Report: Kazuchika Okada Expected To Sign With AEW

Kazuchika Okada appears to be signing with All Elite Wrestling, according to Fightful Select.

Fightful writes in their report, "We’re told that the deal was effectively agreed to in the last couple of weeks, but we haven’t confirmed that pen has been put to paper as we’re told it is being finalized. AEW has been confident that they’d land him for the last several weeks, and even as far back as mid-January."

Fightful goes on to say that no date has been set for Okada's debut as an official member of the AEW roster. The report also states that WWE had held discussions with Okada.

In mid-January, reports came out that Okada was leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling at the impending expiration of his contract. Okada had spent the sheer majority of career since 2007 in New Japan. Throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s, Okada was New Japan's most heavily-pushed star, holding the promotion's top belt seven times (IWGP Heavyweight five times, and IWGP World Heavyweight twice).

Okada would become the fourth former IWGP World Heavyweight champion to sign with AEW over the preceding year, joining Jay White, Kota Ibushi, and Will Ospreay.