Kazuchika Okada made a decent amount of money in New Japan in 2016.
Kazuchika Okada has been seen as one of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s top stars throughout the past 4-5 years. He’s headlined Wrestle Kingdom 7, 9, 10, and 11, all for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. The past two shows have seen him successfully retain the belt over Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kenny Omega.
With Okada’s placement as the top star of the company, one would have to think he makes a considerable amount of money. A recent article on Vice Sports discussed Omega and his Wrestle Kingdom 11 match with Okada. They note that the Rainmaker’s contract from last year was the equivalent of $2.2 million.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this is Enhuito.com noting how NJPW’s total revenue was $21.6 million back in 2015 (h/t Wrestling Inc). While the 2016 numbers are unknown, this would take up approximately 10.1 percent of the money they brought in during 2015. That’s if Okada’s 2015 contract looked the same or similar to last year’s deal.
This should all make more sense why Okada is the “Rainmaker” of NJPW and has dollar bills around him when he comes out for a match. He’s the big money man of the company and gets treated like it with his persona.
With Omega set to talk to NJPW about a new deal, it will be interesting to see if he looks for a yearly salary anywhere close to this. He had only been looking for a one-year contract. His stock is potentially at its highest with the Wrestle Kingdom 11 match and all the WWE speculation publicity he’s received for the past four weeks.
There is only one big money man in NJPW, for now, however, and that’s Kazuchika Okada. He’s the Rainmaker of Japan for a reason, and will likely continue to be for the future.
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