Bushiroad president thanks Kazuchika Okada after NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20
Bushiroad president Takaaki Kidani recently reflected on his chat with Kazuchika Okada after the wrestler reportedly got upset at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20.
At that event, Okada defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi in Tanahashi’s retirement match, which also happened to be Okada’s first NJPW match since leaving the promotion in February 2024.
Afterward, reports emerged about Okada being upset with NJPW management for not being greeted backstage.
Kidani uploaded a photo on social media and claimed that he had a chat with Okada following the Wrestle Kingdom 20 backstage confusion (the following quotes have been translated from Japanese):
“There was a lot of confusion in the dome, but we were able to talk at length. Thank you for your hard work, the biggest event of the century.”
Bushiroad currently owns the majority of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). While the promotion was founded by Antonio Inoki in 1972, it was acquired by Bushiroad in 2012.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
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