat me, so that should be easy,” Okada said.
Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi previously challenged Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship at NJPW 51st Anniversary. They will aim to win the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship at NJPW Capital Collision, where they will face the Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) and Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher). When previewing the match, Okada noted that a potential win would be an interesting chapter in his story with Tanahashi.
“I think it will be an interesting story for the two of us. I just wrestled him [in February] at Battle in the Valley, and it was important to me to have a title match with Tanahashi. I feel like now I’ve wrestled him in pretty much any situation. We’ve been bettering each other since 2012; we have such a story together. I think tagging with him will be a great experience for me to grow as a wrestler,” Okada said.
As one of the faces of NJPW, Okada remains focused on the company’s success, particularly regarding its growth in the United States. He noted that he views stateside trips as an opportunity to reach new fans and show them what NJPW is all about.
“For me, it means we can get more people in the world to know about New Japan Pro-Wrestling. I don’t think that all American wrestling fans know me or New Japan, so I want to show them how great New Japan Pro-Wrestling is whenever I can,” Okada said.
Tanahashi recently praised Okada. Check out his comments here.
Check out the cards for NJPW Capital Collision and Collision in Philadelphia here.
NJPW recently announced that the company will hold a tournament to crown a new contender for the IWGP United States Championship. More information is available here.
Fightful will have coverage of NJPW Capital Collision as it airs on April 15.