Kazuchika Okada Vacates NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Title

With the impending exit of Kazuchika Okada from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, there was the little matter of who if anyone would defeat him and team-mates Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Titles?

The champs took on TMDK’s Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls, and Kosei Fujita during Okada’s last NJPW date in Korakuen Hall on January 24, but the champs retained the titles, Okada getting the pin on Fujita to a huge ovation.

Post-match, a teary Okada took the mic to thank the fans in attendance, before announcing he was vacating the title, giving thanks to Tanahashi and Ishii in the process. 

The trios run with the belts comes to an end after 266 days, with the three having beaten Ren Narita, Minoru Suzuki, and El Desperado for the belts at Wrestling Dontaku in May 2023.

Okada is set to wrestle several more matches before officially exiting New Japan, with one of his final bows set to be a singles match against Tanahashi at The New Beginning in Osaka on February 11. After this, Okada’s next move is as yet unknown, with reports stating he had reached an agreement to join WWE later deemed premature.