The free agent status of any pro wrestling star can mean only one thing: promotions will flock around them as a means of upping their numbers. While AEW did not waste much time concerning Will Ospreay, This one might not be so easy for AEW as WWE might be the first one to make the move this time around. Why you may ask? It is because the star in question is WWE star AJ Styles’ old rival.
AJ Styles’ old rival might debut at WWE soon
Kazuchika Okada who is a prominent star at New Japan Pro Wrestling is set to go free agent soon. According to reports by Sports Illustrated and Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, the Japanese pro wrestler is set to go free agent in 2024. His contract is set to expire by the end of January next year.
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We've been able to confirm @JustinBarrasso's SI report that Kazuchika Okada is a free agent in 2024.
He would be a huge get for WWE or AEW, and a monumental loss for NJPW pic.twitter.com/KKJUrmpBfc
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) December 4, 2023
WWE might decide to capitalize on this as Okada shares a history with Styles. AJ Styles who made his debut at NJPW back in 2014, had set his eyes on him when he debuted. The two squared off on multiple occasions and Okada is considered as one of the best contenders Styles has faced in his pro wrestling career.
While it might seem like an easy catch for WWE, things might not be as simple as they look.
What problems WWE might face in acquiring Okada
While there have been rumors that AEW might soon take over NJPW, there are no official updates on it. However, one thing that cannot be ignored is frequent collaborations between the two promotions. Many of the stars from NJPW had performed at AEW on multiple occasions and vice versa. Okada has been seen on AEW on multiple occasions with the latest being as early as October this year.
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For WWE to secure Styles’ old nemesis, the promotion and Triple H have to be quick on their feet. As seen in the case of Will Ospreay, AEW acquired him even before his contract with NJPW ended. Apart from that Okada has teamed up with Orange Cassidy of AEW. Even though the duo lost the tag team match on the October 25 episode of Dynamite, he was still considered as a potent entertainer. This will make AEW consider him as a good prospect for Cassidy’s tag team partner in the near future. Would you like to see Okada in AEW or WWE? Would you like to see him square off with AJ Styles once again?
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