The Rainmaker reigns over New Japan: Kazuchika Okada ranks at #3!

Image credit: NJPW.

Kazuchika Okada has been on my list of best talents in the world for all three years of the annual Top Ten. But for the first time in 2017, he ranked high enough on multiple lists to get the recognition he deserves as one of the best wrestlers in the world.

But while 2015 was the time he rose to the true ace position and 2016 was about cementing that position, 2017 was all about defense. Okada walked into the Tokyo Dome on January 4th of 2017 as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. He walked into the Tokyo Dome on January 4th of 2018 with the title still in hand. He's outlasted Asuka's reign as NXT Women's Champion and seems unlikely to drop the title anytime soon.

Those defenses started out with an epic encounter with Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 11. The match broke Dave Meltzer's star scale and rightly so. It was easily one of the best matches I have seen put on by two consummate professionals at the sport of kings. From there, he defended the title against the returning Minoru Suzuki (leading Suzukigun back from a two year run in NOAH), Katsuyori Shibata (in an epic match that cost Shibata more than his career), and Bad Luck Fale (in probably Fale's best match ever.)

This all brought Okada and Omega back together in another encounter at Dominion 6.11. In the only title match not won by Okada in all of 2017, he went to a sixty minute draw with Kenny Omega.

His next defense would be his first on United States soil. During the two day G1 Climax Special event, he would pick up a title win over the at-the-time undefeated Cody.

Before he would have a chance to defend the title again, he would meet the recently anointed United States champion Omega in another bout during the G1 Climax. It was one of only two losses, Omega would take in singles competition during the tournament, but unlike EVIL, Omega was not given another shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, leaving a huge question mark for the future of that feud in 2018.

His final defense of the year came against the aforementioned EVIL. It was a brutal battle, but with EVIL's stablemate Tetsuya Naito on his way to Wrestle Kingdom 12's main event, the result was obvious.

Okada didn't have any major character development points over the course of the year, but his character has developed in the aftermath. He's clearly been poised as a near unstoppable champion. It remains to be seen who will be the major star to topple him however.

But limited character development or not, Okada put on great match after great match in 2017 and looks to continue to do so into 2018. With a great finisher and a solid look and years left in the tank, he could be New Japan's ace for many years to come. With multiple upper midcard titles, it will be interesting to see if anyone can topple him where Omega and Naito have failed in the last two years.

Let's wrap things up with a look at his title defense against Cody this last summer.


Tomorrow, we take a look at another international star that made waves in 2017.