Four Candidates Who Could Challenge Okada for AEW Title at Full Gear

Kazuchika Okada walked out of AEW All In London 2026 as a two-time AEW International Champion, but he’s been sparing with his title defenses in the months since. That’s expected to change at Full Gear on November 14 in Phoenix, where “The Rainmaker” figures to finally put the belt on the line — the only real question is against whom.

Okada has plenty of options heating up around him, starting with Adam Copeland. The two had their first face-to-face confrontation ahead of WrestleDream 2026, and Copeland nearly pinned Okada with a Spear during the Clockwork Carnage World Title match at that event. The tension carried over when Okada interfered to cost Copeland and Will Ospreay a tag match against Don Callis Family members Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight on the October 21 Dynamite, giving Copeland plenty of motivation to come after the International title.

Darby Allin is another name worth watching. Back in May, Darby was set to challenge Okada for the AEW World Championship before Okada had to withdraw for personal reasons and was replaced by then-stablemate Konosuke Takeshita. Since Darby currently holds the TNT Championship, a win over Okada would make him a double champion and give AEW a first-time-ever champion-versus-champion showcase.

Then there’s Sting, who is part of the team squaring off against Okada’s Don Callis Family in the Men’s Blood and Guts match set for November 4 in Jacksonville, alongside Ospreay, Copeland, Darby, and the Young Bucks. Sting was reportedly the one who issued the challenge for that match, and if he comes out on top against the Don Callis Family, it would make sense for AEW to keep that feud alive by pointing Sting toward Okada and the International Championship at Full Gear.

Finally, there’s unfinished business with Takeshita himself. He beat Okada for the International Championship at Double or Nothing 2026, only to see Okada reclaim it in a three-way at All In London that also involved Fletcher. Okada added insult to injury by pinning Takeshita to eliminate him from the Clockwork Carnage match at WrestleDream. A rematch to settle the score would give Takeshita a clear path back into the title picture.

What makes this such an interesting puzzle is how many of these threads are already tangled together through the Don Callis Family storyline. Okada, Fletcher, Knight, and Takeshita have all been positioned as the stable’s key pieces for most of the year, while Copeland, Darby, Sting, Ospreay, and the Young Bucks represent the opposition trying to knock them down a peg — fittingly, the same group walking into Blood and Guts together. Whoever walks out of that match looking strongest could easily be the next man AEW slots in across the ring from Okada in Phoenix.

AEW hasn’t confirmed a Full Gear opponent for Okada as of now, but with this much momentum built around him heading into the pay-per-view, a title defense feels like a near-certainty. The only thing left to find out is which rival gets the next shot at “The Rainmaker.”