Kazuchika Okada: Hiroshi Tanahashi Being Tag Team Champion Makes NJPW’s Tag Division More Appealing

Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi holding the IWGP Tag Team Championship has made New Japan’s tag team division a lot more interesting, according to Kazuchika Okada.

Okada, who has been one of Tanahashi’s biggest rivals for years in NJPW, talked about the current IWGP tag champions in a Q&A and admitted that the division has become more appealing. It’s so appealing to Okada that he could envision a scenario where he could potentially challenge for the IWGP Tag Team titles.

“I’ve gotta say, ever since Tanahashi and Ibushi won the tag belts, that division is looking a lot more appealing. The prospect of guys that I’ve fought so hard with in singles being tag champions, that’s intriguing. And wrestling the two of them together, that’s something different to singles matches we’ve had before. I know I only just lost my title to Naito, but if it’s a question of wrestling for the tag titles or a double IWGP championship match, the tag titles are more interesting to me,” Okada said.

But it’s not just the outlook for the division that has changed in Okada’s eyes, it’s the tag team titles themselves. Although Okada admits that he’s not great in tag team wrestling, if he were to go for the tag team titles, he would actually do it while teaming with YOSHI-HASHI and not someone like Will Ospreay.

“Absolutely. But that goes for singles too; I think a lot of people’s perceptions about the IWGP Heavyweight Championship changed when Naito beat me for the title. It’s something new, it’s a breath of fresh air. I really feel that I want to show something new, so there is something appealing about being in a tag team championship situation- it’s something I’ve never done- rather than try and take my belt back from Naito. Only thing is, I’m not so good at tags… Ospreay is a phenomenal wrestler, but I’ve always teamed with YOSHI-HASHI, and I’d like to keep that going,” Okada said.

The full Q&A can be read at this link.