Home

WWE

Kazuchika Okada AEW Debut: Real Life Reason Why He Chose Tony Khan Instead of Triple H

Published Mar 6, 2024 | 11:34 PM EST

Follow Us

After months of waiting and weeks of speculation, Kazuchika Okada finally made his debut on Tony Khan’s AEW. While fans were expecting him to do it at a PPV, Okada debuted on a regular episode of AEW Dynamite. While fans are excited to see what the former NJPW star brings to the table, there is still one question. Fans have debated why Okada chose AEW and Tony Khan over the WWE and Triple H. Well, the answer lies in his debut.

Kazuchika Okada chose AEW over WWE because of The Young Bucks

After losing their match at AEW Revolution to Sting and Darby Allin, The Young Bucks were unhappy tonight. Coming out to the ring, they suspended Hangman Adam Page. This was for assaulting the officials during his title match against Samoan Joe and Swerve Strickland. Following this, they fired Kenny Omega. This was due to him missing his dates as he was recovering from diverticulitis. Eddie Kingston came out to stop the tyrannical reign of the Bucks, only to be beaten down. This was the cue for The Rainmaker, Kazuchika Okada, to debut.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The Young Bucks announced Okada as the newest member of The Elite. This is the reason why Okada picked Khan’s AEW over the WWE, The Young Bucks. Okada and the faction go way back to their early TNA days, almost 15 years ago.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Trending

Was Tiffany Stratton Punished for “Black B**ch” Comment on Jade Cargill? Truth Behind Queen of the Ring Jibe Revealed

What Is “Veiledrood” From Uncle Howdy’s Latest QR Code on SmackDown?

Is Roman Reigns Behind Nike’s New Bloodline Jordan 12s?

“It Does Suck”: Ricky Starks Reveals Why Tony Khan Isn’t Putting Him on TV Despite Crowd Support

Tony Khan Set to Become “Very Profitable” With AEW, Timeline Revealed After $100 Million Investment

Ringside News reported that during Okada’s initial days in TNA, his only friends were The Bucks. Nick Jackson of The Bucks recounted a story about Okada in TNA, which showcased the start of their friendship. “There was one time when TNA wanted [Okada] to bleed and he was very uncomfortable about this situation,” Nick said.

He explained how the Japanese star approached the brothers for advice. Seeing how terrified Okada was about the spot, The Bucks took it upon themselves to get him out of it. Nick continued, “We helped him get out of that situation and I felt like he liked that a lot that we helped him out.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

This resulted in Okada and The Bucks forming a friendship that proved itself today in AEW. The former NJPW star even repaid their actions by putting in a good word for them in NJPW. According to Matt Jackson, they didn’t believe it until Okada messaged them to pack their bags for Japan. What did you think of Okada’s debut on AEW? Tell us your thoughts down below.

Written by:

Christopher Paul

1,009Articles

One take at a time

Christopher Paul is a WWE reporter at EssentiallySports. With over eight years of experience as a writer and a childhood passion for pro wrestling, Chris is now a voice for kayfabe fans. He has a penchant for covering live events and enjoys breaking the latest developments in the WWE Universe.
Show More>

Edited by:

Amal Joyce