America got their first real chance to appreciate Kazuchika Okada at G1 Special

The G1 Special in USA from New Japan Pro Wrestling featured some of the best wrestlers on the planet today while also featuring the sport’s gold standard in Kazuchika Okada. (No, not Shelton Benjamin.)

The last time Kazuchika Okada was wrestling full time in the United States before New Japan Pro Wrestling’s G1 Special in USA on Saturday was six years ago and he wasn’t the guy making the Okada dollars fall from the ceiling during his walk to the ring while wearing one of the sport’s most prestigious titles.

Okada, who doesn’t turn 30 until this coming November, has become the centerpiece of NJPW in the last few years. He’s currently in the midst of one of the greatest runs — and overall calendar years — in any promotion for any star. The G1 Special was truly Okada’s night to shine as NJPW’s biggest star — at least in front of an entirely different crowd.

Coming off the highest-rated match in the history of pro wrestling (according to Dave Meltzer’s star rating system) against Kenny Omega at NJPW Dominion last month, Okada successfully defended his IWGP Heavyweight title against “The American Nightmare” Cody in the main event of the night.

(Unrelated note: Go watch Okada vs. Omega II at Dominion as soon as you finish this. Trust me on this one.)

Face or heel, it wouldn’t have mattered; Long Beach loved Okada. He was welcomed with open arms and got the biggest reactions outside of Omega himself on Saturday night, and was greeted by Omega after successfully defending his title before their third encounter this year on August 12 during the G1 Climax Tournament in Block B.

Since Okada’s last stint in America in 2011 with TNA, Impact Wrestling, GFW — whatever the hell they call themselves now — there have been 20 five-star matches rated by Meltzer and two six-star matches; the first of their kind. Okada’s been in seven of those 20 matches, including the two six-star classics with Omega. That means Okada has been involved in 35 percent of the best matches since 2011. That’s pretty damn good, just like he is.

Okada has done some things in America due to NJPW’s partnership with Ring of Honor, just like current WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura, but this special was different and it truly showcased him as “the guy” for Japan’s product on the left side of the Atlantic Ocean.

It’s why silly stuff like this Twitter user entering current Ring of Honor performer and former WWE mainstay Bully Ray Dudley’s mentions is hilariously awful.

(WARNING: the language may not be safe for those that watch WWE programming each week.)

Honestly, and to borrow a word from above, this kind of bull[expletive] should be ignored by you, by me and by everybody. Because unfortunately, there are some wrestling fans who think they know the business better than those actually in the business themselves and it’s weird.

(My follow-up tweet to this exchange was, “Imaging living a life where you don’t appreciate Kazuchika Okada. What an awful life you probably live.”)

Let’s also break this down: Roman Reigns is not Kazuchika Okada. Roman Reigns wishes he was Kazuchika Okada. That’s not a slight at Reigns, either. Reigns is good. If you didn’t know he was “Vince’s Chosen One” through the internet, you’d probably appreciate him more, marks. But, Reigns can’t work the crowd outside of what he says and be able to perform like Okada can. Hell, a lot of guys can’t do what Okada can. That’s what makes him who he is today.

The point with this is, Okada is a tremendous performer and Saturday night really put him on display for the world. He’s not only over in Japan, he’s the company’s face. It’s his show. It’s his money. It’s his world.

He’s not on John Cena’s level or even Roman Reigns’ level, for that matter. What do I mean, you ask? I mean, there’s a lot of wrestling fans across the globe — and specifically in the United States — who have no clue who Kazuchika Okada is. Some were introduced on Saturday night and they likely enjoyed what they saw with him and Cody, but still. That’s insane to think about.

Think about that for a second. One of the world’s best pro wrestlers, who’s not even 30 years old yet, is a mystery to much of the biggest wrestling base in the world.

Despite the production quality and the presentation of the G1 Special on Saturday night, Okada shined bright in America like he has all year — and in recent years — in Japan. He’s basically a lock to win the prestigious Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Wrestler of the Year award already and his match against Cody showed why. The Long Beach crowd loved Okada as if he was their own. In front of an American crowd, it was Japan’s biggest star who was embraced.

It was probably because they loved his thoughts on In-N-Out Burger during his time in California, which if Okada approves, then I do have to try those burgers someday soon.

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While CM Punk was finally becoming the guy many knew he could be six years ago during the “Summer of Punk” in WWE, Kazuchika Okada was struggling to make his mark in the American wrestling scene.

Saturday in Long Beach was the complete opposite.