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New Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Tees will both be pulling official merchandise and t-shirts for Kazuchika Okada as of tomorrow, 2/1. Today would be the final day to order those items.
The belief among those we've spoken with is today is his final day under contract with NJPW and that tomorrow, he will officially be a free agent. His final bout for the promotion will be 2/11 in Osaka, Japan against long-time rival Hiroshi Tanahashi, who is now the New Japan President.
As PWInsiderElite.com has noted previously, the belief is that with his long-time friendship with The Young Bucks, AEW is Okada's likely destination. When Okada was a rookie on excursion in the United States and wrestling for TNA, The Young Bucks took him under their wing and befriended him, assisting him out when most others left Okada to his own devices to navigate living, traveling and working in a foreign country. Okada has maintained a steadfast loyalty to the Bucks in the years since as he evolved into one of the best in-ring wrestlers in the world.
Okada is being represented by Barry Bloom for negotiations with his next deal. Bloom was with him when Okada wrestled for TNA in Las Vegas. PWInsider.com is told there are no current talks between TNA and Okada and he is not expected to appear there again. We are also told that if there were any discussions between Okada and WWE, they were not of any great length or depth.
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