When news broke that Kazuchika Okada was going to leave New Japan at the end of the month following the completion of his current contract, some fans immediately fantasy booked “The Rainmaker” to the biggest professional wrestling company in the world, WWE.

On paper, it makes sense, right? As Bryan Alvarez noted on his radio show, Okada has been incredibly underpaid versus his talents in the ring and now has a chance to cash in on his resume while he remains firmly in his prime. Factor in Paul “Triple H” Levesque's desire to load up his roster with top-tier talents, a criteria Okada unquestionably fits, and it makes a ton of sense to imagine a world where the seven-time IWGP Heavyweight/World Heavyweight Champion takes his talents to WWE, where he could really test his mettle, and popularity, against opponents new and old like Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Roman Reigns.

Now, would it be cool to see the “Tribal Chief” versus “The Rainmaker?” Yes, while it's hard to imagine WWE would pull the trigger on a title change without giving Okada time to become popular, as it's safe to say he's far from a household name among fans who don't want wrestling outside of RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and the PLEs, the prospects of a match between the duo would be a fantastic feather in the cap of Reigns' third act with the title and help to get the NJPW star over as a legitimate star. But what's Okada's ceiling in WWE? Would the company actually push him as their top star despite being an outsider who doesn't speak English fluently?

Case in point: Shinsuke Nakamura.

Dubbed the “King of Strong Style” for his incredible matches and brutal in-ring styles as a member of NJPW, Nakamura was one of the top performers in the world during his run in Japan, headlining show, winning titles, and becoming a national hero as one of the New Three Musketeers alongside Katsuyori Shibata and Hiroshi Tanahashi. After putting his body through some incredible action in NJPW, Nakamura decided to slow things down by jumping to WWE mid-way through his 30s, working much lower-stakes matches while settling firmly in the mid-card as a sometimes-pushed, sometimes-not-pushed Superstar.

Has Nakamura had career highlights in WWE? Yes, he's held four different titles in WWE, had some fun with Rick Boogs, and won the NXT Championship twice under Paul “Triple H” Levesque, but if his current angle with Cody Rhodes has taught fans anything, it's that he's far from the WWE Champion in waiting, as both Seth Rollins and the “American Nightmare” have dispatched the “King of Strong Style” in their respective programs, which is better than not being booked at all but doesn't bode well for becoming “The Guy” when Roman's reign comes to an end.

Could fate shake out differently for Okada? Maybe, but which feels more likely: Kazuchika Okada wins the WWE Championship in the next five years, or he ends up tagging with Nakamura in a Chaos-lite faction that tops out as the male version of the Kabuki Warriors without the singles belts? If Tony Khan wants to make Okada into a legitimate American champion, booking him as a top guy and crafting five-star classics against Will Ospreay, “Switchblade” Jay White, and Kenny Omega, then he should probably opt to be #AllElite if the money is comparable.

Hiroshi Tanahashi wishes farewell to the Rainmaker.

After finding out that the face of his promotion was leaving in less than a month, you would think new president Hiroshi Tanahashi would be upset about Kazuchika Okada exit, right?  Maybe yes, maybe no, but you certainly wouldn't know it from his comments on the matter, as, in an interview with Tokyo Sports, the “Ace of NJPW” wished his long-time in-ring frenemy well, noting that, at the end of any rainstorm, there's a rainbow.

“I can only express my gratitude in the sense that I have contributed to New Japan for the past 12 years. Speaking personally, I would have liked to have seen more matches with the new generation (Shota Umino, Ren Narita, Yota Tsuji, and Yuya Uemura)… However, if I feel for Okada, I know that he has done enough in New Japan. I hope he will spread his wings to the world. If he is going overseas with what he has achieved at the top in New Japan, I hope that he will show (them) Kazuchika Okada. It's the same feeling I had with Nakamura. I am very proud of him,” Hiroshi Tanahashi told Tokyo Sports via Fightful.

“I think things will get interesting from now on. We have an abundance of talent right now, and there are a lot of young fighters in the dojo. When the rain stops, there will be a rainbow. Who will light up the future of New Japan when the rain of money stops falling?”

Will January mark the final match between Okada and Tanahashi? Or will the duo continue to wrestle into the future, albeit far less often than in the past? Fans will have to see how “The Rainmaker's free agency shakes out.