Kawada out of AJPW?!?!

It's OFFICIAL! Kawada is now a freelance!

SportsNavi has confirmed the story. Kawada says he now expects to stay with All Japan until around April before he starts looking around, but will always call AJPW his home. He claims to have been freelancing since his contract expired some time ago, and only stuck around to help keep AJPW on it's feet as Triple Crown champion. And now that he's past the torch to Kojima, that frees him up now as he believes AJPW would be in good hands.

This is a sad day as Kawada was the true last link All Japan had to Baba's era of the company. Masanobu Fuchi might still be around, but he's not as recognised as Kawada is, and Fuchi himself isn't exactly in his prime to carry Baba's banner.

The only bright side to all this is that the possibility of seeing Kawada work dream matches in either NJPW or NOAH should he so choose.
But the main problem I see with it is that AJPW has lost it's top draw. No disrespect to Mutoh & Kojima, but Kawada was indeed the top man in the company who always guaranteed a quality match no matter who his opponents were. The following months now will be a true test of Kojima as the top new top man of the company, and I wish them all the best of luck too, cause without Kawada, I seriously think they are gonna need it.