‘The Rainmaker’ has earned a shot at redemption against the IWGP Champ after winning his second New Japan Cup, defeating Sanada in the finals this past weekend. Kazuchika Okada is arguably the greatest wrestler on the planet today, but having recently hit a slump after losing the coveted world championship to Kenny Omega, and suffering subsequent defeats to the likes of current champ Jay White, Okada needed this big win under his belt.
New Japan Pro Wrestling is currently on the road to a massive, sold out show at Madison Square Garden – The G1 Supercard. Not only is this show taking place in the most synonymous venue for Pro Wrestling, but it’s also competing with WrestleMania 35. No matter which way you look at this event, it needs to be hitting on all cylinders. With the championship main event now confirmed, it’s destined to be going in that direction.
Okada/White is a main event worthy confrontation. With Okada seeking redemption after a crushing loss at Wrestle Kingdom 13 and ‘Switchblade’ looking to solidify himself as the next big Gaijin, it’s a win-win. The two have an incredible chemistry in the ring, an intensity that I’m sure we’ll see repeated on April 6th.
A case could be made to suggest that Okada needs to win this match. Now that NJPW are openly competing with WWE during their biggest weekend of the year, they need to establish ‘The Rainmaker’ as their shining star, who can rival whoever WWE choose to put in their main events. For the minority of fans that are still unaware of just how great of a performer he is, this is their opportunity to expose him, and their brand to the wider wrestling audience. Similarly, Jay White is still relatively unknown in the eyes of the casual NJPW fan. Having to follow Omega and the rest of the Elite as the Western representation in Japan is a tough task, so putting in a career performance against Okada here could go a long way in winning over those last few nay-sayers.
Regardless of the result, this is going to be a fantastic match to follow a cracking New Japan Cup. I don’t think anybody is willing to debate that Okada should be taking more of a backseat after having the run of a lifetime as IWGP champion, he’s still one of the most consistently brilliant wrestlers in the world today and without a doubt can carry the weight of the potential #2 wrestling brand on his back.
What are your thoughts on Okada’s second NJ Cup win? Will you be watching G1 Supercard over Mania weekend? Let us know in the comments below.
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