There was a real-world reason behind the unusual presentation of Kazuchika Okada‘s AEW International Championship on the latest episode of AEW Collision.
According to Fightful Select, the bag containing Kazuchika Okada’s championship belt and ring gear was lost, forcing last-minute changes to his appearance on television. As a result, Okada competed against Adam Priest in unfamiliar gear, while the title belt he carried to the ring was concealed to avoid revealing that the actual championship was missing.
On commentary, Rocky Romero provided a storyline explanation for the situation, claiming that Priest was not on Okada’s level and therefore did not deserve to see either the champion’s robe or the title he was challenging for. Despite the production issue, Okada retained the championship after defeating Priest with the Rainmaker.
The match came amid Okada’s ongoing storyline involving the Don Callis Family, where he has been attempting to play mind games with Konosuke Takeshita. After apologising to Kyle Fletcher for using the Don Callis Family screwdriver at Worlds End, Don Callis suggested on AEW Dynamite that Takeshita should also forgive Okada. When Takeshita questioned Fletcher about it, he walked away frustrated after not liking the response he received.
How Long Has Kazuchika Okada Been AEW International Champion?
Kazuchika Okada has been the AEW International Champion for 202 days and counting in his first reign, and he currently has the second-longest single reign with the title, with Orange Cassidy having the longest reign with the title, with 326 days, having won the title on October 12, 2022, and losing it on September 3, 2023.
Okada won the title from Kenny Omega at All In: Texas on July 12, 2025, in a unification bout where Okada’s Continental Title and Omega’s International Title were both on the line.
