With Forbidden Door right around the corner, perhaps the biggest NJPW star yet to step through said “Forbidden Door” is former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, with the Rainmaker yet to appear in AEW in any capacity since the company’s inception.
Hangman Adam Page had officially called out Okada to an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship bout at the upcoming show, although at NJPW’s recent Dominion show, Bullet Club leader Jay White played spoiler, defeating Okada and capturing the gold.
Okada’s Forbidden Door status now appears to be up in the air, with time running short on a potential appearance for the leader of CHAOS.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has now provided an update on Okada’s Forbidden Door status, and whilst they were unable to confirm or deny a potential appearance, they did reveal that next week’s Dynamite is set to feature a number of top NJPW stars.
“Adam Cole on Dynamite on 6/15 mentioned, almost in passing, that Kazuchika Okada wouldn’t be there. Okada has mentioned some time back that his wife, who is pregnant (due in August), has a birthday that week and that he wouldn’t be attending. We weren’t able to confirm Okada’s status one way or the other, but have been told that a lot of major New Japan stars will be in Milwaukee on 6/22 to set up their still unannounced PPV matches.”
-WON
Current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White appeared on this week’s edition of Dynamite, delivering a Blade Runner to Adam Page, before denying both Page and Adam Cole a shot at the gold.
Time will tell as to whether Okada will involve himself in this four-way feud. We certainly hope that Okada will appear at Forbidden Door in some capacity, with the list of potential dream matches that the Rainmaker could have with the stars of AEW seemingly endless.
