NJPW: How The Rise Of Jay White Led To Kazuchika Okada’s New Rainmaker Era

Without the perfect foil, a redemption story won’t be as impactful as it otherwise could be. For Kazuchika Okada and Jay White, they found their counterparts in one another. From being allies in CHAOS to squaring off for the IWGP Heavyweight Title in Madison Square Garden, the path to G1 Supercard would not have been as meaningful with anybody else.

On April 6, 2019, the first non-WWE professional wrestling show in nearly 60 years was held at Madison Square Garden. At the end of the historic ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard, Kazuchika Okada stood defiant over the fallen Jay White having claimed his fifth IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

One year earlier, the scene between Okada and White was much different. Fresh off of a loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 12 and an attack on Bullet Club’s Kenny Omega, Jay White proudly waved the flag of CHAOS.

Standing side by side with Okada, White would have the chance to learn from one of New Japan’s greatest while continuing to hone his craft.

When all of White’s plans would come to fruition, it would be another attack on the leader of a New Japan stable – this time on his one-time ally Okada as the Switchblade while Gedo officially defected from CHAOS to Bullet Club.

The turn sent an already damaged Okada to the brink of disaster heading into Wrestle Kingdom 13.

How did it all end up this way, though? What was it about Okada and CHAOS that saw White and Gedo turn their backs on the group and leader they had once stood by? And how was Okada able to fight back from a crushing loss of the IWGP Heavyweight Title in the summer of 2018?

The path has been long and winding and it all came to a head at MSG… for now.