WWE interested in signing 36-year-old megastar - Reports

It seems that WWE has their eye on potentially signing a huge international star who has featured a number of times on AEW TV.

The star in question is former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada. The Rainmaker has been a staple of the NJPW main event scene since 2012, and is highly regarded as one of the best wrestlers of his generation.

But could he be on the move in 2024? According to Dave Meltzer in this week's edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there has been talk within WWE about potentially bringing Okada to the company by using Shinsuke Nakamura as an example of what to expect.

"We’ve heard some talk of late regarding Kazuchika Okada. Obviously they’ve had interest in him for years. But he’s always been loyal to New Japan. The pitch is that he’s now 36 and he’s close with [Shinsuke] Nakamura and Nakamura has worked years in WWE and it’s far easier on his body. The idea is that WWE is the one thing Okada has never done and he’s done everything he can do in New Japan." (H/T WrestleTalk)

Meltzer went on to say that a way WWE is trying to entice The Rainmaker is by showing him (and the rest of the world in turn) that they aren't going to treat him like a number of Japanese stars who have wrestled for the company. This again links to Shinsuke Nakamura being used as an example.

"One person who buzzed us about the renewed interest in Okada said that one of the reasons Nakamura is getting a renewed push is to show Okada that this regime is not going to treat Japanese like the stereotypical children-like role (although [Akira] Tozawa is still playing that role) because Vince [McMahon] does that with people who don’t speak fluent English, but this is a new regime. Okada is a name always brought up but there’s no indication there’s anything new to this other than there’s been more talk of late." (H/T WrestleTalk)

Kazuchika Okada will go one-on-one with a former WWE Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 18

While WWE might be interested in bringing The Rainmaker to the company in the near future, Kazuchika Okada still has unfinished business in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

One piece of business will get sorted out for good at Wrestle Kingdom 18 when Okada faces Bryan Danielson in a rematch from their Forbidden Door main event match in June.

Okada broke Danielson's arm during the match, but that didn't stop the American Dragon from winning the match by submission. However, since Okada played a part in putting Bryan on the shelf for a second time in October, the AEW star is out for blood.

Do you think Kazuchika Okada will join World Wrestling Entertainment? Let us know in the comments section below!