WWE Holds Renewed Interest In Signing NJPW Legend

WWE could be about to step up its interest in one of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s biggest stars.

Kazuchika Okada is widely regarded as one of the finest wrestlers on the planet, and one of the very best to ever step into a NJPW ring. Okada’s list of achievements stacks up against anyone in history, and he currently stands as a seven-time World Champion and four-time winner of the illustrious G1 Climax Tournament.

While it’s become something of an open secret that WWE is looking to sign Will Ospreay, it appears there’s also been increased talk around Okada. Although there has been no firm interest, Dave Meltzer noted in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that he’d been told that Shinsuke Nakamura’s recent push could be seen as an attempt to woo the NJPW star.

“We’ve heard some talk of late regarding Kazuchika Okada. Obviously they’ve had interest in him for years. But he’s always been loyal to New Japan. The pitch is that he’s now 36 and he’s close with Nakamura and Nakamura has worked years in WWE and it’s far easier on his body. The idea is that WWE is the one thing Okada has never done and he’s done everything he can do in New Japan.

One person who buzzed us about the renewed interest in Okada said that one of the reasons Nakamura is getting a renewed push is to show Okada that this regime is not going to treat Japanese like the stereotypical children-like role (although Tozawa is still playing that role) because Vince does that with people who don’t speak fluent English, but this is a new regime.

Okada is a name always brought up but there’s no indication there’s anything new to this other than there’s been more talk of late.”

WWE Interest In Giulia More Serious

While a potential deal with Okada might still be the stuff of dreams, it seems that the signing of fellow NJPW and Stardom star Giulia is much more realistic. Also in the Observer, Meltzer states that WWE has actually made an “offer” to the NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion.

The speculation comes after the company re-signed Kairi Sane, with the star making her return at Crown Jewel.