Kazuchika Okada Regains IWGP World Heavyweight Championship At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17

Kazuchika Okada channelled Antonio Inoki's fighting spirit and regained the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 17.

The Rainmaker challenged Jay White for the gold inside the Tokyo Dome on January 4 and after a long match, Okada picked up the win following a Blade Runner of his own, the Cobra Flowsion and a Rainmaker.

Following the match, Jay White held onto the IWGP World Heavyweight Title until he reluctantly allowed Red Shoes Uno to take the belt away. White then crawled to Okada after the title had been placed around The Rainmaker's waist and they acknowledged each other before Gedo helped Jay White to the back in what came across as a possible farewell for The Switchblade.

With his win, Okada is now a two-time IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, in addition to his five reigns as IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He won the title from Shingo Takagi in the main event of night one of Wrestle Kingdom 16 on January 4, 2022. He would lose the title to Jay White at Dominion in June.

During his 206-day reign, White only defended the title twice, first in a Four-Way with Okada, Hangman Page, and Adam Cole at Forbidden Door, before he later defeated Tama Tonga.