A lot has been said about the co-main events of Wrestle Kingdom 17, especially by (most) of their participants, Jay White, Kenny Omega, and Will Ospreay. White has blamed his opponent for running Jonah out of the promotion, Omega has called Ospreay an unintelligent hot head, and “The Commonwealth Kingpin” has called “The Cleaner” the same, only with a British accent and a few more swear words thrown in for good measure. Surely if ever there was a pair of NJPW matches filled to the brim with smack talkers, these would be the bouts, with one lone exception, Kazuchika Okada, the “Rainmaking” five-time IWGP Champion who is looking to secure his sixth reign to start off the new year.

How does Okada feel about wrestling White, a performer who has a 4-1 record against him in singles action? Fortunately, “The Rainmaker” – and his translator – sat down with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to discuss just that and his status as the man most closely associated with Wrestle Kingdom.

“I’ve wrestled here a lot, and I’ve had my ups and downs,” says Okada, speaking through a translator. “Looking back at Wrestle Kingdom, you see opponents change, you see the passage of time. And I think, with all I’ve done over the years, you can say Wrestle Kingdom is pretty much synonymous with the career of Kazuchika Okada.”

“The face of New Japan Pro-Wrestling has to be great not only in the ring, but also outside of the ring–that’s why I want to beat him and become the new face of New Japan Pro-Wrestling,” says Okada. “There’s a real variety on Wrestle Kingdom this year, something for every fan. You have the double main event with the IWGP US heavyweight championship match. You also have the IWGP junior heavyweight four-way, the women’s championship match, and [Keiji] Muto’s last match in New Japan. But the best match will be the last one.”

While Okada may be Mr. Wrestle Kingdom, besting “King Switch” at the event is easier said than done, as “The Rainmaker” is 0-1 in WrestleMania matches against White. Still, the prospects of getting gold back had Okada excited, not worried, about the matchup.

“I am excited to wrestle Jay White in the main event at Wrestle Kingdom,” says Okada. “True, I’ve only gotten one win from him so far. But I got that win at Madison Square Garden, and the next win will be in the main event at Wrestle Kingdom, so you can’t argue with the value of my wins.”

“This match is going to be unforgettable. There’s no doubt that Jay is more than worthy of being in that main event spot. That makes it worth all the more for me to beat him and show the power of professional wrestling and New Japan to the world.”

Will Okada make good on his promise and become the face of NJPW once more? Only time will tell, but considering he's been the focal point of the company for the better part of the last four years since Omega and co. left the promotion, it seems like he'll be back in the championship circle before too long, regardless.

Will Ospreay has a bold prediction about New Japan's marquee match.

If anyone is an expert on wrestling Okada and White over the last half-decade or so, it's Ospreay, who has shared the ring with the duo a combined 153 times in New Japan, according to Cagematch. So, with the main event forthcoming, “WrestleBinge by Sportskeeda,” reached out to the “Billy Goat” to see who he has winning the main event.

“It's a hard one,” Ospreay said via Wrestling Inc. “Statistic-wise, you would have to say Jay, but wrestling Okada in the Tokyo Dome, and wrestling Jay in many single matches in G1s, Okada is another animal when it's a big match situation. And there's no bigger stage than the Tokyo Dome, so Jay will have to bring everything he can in that situation. The statistics don't lie, though. Jay's a very underrated wrestler, and he doesn't get the flowers he does deserve.”

“That's mainly because his championship run has been undermined by my championship run. That's where he really needs to break away, and if he does defeat Okada, he'll define that championship, because right now, the title that I hold, in many fans' eyes is kind of meaningless because it's the U.S. Championship in Japan. But because I hold it, it makes my championship way more desirable and wanted than the World Heavyweight Championship.”

Is Ospreay correct? Will White be able to beat Okada, retain his title, and then enter into a program with “The Commonwealth Kingpin?” Only time will tell, but objectively, that idea certainly sounds interesting.