5 dream matches for Kazuchika Okada in AEW

Kazuchika Okada has become a name synonymous with the very best of professional wrestling. His back catalog of matches reads like a who's who of New Japan's best of the best, and he has collected match-of-the-decade candidates with relative ease.

While Okada has earned such a reputation throughout his career, he has seldom been found outside of Japan and as a consequence feels like he's only just scratched the surface in terms of what he can truly achieve by the end of his career.

Wrestling is an art-form celebrated by the world. But when it comes to mainstream attention, the perceived premier league can be found within North America. AEW, in its short life span, has established itself as the top competitive alternative to WWE and has cemented itself as the go-to for hardcore fans of the sport.

Therefore, of the two companies, should Kazuchika Okada find himself crossing the ocean for new opportunities,? AEW is both the most likely and most tantalizing destination. There are a wide variety of names in AEW that have their own history with the Rainmaker. Much of it stems from the Elite faction which dominated New Japan.

But AEW also represents a land of opportunity, with a plethora of names who have yet to stand opposite the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Let's take a trip down the rabbit hole and look at five dream opponents for Kazuchika Okada should we ever see the Forbidden Door swing open once again.

#5 Kazuchika Okada vs Adam Cole

Much like Okada, Adam Cole is a talent that comes with expectation whenever he steps within the squared circle. His dominance during his time with WWE's NXT brand cemented Cole as a certified main event attraction in wrestling, subverting the draconian WWE mentality of favoring those of a larger physical stature.

Having made the jump to AEW, the former NXT triple crown champion has become a quintessential element in the Elite's storylines and appears to be beginning a slow-burn feud with faction leader Kenny Omega.

Cole and Kazuchika Okada have yet to stand opposite one another in singles action, despite coming to blows in multi-man contests with the rest of his Elite peers. And it has to be on the bucket list of any wrestling fan for the eventual collision to one day find itself on stage.

#4 Kazuchika Okada vs Jon Moxley

Kazuchika Okada and Jon Moxley have only featured in one match together, partnering to take on Minoru Suzuki and Taichi in tag team action.

That's a surprising fact when you consider that Moxley has made a point of big-name hunting throughout the New Japan roster, having beaten the likes of Suzuki, Satoshi Kojima and Yuji Nagata in AEW.

Having admitted himself to loving independent wrestling, Moxley has added to his WWE success by throwing himself head first into everything he is attached to, winning championships in AEW, NJPW and GCW. His matches feel legitimately hard-hitting and he manages to craft individual and unique stories for each opponent. No two matches feel the same. Styles make matches, and Moxley and Kazuchika Okada share a style that almost always makes for a great bout, never happy with anything less than a show-stealer.

Moxley has been a gatekeeper for the forbidden door thus far, with a sizeable chunk of New Japan imports finding themselves standing opposite the former WWE Champion. Kazuchika Okada stepping foot inside AEW will paint a large target on his back, and it has to be expected that Moxley will calibrate his sights as soon as he gets the chance.

#3 Kazuchika Okada vs Andrade

AEW has become a playground for the best of the best in pro wrestling. They have recently signed the likes of Bobby Fish, Malakai Black (Aleister Black/Tommy End), Tony Nese and Jay Lethal as they cherry pick the very best to beef up their already stacked roster.

Andrade is one such import that represents the upper echelon of the sport, having reigned as NXT and United States Champion during his time with WWE. Prior to that, he had cemented an independent legacy, as La Sombra.

Andrade is yet another talent that comes with an expectation of quality, so much so that it is an abhorrent shame he wasn't treated better when with WWE, and as a result excites the world whenever he stands opposite another distinguished talent for the first time ever.

La Sombra has a history of tagging against Kazuchika Okada but has never had the chance to test himself in singles action against the Rainmaker.

The feeling is very much that Andrade has grown his star since his last stint on the independent circuit, and offers a promising battle should the current G1 Champion walk the plains of AEW.

Classics with the likes of Malakai Black and Johnny Gargano for the NXT title and Kenny Omega for the AAA Mega Championship have shown Andrade is a competitor with dimension and can turn on the style at any given moment to produce magic with his adversary.

Andrade vs Kazuchika Okada in AEW would go a long way to cement Andrade for what he should be considered, a certified main eventer in one of the top promotions in the world.

#2 Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega V

Kazuchika Okada will forever have his name etched into the foundations of AEW, even if he never makes his way through the doors. That's thanks to his integral part in the meteoric rise of Kenny Omega and thus the Elite faction.

The pair have engaged in four historic collisions in New Japan, with Okada prevailing in the first instance at Wrestle Kingdom XI. Their first battle established Omega as a focal point of the Japanese promotion and lasted an astonishing 46 minutes and 45 seconds.

Fans and critics alike fell in love with the action on display and immortalized the Rainmaker and the Cleaner as top-tier competitors, putting anticipation for a sequel through the roof in the process. Their sequel was what fans wanted and more as they went to war for 60 minutes, incurring the first time-limit draw in 12 years in NJPW.

Their third bout was a much shorter affair and without the stakes of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, in the G1 Climax, where Omega prevailed to prevent Okada from making the finals and bringing their personal saga to 1-1-1.

Kazuchika Okada continued his record run with the IWGP Heavyweight title until declaring he would battle Omega one last time in order to settle the scores. The ensuing 2 out of 3 falls match would coronate the future AEW World Champion after 64 minutes and 50 seconds and end Okada's record breaking 720 day run as the champion. The saga between the two competitors will go down as one of the greatest pro wrestling feuds of all-time.

Omega has since made his home in AEW, reigning as world champion for the longest amount of time in company history, only recently losing to Hangman Page at Full Gear.

The idea of Okada in AEW feels flat and devoid of soul if a fifth and final bout with Omega is not even considered, given the history they share and the part they played in each other's legacy.

Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada would work really well to introduce Okada to the North American market and give Omega the chance to reciprocate being put over in Japan by putting the Rainmaker over in AEW.

#1 Kazuchika Okada vs Bryan Danielson

The room at the top of the mountain is limited and outside of WWE has long been occupied by the likes of Okada and Omega. Alas, like tectonic plate movement allows for the rise of volcanoes, the landscape shift of wrestling allows for the rise of competitors to the throne.

Names like Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole have made themselves available this year and, as such, Okada can look at AEW and their influx of top tier talent licking his chops.

Bryan is a such a huge name in wrestling that fans, critics and his peers want to see everywhere. He refuses to turn in a bad shift between the ropes and has shown a plethora of adversaries that he is a multi-faceted and versatile star. Much like Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada, Bryan Danielson has a firm understanding of the many qualities that go into completing a wrestling masterpiece.

Bryan vs Okada offers something we have never seen before and would highlight two of the very best going at it. They have spent the past decade establishing themselves as the stars they are today, with the former dominating New Japan and the latter establishing a WWE Hall of Fame career littered with world titles.

Bryan Danielson against Kazuchika Okada could therefore serve as a non-WWE Icon vs Icon or Once in a Lifetime match. Two all conquering legends of two leading promotions meeting in a third and relatively neutral feeding ground, the Godzilla vs Kong of professional wrestling.

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Who would you like to see Kazuchika Okada face in AEW? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.