Kazuchika Okada

Kazuchika Okada
Okada in July 2010
Ring name(s)	Kazuchika Okada[1][2] Okada[3] Okato[4]
Billed height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) (NJPW)[1][2][5] 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) (TNA)[6]
Billed weight	96 kg (210 lb) (NJPW)[5] 102 kg (225 lb) (TNA)[6]
Born	November 8, 1987 (1987-11-08) (age 24)[1][2][5] Anjō, Aichi, Japan[2][5]
Billed from	Tokyo, Japan[6]
Trained by	Último Dragón[2] Kenzo Suzuki[2] Taiji Ishimori[2] Rocky Romero[2] NJPW Dojo[2]
Debut	August 29, 2004[2]

Kazuchika Okada (岡田かずちか, Okada Kazuchika^?) (born November 8, 1987)^[1][2][5] is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling. From February 2010 until October 2011, he was on a developmental tour, working for American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring names Okada and Okato.

Contents 1 Professional wrestling career 1.1 Training and debut 1.2 New Japan Pro Wrestling (2007–2010) 1.3 Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2010–2011) 1.4 Return to New Japan (2010–present) 2 In wrestling 3 Championships and accomplishments 4 References 5 External links

Professional wrestling career

Training and debut

Trained by Último Dragón at his Toryumon professional wrestling school, Kazuchika Okada made his debut on August 29, 2004, and would spend the next couple of years wrestling primarily in Toryumon Mexico,^[1] while also making appearances in the United States and Canada for promotions such as UWA Hardcore Wrestling and Chikara,^[7] before finding a home in New Japan Pro Wrestling.^[1]

New Japan Pro Wrestling (2007–2010)

Upon joining New Japan Pro Wrestling, Okada entered the NJPW Dojo, where he went through further training.^[1][2] He would make his debut for the company on August 26, 2007, losing to Tetsuya Naito.^[1] An injury would sideline Okada for the next eight months and upon his return in April 2008 he would be billed as a heavyweight instead of a junior heavyweight.^[1] His career would start to pick up steam the following year with breakout performances in the NJPW vs. Pro Wrestling Noah war against the likes of Takashi Sugiura and Go Shiozaki.^[1] He would also wrestle main eventers such as Shinsuke Nakamura, Hirooki Goto and TAJIRI and despite losing all of his big matches, he was becoming a big crowd favorite.^[1] In January 2010, New Japan announced that they would be sending Okada to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling for a developmental tour in order for him to become the wrestler New Japan believes he can be.^[8][9] According to New Japan president Naoki Sugabayashi the tour could take up to two or three years.^[8] On January 31, 2010, Okada was defeated by former four-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi in his New Japan farewell match.^[10]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2010–2011)

Okada made his TNA debut at the February 16, 2010, tapings of Impact!, losing to Alex Shelley in a dark match.^[11] At the March 9 tapings Okada was defeated by Jay Lethal in another dark match.^[12] On March 20 Okada made his debut for Jersey All Pro Wrestling at Wild Card VI, where he was defeated by fellow TNA wrestler Samoa Joe.^[13] Okada's dark matches for TNA continued on March 23 with a loss against Daniels.^[14] On April 6 Okada, using only his last name, competed in his first televised TNA match, when he and Homicide were defeated by Generation Me (Jeremy and Max Buck) in a tag team match, that was later broadcast on the Xplosion television program and the company's official website and YouTube channel.^[15][16] That week Okada also began wrestling at TNA's live events.^[3] On May 4 Okada and Homicide were defeated in another Xplosion match by Ink Inc. (Jesse Neal and Shannon Moore).^[17] On May 17 TNA X Division Champion Douglas Williams defeated Okada in a non-title Xplosion match.^[18] On July 15 Okada made his first appearance on Impact!, running out to the ring in an attempt to stop former ECW wrestlers from taking over the show.^[19] At the August 9 tapings Okada picked up his first victory in TNA, defeating Kid Kash in a dark match.^[20] On the October 8 edition of Xplosion Okada formed a tag team with compatriot Kiyoshi; the two of them were then defeated in their first match together by Ink Inc.^[21] On the November 26 edition of Xplosion Okada was defeated by Rob Terry.^[22] On the December 17 edition of Xplosion Okada was defeated by Stevie Richards.^[23] Okada and Kiyoshi had a rematch with Ink Inc. at the December 7 tapings of Xplosion, but were once again defeated.^[24] On January 20, 2011, Okada turned face as he made his second appearance on Impact!, when he was revealed as the camera man, whom Samoa Joe had hired to follow D'Angelo Dinero in order to expose his lies about helping the needy.^[25] During the appearance Okada debuted a new look, inspired by Kato from The Green Hornet series.^[26] Okada, now renamed Okato, made his first TNA pay-per-view appearance at Against All Odds on February 13, preventing Dinero from leaving the ring during his match with Joe. After losing the match, Dinero attacked both Okato and Joe.^[4][27] Okato made his Impact! in–ring debut on March 24, when he defeated Dinero via disqualification.^[28] The match concluded Okato's participation in the feud between Joe and Dinero; he has since returned to performing under his real surname. On the June 21 edition of Xplosion, Okada was defeated by Alex Shelley in the first round of the Xplosion Championship Challenge.^[29] On October 13, his profile was removed from TNA's roster page.

Return to New Japan (2010–present)

On December 14, 2010, New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that Okada would be returning to the promotion on January 4, 2011, at Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, where he would team with Hirooki Goto against Pro Wrestling Noah representatives Takashi Sugiura and Yoshihiro Takayama.^[30][31] On December 23 he made a surprise return to the promotion, performing a German suplex on the 130 kg (290 lb) Takayama, after a match, where he and Minoru Suzuki had defeated Yuji Nagata and Wataru Inoue.^[32] At Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, Takayama pinned Okada to win the match.^[33][34] After the event Okada returned to the United States and TNA Wrestling.^[35] Okada returned to New Japan during the promotion's first tour of the United States on May 13 in Rahway, New Jersey, but was defeated by MVP in the first round of a tournament to determine the inaugural IWGP Intercontinental Champion.^[36] At the following day's event in New York City, Okada teamed with Ryusuke Taguchi and Togi Makabe in a six man tag team match, where they were defeated by Davey Richards, Homicide and Rhino.^[37] On May 15, the final day of the tour, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Okada teamed with Charlie Haas, Josh Daniels and Tiger Mask IV in an eight man tag team match, where they were defeated by Chaos (Shinsuke Nakamura, Gedo, Jado and Yujiro Takahashi).^[38]

On December 9, 2011, New Japan announced that Okada would be returning to the promotion on January 4, 2012, at Wrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome, where he would face YOSHI-HASHI, also making his return after a learning excursion to Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL).^[39] On January 4, Okada defeated YOSHI-HASHI in his return match. After the main event of the evening, Okada challenged Hiroshi Tanahashi to a match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.^[40]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Bridging German suplex^[2]
  • Rainmaker (Full nelson twisted into a sitout side slam)^[41] – 2012

• Signature moves
  • Belly to back suplex^[1]
  • Missile dropkick^[2]

Championships and accomplishments

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #230 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010^[42]

• Toryumon Mexico
  • Young Dragons Cup (2005)^[43]

References

External links

• New Japan Pro Wrestling profile
• TNA Wrestling profile
• Kazuchika Okada on Twitter

Persondata
Name	Okada, Kazuchika
Alternative names	Okada; Okato
Short description	Professional wrestler
Date of birth	November 8, 1987
Place of birth	Anjō, Aichi, Japan
Date of death
Place of death