Kazuchika Okada Explains Why He Didn’t Appear at Wrestle Dynasty

In an interview with Tokyo Sports, Kazuchika Okada explained why he wasn’t a part of NJPW x AEW Wrestle Dynasty earlier this month in the Tokyo Dome. Here are highlights:

On how he’s adjusted to being in AEW: “I wanted to put in the effort. That’s something I can’t do in Japan. Here, I have to do completely different things, like speak English, so that’s fun. The number of matches has decreased a lot, but the number of things that aren’t matches has increased a lot, so I feel it’s rewarding.”

On a possible rematch with Kenny Omega: “I don’t know what the situation will be like, and it’s not impossible that he’ll be in a bad shape after returning. He’s just recovered from an illness, so I think it would be good if he could take his time and get himself in shape.”

On what he wants people to notice about him now: “I’d like people to watch AEW, not Kazuchika Okada. There are a lot of good wrestlers, and they’re all cool. There’s a great atmosphere, so I hope people will realize how fun AEW is.”

On not appearing at Wrestle Dynasty: “I can’t really say anything about it (laughs bitterly). Whether I get an offer or not is another matter, but I don’t think it’s the right time yet. I quit with the feeling that I would never compete again (in Japanese matches). If I were to go back while I was feeling like I wanted to fight well in the US, then something might have changed in my feelings. I don’t have any intention of competing in a single match, so that’s the feeling I had when I went to the US.”