Kazuchika Okada Brings Back Retired IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kazuchika Okada has kept his word and brought back the retired IWGP Heavyweight Championship as a symbol of his promise to Kota Ibushi.
NJPW Road to Power Struggle tour kicked off last night. The G1 Climax winner entered the arena with the belt instead of the usual contract as he had suggested earlier:
The finals of the G1 climax saw Okada going up against Kota Ibushi. However, Ibushi couldn’t complete the match because of a dislocated shoulder, and Okada was declared the winner.
Before the rainmaker picked up his trophy, he checked on his opponent. He promised Ibushi that they will have a rematch when he is ready to step back into the ring again.
On the G1 climax press conference, Kazuchika Okada asked chairman Naoki Sugabayashi if he can bring back the retired belt. He said that he wanted to hold it instead of the contract that’s usually awarded to the G1 winner.
The fourth championship belt was unified with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship back in March. Kota Ibushi was the final wrestler to hold both the belts.
The G1 climax winner gets to face the IWGP world heavyweight champion at the following Wrestle Kingdom event. Though Okada will be defending his title shot against Tama Tonga at Power Struggle on November 6.
