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Reports regarding the motivations of a top star in signing with AEW have come out. It was revealed that he had considered WWE as a destination but saw more positives in the Jacksonville-based promotion. The star in question would be Kazuchika Okada.
The Rainmaker arrived on the scene a few days ago on Dynamite, which confirmed that he had signed with the Tony Khan-led company. He was revealed to be the newest member of The Elite, replacing Kenny Omega, who is out of action with diverticulitis.
Sports Illustrated mentioned that sources close to All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling have told them that Kazuchika Okada believes he will thrive in AEW. But they have also revealed that he did consider going to WWE, as he was on board with the idea of being at WrestleMania.
The report also mentions how Okada has trust in Tony Khan, which could be a product of a good working relationship he has had with NJPW in the past few years.
Latest report regarding Kazuchika Okada's AEW deal
Aside from his appearance at this week's episode of Dynamite, another piece of information regarding Kazuchika Okada went viral on the internet, and this was the worth of his contract with AEW.
Tokyo Sports revealed that The Rainmaker was set to earn two billion yen annually, which can be converted to roughly four million US Dollars, an amount that is seemingly far more than other top stars are earning.
This was debunked by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter as they reported that the ballpark figure was not accurate. They revealed that it was a little lower than what was previously reported, but it was still a considerably large amount.
After aligning himself with the Young Bucks, it seems that the Rainmaker will indeed be playing a character fitting of his nickname, as he is the new business partner of the EVPs. It remains to be seen what this means moving forward.
How do you feel about this new version of The Elite? Let us know below!
