SUMMARY
- In a major development in the pro wrestling world, Kazuchika Okada has officially joined All Elite Wrestling.
- The Rainmaker made his debut for the Tony Khan-led promotion on the recent episode of Dynamite.
Kazuchika Okada has been in the limelight ever since his NJPW contract expired, as speculation about his future began. There was a lot of confusion about whether he’d be heading towards AEW or WWE. But after months of uncertainty, The Rainmaker has now officially joined All Elite Wrestling.
In a great surprise for the fans of the Jacksonville-based promotion, Okada made his debut on the recent episode of Dynamite. Making a shocking appearance during the March 6 show, the 36-year-old received a spectacular ovation from the live crowd. In fact, he was revealed as the newest member of “The Elite.”
Making his association with The Young Bucks official during his debut, Kazuchika attacked Eddie Kingston, who was having a brawl with the EVP’s. But before all this happened, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson made a shocking revelation to the fans, as they revealed that they’d fired Kenny Omega from their faction.
Kazuchika Okada is the newest member of the Elite!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@rainmakerXokada | @YoungBucks pic.twitter.com/p5aDipuA1x
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 7, 2024
This announcement was absolutely unexpected for the pro wrestling community, and it seems like Omega himself wasn’t ready for this. The reason behind this is that Kenny expressed his potential response to this move through a tweet from his official X handle.
In his way of responding to his firing, the 40-year-old in-ring performer shared a picture showing a shock expression, which is understandable. It must be noted that alongside him, Hangman Adam Page has also been suspended from the group, and the entire industry has been left shocked by these exits from The Elite.
Wrestling stars who’ve reacted to the AEW debut of Kazuchika Okada
As soon as the 40-year-old AEW star broke his silence after being replaced by Okada, fans started sharing their reactions to the tweet. In addition to this, wrestling stars also expressed their reactions. Doing so, The Young Bucks posted, “The biggest signing in @AEW history! Welcome to the team.” (Via: X)
WWE star shinsuke Nakamura also shared a post in Japanese writing, “Really.” “He is now business partners with @youngbucks in The Elite, and tonight it’s official: @rainmakerXokada is ALL ELITE!,” Tony Khan wrote while welcoming the former NJPW star to his promotion.
Why has Kenny Omega been fired from The Elite?
Okada’s AEW debut might be the hottest topic of discussion among many fans. But a lot of them are still wondering about the reason behind Omega‘s exit from the iconic group. The reason behind Kenny’s firing from The Elite was revealed by The Young Bucks during their promo on Dynamite’s March 6 episode.
While making the announcement, the duo shared that Kenny has been outright fired from the group for not making any of his dates of late, “for no good reason.” For those who don’t know, the 6-foot-tall pro wrestler hasn’t been seen in AEW since mid-December, which makes it nearly three months since he was seen on TV.
Can… can they do that?
Matthew and Nicholas Jackson fine and suspend Hangman Adam Page and… fire Kenny Omega from the Elite?#AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/d8X230IgYy
— AEW on TV (@AEWonTV) March 7, 2024
As far as the real reason behind his absence from television is concerned, Kenny has been battling diverticulitis. Amid this, it seems like the veteran will stay away from the company for some more time. In regard to his return, it seems like there’ll be a storyline around The Elite, with the angle being his firing.
Even though the exact timeline of his return to All Elite Wrestling isn’t known, it’s sure that his comeback will give fans some great storyline progression in AEW. Who knows if it’ll also lead to a feud between Kenny Omega and Kazuchika in the near future in the Tony Khan-led promotion? We’ll probably find out soon.