"They may as well release him" - Fans accuse Triple H of burying ex-WWE champion due to 36-year old star signing with AEW

AEW star Kazuchika Okada became a free agent in February 2024 and it was reported earlier that he may not renew his deal with NJPW. With Tony Khan as the frontrunner for signing him, many reported that Triple H too showed some interest in the star prior to becoming a free agent.

Shinsuke Nakamura was a top star while he was at WWE NXT. Many thought he would be a great addition to the main roster. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case as he didn't quite get over due to his erratic booking.

Nakamura received a sudden push from the company around December 2023 to seemingly lure The Rainmaker to sign with the global sports entertainment juggernaut. He was put in a main-event rivalry with Cody Rhodes and given a prominent storyline after many months. Also, many references to the Continental Champion were made during early January this year.

However, after Okada signed with AEW in March, the King of Strong Style's push was once again stalled. He wrestled his last televised match against Sheamus in April 2024 on WWE RAW. A user recently noted that Okada not signing with WWE could be a major reason for Nakamura not being pushed.

Many fans said Shinsuke Nakamura should be sent back to NXT, where he was a major star, or even be released. Also, some claimed Kazuchika Okada did the right thing by not signing with WWE, as he probably would have suffered the same fate.

Take a look at some of the reactions below:

Fans react to WWE not pushing Shinsuke Nakamura

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Bryan Danielson said Kazuchika Okada is 'great fit for AEW'

The Rainmaker made his debut in March 2024 and just in a short period of time became the Continental Champion, defeating Eddie Kingston. He is currently aligned with The Young Bucks.

Speaking with Sports Illustrated, The American Dragon applauded Okada and said the Jacksonville-based promotion presented the latter as a star since the beginning.

"Okada is a great fit for AEW. We’ve seen that right since his debut with The Young Bucks. So, he was brought in as a star and introduced as a star. It’s the same way we introduced Will Ospreay, and the same way we’ve treated Místico. They’ve already proven it, so that’s the way we’ll present them to our audience," Danielson said.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for the former Intercontinental Champion after his move to WWE SmackDown earlier this year in the Draft 2024.