Okada returns to Impact

[Geese]

Kazuchika Okada will be returning to Impact in the near future. Dave Meltzer reports, "Okada is coming. I don’t know where or when, but he is officially coming."

https://prowrestlingnewshub.com/aew-news/top-njpw-star-is-coming-to-aew-and-impact/

When Okada first wrestled for TNA, he was treated as a comedic performer with a Kato gimmick. NJPW was furious with the way he was mistreated, they vowed to never work with TNA ever again. Impact officials apologized to New Japan execs in 2017 and promised never to book Okada like a job guy again.

Huge Name Joining NJPW/IMPACT/AEW Partnership (sescoops.com)

 

[Jacob Fox]

Anyone in 2017 who would book Okada like a jobber would be deeply, deeply stupid

 

[Geese]

Anyone in 2017 who would book Okada like a jobber would be deeply, deeply stupid

I should've worded it better. I should've said, "When Okada first worked in TNA in 2010, they booked him as a comedic performer with a Kato gimmick. Several years later, Impact execs apologized to NJPW for the way Okada was treated when he first wrestled for TNA. They promised never to book Okada like a job guy again."

 

[Jacob Fox]

I should've worded it better. I should've said, When Okada first worked in TNA in 2010, they booked him as a comedic performer with a Kato gimmick. Several years later, Impact execs apologized to NJPW for the way Okada was treated when he first wrestled for TNA. They promised never to book Okada like a job guy again.

Oh I was criticizing them, not you, just to verify

 

[Roadster]

Wasn't there a report that said he won't be coming to Impact, and his run in the US would likely see him going to AEW, instead.

 

[CM Punk]

being in impact wouldn't make sense

 

[IndyWrestler1]

Karl Anderson made a tweet about it. He's not gonna be involved in a program obviously, NJPW can't miss him, so he's just gonna have a match with a dude he can beat just to show up once. Stuff like this gets overhyped.

 

[Roadster]

Karl Anderson made a tweet about it. He's not gonna be involved in a program obviously, NJPW can't miss him, so he's just gonna have a match with a dude he can beat just to show up once. Stuff like this gets overhyped.

Yeah, but it's the grandeur of it that gets people hyped. I was watching a few of Tiger Mask's matches when he toured the US in the 80s, and it was totally weak shit compared to his Japanese stuff, but him going at 1 MPH still got massive ovations and reviews because the occasion of a worldwide superstar appearing, beating up Pete Sanchez was enough for the HYPE train.

 

[IndyWrestler1]

Yeah, but it's the grandeur of it that gets people hyped. I was watching a few of Tiger Mask's matches when he toured the US in the 80s, and it was totally weak shit compared to his Japanese stuff, but him going at 1 MPH still got massive ovations and reviews because the occasion of a worldwide superstar appearing, beating up Pete Sanchez was enough for the HYPE train.

Times are different now than they were in the 80s, but yeah, I agree the idea of Okada in Impact or in AEW will cause serious intrigue regardless of what he does and he is so great that it'll be good television. However, I saw Meltzer talk about a potential Okada/Omega match and I don't see Okada doing a program to actually feud with the AEW World Champion and build towards a match like that on an AEW PPV.