Kazuchika Okada didn’t renew his NJPW contract after it expired on January 31st, and he’s currently working without a contract. Okada last competed at The New Beginning in Osaka, where he defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi.
The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion agreed to compete in the February 23rd and 24th events in Sapporo. Kazuchika Okada is reportedly slated to join AEW after his NJPW commitments are over.
On the 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff discussed Kazuchika Okada joining All Elite Wrestling. Bischoff said if Okada wants to be a huge star, then AEW isn’t the right place. Bischoff added that WWE will be around for a long time because of Netflix and other deals. The WWE Hall of Famer doubts if AEW will survive for at least two years.
“If Okada’s goal is to become the biggest star, then there’s not even a conversation to be had with AEW. But it’s a tough call. And I don’t even think it’s because of the controversy [former WWE employee Janel Grant’s lawsuit]. I really don’t. While this isn’t going to blow over and it’s not going to go away, WWE will be around for a long time. This is not something that could crater the company. I don’t want to say they’re too big to fail, but they are so big and so entrenched. They’ve got a $5 billion deal with Netflix. They’re good for the next five years. They’re not going anywhere. AEW, on the other hand, may or may not be around a year from now, two years from now.”