Kazuchika Okada's longtime partner and rival makes surprising statement on AEW and NJPW; personally insults The Rainmaker

AEW and NJPW launched their working relationship in early 2021, and since then they have provided several history-making moments. The AEW - NJPW talent exchange may be the biggest aspect of the alliance, featuring Kazuchika Okada, Zack Sabre Jr., Tomohiro Ishii, and Jack Perry, among others. Now, a longtime Okada associate has blasted the man himself and Tony Khan's company.

The Rainmaker debuted for AEW in June 2022 to build to the inaugural Forbidden Door, where he lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Jay White in a four way that also included Adam Cole and Adam Page. Okada returned one year later to build to his Forbidden Door 2023 main event loss to Bryan Danielson. The 37-year-old was a full-time All Elite talent when he came back this past March, and just passed the nine-month mark in his first reign as Continental Champion.

Yota Tsuji and Okada have teamed up and faced off just under twenty times since 2019. The Los Ingobernables de Japón member won the 2024 New Japan Cup and is set to challenge IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion David Finlay at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4 in Tokyo, then face Jack Perry the next night at Wrestle Dynasty, also at the Tokyo Dome.

Gene Blast has publicly blasted All Elite Wrestling and The Ace of The New Era. Speaking to Proresu Today, Tsuji declared Okada has lost his pride and is obsessed with money these days. Regarding the Wrestle Dynasty match against Perry, Tsuji views The Scapegoat as an assassin or a spy sent by Okada, but he has no real animosity.

"AEW's way of doing things is to some extent disrespectful of Japan. ... Okada was able to shine in New Japan because he had the best opponents. ... He has lost his pride and has become a wrestler obsessed with money," Yota Tsuji said. [H/T to Google Translate]

Perry and Tsuji clashed at NJPW Strong Style Evolved last weekend as the erstwhile Jungle Boy teamed with Konosuke Takeshita to defeat Tsuji and Shingo Takagi in a battle of The Elite vs. Los Ingobernables de Japón. The last Okada vs. Tsuji singles bout saw the current AEW Continental Champion win in nine minutes on June 16, 2021, at NJPW Kizuna Road.

AEW stars set for Wrestle Dynasty PPV; updated lineup

The inaugural Wrestle Dynasty PPV will air live from the Tokyo Dome in Japan on Sunday, January 5, presented by NJPW, AEW, ROH, Stardom, and CMLL. Below is the updated lineup:

1. Jack Perry vs. Yota Tsuji
2. NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Shingo Takagi (c) or Konosuke Takeshita vs. Tomohiro Ishii
3. Brody King vs. David Finlay
4. International Women's Cup Finals: AEW's Willow Nightingale vs. Stardom's Momo Watanabe vs. ROH's Athena vs. CMLL's Persephone (winner receives future women's championship match from promotion of their choosing)
5. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Shota Umino
6. Vacant IWGP Tag Team Championship Match: The Young Bucks vs. Great-O-Khan and TBD
7. Ricochet vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
8. Eight-Man Lucha Gauntlet Match: Participants TBA
9. ROH World Tag Team Championship Match: Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara (c) vs. SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
10. Winner Takes All Match for the NJPW Strong Women's Championship and the RevPro Undisputed British Women's Championship: Mercedes Moné vs. Mina Shirakawa
11. Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd

Wrestle Dynasty will take place the night after the big Wrestle Kingdom 19 event at the same venue in Tokyo, Japan. AEW will wrap its 2024 just days before at the second annual Worlds End PPV on Saturday, December 28 at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando.

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