When news broke that Kazuchika Okada, the ace and biggest star of New Japan Pro Wrestling, was signing with AEW after almost two decades in the King of Sports, it left fans wondering what to expect from the “Rainmaker.”

Would he enter the promotion as a singles star, immediately taking a shot at one of the top titles in the promotion? Or maybe he'd be hinted at for weeks before making a surprise in a Battle Royal match at, say, AEW Dynasty?

Well, as it turns out, fans didn't have to wait long to find out, as Okada made his grand debut in the Dynamite after Revolution and aligned himself with the Young Bucks, becoming a corporate heel alongside the Jackson brothers on their way to establishing a new Elite without “Hangman” Adam Page and Kenny Omega. Working his first match on Collision, extensively a 3-on-1 handicap match since Okada didn't tag in either of his partners on the way to an easy victory, Okada has proven that he's the sort of performer who will be a major player at the top of AEW's card for years to come in one form or another.

Asked how he felt about Okada coming into AEW as a heel, ECW legend Busted Open Radio host Tommy Dreamer celebrated the decision, noting that he believes the pairing should give fans something they weren't expecting from the “Rainmaker.”

“He’s a big star. He’s a big babyface, and then on his [full-time] debut, to turn him right away, which kind of sets the tone, but I like the fact that they went against the grain,” Tommy Dreamer revealed via EWrestling News. “Especially in AEW, heels aren’t always heels, and the fans sometimes cheer them. Last night was definitive boos. I don’t know if that’s going to hurt or help him. It’s kind of now a wait-and-see.”

Turning his attention to the match fans now desperately want to see, Okada versus Kenny Omega, his greatest big match foe from New Japan, Dreamer put that idea over too, noting that such a match could happen whenever, as it's sure to go down as an all-timer.

“If you just gave me Okada versus Omega, no heel, no babyface, two great wrestlers, I’d enjoy that as well. I think when you have a match like that, you don’t need heat,” Dreamer noted. “You just need to be like, ‘Wow, I’m getting to witness greatness in a match.'”

In basically any other month in AEW history, the addition of Okada would be looked at as an all-time addition, as he is undoubtedly one of the top-5 best professional wrestlers in the world today. But with Ospreay's debut as a full-time member of the roster at Revolution, earning a 5.75-star match in his first match as a full-timer, Okada's debut alone wasn't simply going to be enough to fully tip the hype scales. Pairing him up with the Young Bucks, however, gives the “Rainmaker's” act more personality than he knows what to do with and enough excitement to get fans who aren't familiar with his NJPW schtick immediately engaged.

Check out the inside details on Kazuchika Okada's move to AEW.

So why, you may ask, did Kazuchika Okada sign with AEW over WWE when both promotions were pitting for his services in free agency? Well, according to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, the decision largely came down to AEW giving “The Rainmaker” more of what he wanted at this stage of his career.

“Speaking with sources close to AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Okada feels he will be given the best opportunity to succeed in AEW. WWE was a real consideration for Okada, and he loved the idea of being part of a WrestleMania. But in AEW, Okada is not forced to relocate, and he can continue living in Japan if he chooses. It also means he can partner with the Bucks, and extend his rivalry with Kenny Omega,” Justin Barrasso wrote on Sports Illustrated.

“Multiple sources also confirmed that Okada trusts AEW owner Tony Khan. Over the past five years, Khan has worked extraordinarily hard to build a working relationship with New Japan, a partnership that also highlighted Okada. Since Khan allows a crossover between AEW and NJPW, the opportunity exists for Okada to return to Japan for prominent shows like Wrestle Kingdom, or potentially even a retirement card for a massive star like Hiroshi Tanahashi.”

Whoa, Okada retiring Tanahashi? Goodness, if that is potentially on the table, then it's no wonder Okada decided to spend the next chapter of his professional wrestling career in AEW, as that's the sort of accomplishment that can help to define a professional wrestling career as one of the best of all time.