Okada Retains AEW International Championship Ahead of Anarchy in the Arena

The Rainmaker scores a big victory on Dynamite.

By Charlie Ridgely

Kazuchika Okada scored yet another victory in All Elite Wrestling on Wednesday night, but the match was also something of a precursor for the company's next pay-per-view event. Double or Nothing 2024 is set for Sunday, May 26th, and Okada is going to be taking part in the Anarchy in the Arena Match as part of the Elite. One of the men he'll be facing in that match, two-time AEW Tag Team Champion Dax Harwood, gave him a preview of the action in a one-on-one bout for the AEW International Championship.

Okada and Harwood were understandably the main event of Dynamite, and it was clear that the two would put on a memorable show. Both are heavy hitters and both have been known to surprise fans with how nimble they can be off the ropes. Dax had a couple of great runs of momentum and got Okada close to a pinfall, but it was the Rainmaker who ultimately won the match. 

The biggest element of the match, however, took place after the bell. Eddie Kingston was injured over the weekend, and it was announced earlier in the episode that he would not be able to compete in the Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing. He was set to join forces with Harwood, Cash Wheeler, and Bryan Danielson to take on the Elite. This left "Team AEW" a man down.

After Okada pinned Harwood, Jack Perry and the Young Bucks joined the ring to attack Dax while he was down. Danielson and Wheeler came to help but that still left them at a disadvantage. That was until Darby Allin's music hit and he appeared in the ring. Despite the recent injuries, Allin is cleared to compete and will be the fourth member of Team AEW at Double or Nothing.

Okada Not Planning to Return to NJPW

Okada came to AEW after becoming one of the biggest free agents in professional wrestling. He and Mercedes Mone debuting with the company in the span of just a week signaled the start of a brand new chapter of AEW's history, one that fans hope lasts a lot longer than CM Punk's troubled tenure.

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The deal that Okada signed with AEW covers multiple years and comes with a substantial payday, which is to be expected given his star power. It also appears that Okada has no intention of heading back to New Japan Pro Wrestling any time in the future, despite becoming a household name while wrestling for the promotion.

"I'm already looking ahead to what's next, and I'm going out with the intention of never coming back to New Japan," Okada told Tokyo Sports. "I'm sorry about that, but I don't think so. Of course, I want to treasure the feeling and the words I received."

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