When the news that Kazuchika Okada was going to test free agency in earnest after establishing himself as the face of New Japan Pro Wrestling, it sent shockwaves across the professional wrestling world.

Suddenly the “Rainmaker,” one of just two men in professional wrestling history to earn a seven-star match from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, could sign with any wrestling promotion he pleased and take his considerable weight and star power to their main event picture almost immediately.

But where would he go? Would he sign with AEW, a promotion he's already worked for as part of Forbidden Door and beyond as the leader of Chaos? Or would he go to WWE, a promotion that has pursued him in the past and already employs the founding member of his old faction, the “King of Strong Style,” Shinsuke Nakamura?

Well, as it turns out, fans didn't have to wait long to find out, as, after heavy speculation, the “Rainmaker” made a surprise appearance on the first Dynamite after Revolution, alligning himself with the Young Bucks in an impromptu brawl with Eddie Kingston and officially joining both AEW as Nicholas and Matthew Jackson's newest business associate.

Dubbed The Elite by the promotion ahead of their “debut” on Collision – a hilarious bit of revisionist history that is almost certainly intentional – AEW has now added not one, not two, but three of the greatest in-ring talents of the last half-decade of NJPW, with Okada joining Will Ospreay and “Switchblade” Jay White now entering into one of the most loaded singles divisions in all of wrestling, with the potential for things to get even hotter when Kenny Omega returns at some point in the future.

The Young Bucks made room for Kazuchika Okada in The Elite.

So, before the Young Bucks officially debuted Kazuchika Okada as a member of The Elite, the brothers Jackson first had to do some housekeeping in order to make sure everything was 100 proof on the EVP side of All Elite Land.

First, the group addressed the elephant in the room, “Hangman” Adam Page, who assaulted two referees in his co-main event match at Revolution against Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship. While the Jacksons acknowledged that they are very good friends with “Hanger,” his actions were simply inexcusable, and as a result, he needed to be punished in order to avoid the guise of favoritism.

“Two items to discuss, two huge announcements. First off, the first item is a little bit of housekeeping, and this is really tough actually, now that I think about it, now that I'm out here because it pertains to two of our dear friends. But we are EVPs d**nit, and we have to make the tough decisions,” Matt Jackson told fans on Dynamite. “So in an effort to show no favoritism, no bias in the back of that locker room, our hands are forced here. ‘Hangman' Adam Page, you put your hands on two AEW officials at the Pay-Per-View on Sunday, and you crossed a line. So, unfortunately, “Hanger,” we have to suspend you indefinitely from The Elite without pay.”

Jackson then turned his attention to the other current member of The Elite, Kenny Omega, who has been out of action since December due to a nasty case of diverticulitis that nearly put his life at risk. To most, this is common knowledge, but apparently not to AEW's EVPs, as they commented on his spot in The Elite too.

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Matthew Jackson of the Young Bucks with a text bubble reading "We're trying to get this place back to what it was supposed to be" nexto to Nicholas Jackson of the Young Bucks and Jack Perry with the AEW logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Tony Khan with a text bubble reading "Why!?" next to 2024 Jack Perry and the 2024 Young Bucks with the AEW Dynamite logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Jack Perry next to 2024 The Young Bucks with the AEW Dynasty logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

“And then there's the next one, I don't even know how I'm going to say this one, oh my god, Kenny Omega, our dear friends. Kenny, it's like you disappeared off the face of the earth or something. You haven't made any of your dates for no good reason too, I can't figure it out. So, as far as your association goes with The Elite, Ken, you're fired. Listen, we're sorry, we love you guys, and I also apologize if you had to find that out on live television, actually, I know you did, but listen, light up the group chat, we're free all weekend.”

Gosh, could the Young Bucks be any more heelish if they tried?

Will some quibble with the decision to have the Young Bucks radically reshape The Elite while Omega is quite literally unable to defend himself? Sure, in reality, there is no Elite without Omega, but then again, there's no Omega, at least as we know him today, without Okada, so using this factional swerve to set up a future match between the duo is about as good a way to keep that iron on the fire until everyone is healthy enough to get back to business makes about as much sense as any other booking decision at Tony Khan's disposal.