Kazuchika Okada NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17
Image Credit: NJPW

Kazuchika Okada Beats Jay White, Wins IWGP World Heavyweight Title At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17

By Colin Tessier

Kazuchika Okada reigns supreme once again.

Okada challenged Jay White for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17. “The Rainmaker” earned a title shot by winning the G1 Climax 32 tournament. In the high-profile match at the Tokyo Dome, Okada pinned White with the Rainmaker after he already hit him with the champion’s own Bladerunner and the cobra flowsion. White surprised the crowd after the match by putting his arm around Okada; in doing so, he seemingly showed the new champion some respect.

Shingo Takagi then came to the ring and challenged Okada to a title match. Okada previously beat Takagi to win the world title at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16.

With the win, Okada won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. He previously held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship five times. White beat Okada to win the world title at NJPW Dominion 2022. He defended the gold twice; most recently, he retained the championship against Tama Tonga at NJPW Declaration of Power.

Okada was recently named the Tokyo Sports MVP of 2022. More information is available here.

RELATED: NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 Results – January 4, 2023: Jay White Defends The IWGP Championship Against Kazuchika Okada

Colin Tessier
Colin Tessier

Colin Tessier is a lifelong fan of all things Marvel and DC, and he has used this passion to write about them for several years. Likewise, having been a fan of wrestling since he was a kid, he also covers professional wrestling. You can find him on Twitter at @ct_2110.

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