Trivia / Kazuchika Okada

• Creative Differences: In 2008 NJPW sent their biggest star, Hiroshi Tanahashi, to TNA as a return favor for Kurt Angle helping settle the third IWGP belt debacle but abrogated the deal and pulled him out early when they found out what the long term plans for him (a lot of nothing) were. In fact, it is believed that the reason why they later sent Okada to TNA was because they were actually counting on TNA to do nothing with Okada, so that when they brought back Okada and pushed him to become IWGP Heavyweight Champion, he would actually be grateful and appreciate it rather than letting it go to his head. If that was the case, given that the most TNA gave him was a Kato Expy gimmick, it worked flawlessly.
• Dyeing for Your Art: His Rain Maker hair, which is usually yellow, but he's also tried gold, pink and purple.
• Paying Their Dues: It's widely rumored and speculated that NJPW sent Okada on that two year learning excursion with TNA to instill some humility in him, as they knew the company would do nothing with him and make him much more appreciative of the main event push he would receive when he came back. As if to illustrate TNA's incompetency, within a month of his return to NJPW, he would become one of the promotion's top stars. However, it's also been said that TNA's treatment of Okada was one of the things that soured and ultimately finished the partnership between the two promotions. That being said, despite his treatment by management, Okada is still close friends with many that were on the TNA roster at the time. He even went with Samoa Joe to watch SummerSlam 2015 and a picture of them was posted to Twitter. The Young Bucks (then known as Generation Me in said promotion) are also friends of his, stemming from an incident where Okada felt uncomfortable about being asked to blade, and the Bucks defending him by stating the segment simply did not call for it. The Bucks were later signed to New Japan in 2013, mainly off Okada's referral of them.
• Real Life Writes the Plot: Okada was originally supposed to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Kenny Omega at Madison Square Garden but due to Omega leaving the company, he wound up winning it from Jay White instead.
• What Could Have Been: A program with Cedric Alexander while Okada was in ROH during 2014. They eventually got to have a match in 2015.