By Colin McGuire, ProWrestling.net Staffer
First Jay White. Then Will Ospreay. Now Kazuchika Okada.
What in the hell is happening with New Japan Pro Wrestling?
For those who might have missed it, late last week, New Japan star Kazuchika Okada announced that he won’t be back with the company once his contract ends, which, it turned out, happened to be about five minutes after the announcement (or, well, at the end of the month). The move sent waves through the pro wrestling world. Never has Japan’s top star, at his peak, decided to bail on Japan in favor of what most think will be at least one of the two Big Name companies stateside.
The way it all publicly transpired felt … odd? Weird? Rushed? Pick any of those and you’d get an accurate read on how I perceived it. This is New Japan’s most prized star, and we’re just going to throw up some half-baked announcement online all while admitting we’re going to have to change around some of the cards for some of the upcoming live shows because our biggest star won’t be there anymore? I know Sports Illustrated reported that the move was expected, but how expected could it have really been if you had this guy on the poster, selling tickets for your events and at the blink of an eye, that guy said, “Nah, I’m good?”
Something smells fishy.
And part of why that something smells that way deals with everything else surrounding Okada’s departure. This isn’t the first big name to leave NJPW in the last 12 months. Jay White carried that company through the COVID-19 pandemic as the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and once his contract came due, he opted out. Will Ospreay has been New Japan’s biggest public cheerleader for what seems like forever. Not only did he grow up while working in the company, but he’s been very loud about how much he has loved his time in NJPW. And yet, once his deal was up, he took the first ticket out of town, too.
Even more curious is how flatfooted New Japan appears to be in the wake of all this. At least White put over some people on his way out. Okada and Ospreay? Meh. There are tons of wrestlers who could use the bump if New Japan wants to create its next Big Star out of their young talent. Why Ren Narita isn’t being positioned as the next Katsuyori Shibata is baffling to me. If Ospreay laid down for him before heading to AEW, it would no doubt turn the heads that need to be turned to expedite his growth. Yuya Uemura has used the last three years to boost his profile outside of Japan all while building a legacy of his own; why not book him to grab an upset win over Okada before he sets sail? These are just two top-of-head examples; there are tons more.
All of it makes me worry about the future of pro wrestling in Japan. For decades, the Japanese scene had an embarrassment of riches when it comes to aura. “Yeah, you might be on your way in the U.S., kid, but to really prove yourself, you’re going to have to do a few tours in Japan.” That’s been a sentiment shared through generations of American pro wrestlers. Part of that was the separation between the church and state that is North America and Asia. Think back to 2008/2009 Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura. As they had their runs with the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, one could only dream of seeing them square off against the biggest WWE stars of the time. Yeah, Randy Orton and John Cena and Batista were good champions … but could they hang with the best Japan had to offer at the time?
We’ll never know. And, in my mind, we’re better off for it.
These days, however, pro wrestling doesn’t work like that. And, while I know you’ve got to be sick of hearing me say this by now, AEW is at the center of why that aura is compromised. Want to see Minoru Suzuki on American TV? No problem. Check out #AEWRampage! You’ve heard about this crazy Will Ospreay guy who is a 9-star match factory, but you don’t have the means to subscribe to New Japan’s streaming service? Hey, just tune into TBS at 8 p.m. Wednesday night! This wasn’t always a bad thing, of course – I’m all for Japan’s biggest stars getting love from the other side of the world as long as moderation is considered. But let’s be honest. I never thought I’d see the day when Suzuki’s graphic pops up for an appearance on next week’s American television program and I’d just kind of shrug and go about my day. The image, the mystique – they’re all but gone.
And so it must be asked: Is Tony Khan’s love for global pro wrestling actually having an adverse effect on it in America? Is this a low-key modern-day version of Vince McMahon buying up all the territories and building a centralized product that ultimately watered the medium down?
Yes, I know Khan hasn’t actually purchased any of these international companies, but it is safe to say he has poached all the great talent (even if Okada somehow doesn’t wind up in AEW, you can’t tell me that his flirtation with the brand hasn’t helped sway his decision to leave his home country). Leaving the cupboard empty for the companies across the ocean is counterintuitive to a healthy industry with a reliable infrastructure. Not only does it grossly Americanize foreign approaches to the medium, but it also takes the piss out of how fun it was/is to watch and be a fan of non-American pro wrestling. And that goes for Lucha, Strong Style and any other corner of the world that breeds its own blend of the product.
As such, I can’t help but worry about the future of perhaps the most synonymous name with pro wrestling in Japan, New Japan Pro Wrestling. Its most popular faction, the Bullet Club, has been running on fumes for quite some time, but these days, it feels especially down to its last leg, no matter how hard the company tries to turn David Finlay into a star. After a lukewarm reign from Sanada holding the company’s most prestigious belt, Tetsuya Naito is up currently, and it’s not like he’s setting the world on fire. When you look at the top of cards that are being put together for events in the next few weeks, you find DOUKI and BUSHI residing there alongside Sanada and Naito and I’m not so sure that means great things for where the top of the card sits (I say respectfully, of course).
Maybe my worries are an overreaction. OK. Check that. I hope my worries are an overreaction. Maybe the company can tie its future to Yota Tsuji or Kosei Fujita or the aforementioned Uemura or Narita or hell even Zack Sabre Jr. But that would mean those guys wouldn’t leave for greener pastures once their profile reaches a certain level of prominence, and these days, nothing like that is promised on any level anymore. Such is the conundrum for New Japan as it has no choice but to figure out a way to evolve into its next era. Will it be a transitional period that ultimately provides a stable future with one-day legendary names loyal to the brand? Or is this the beginning of the end to one of the most respected, beloved and essential pro wrestling companies the world has to offer?
Only time can answer that. For now, here’s hoping there’s another Jay, Will or Okada somewhere in the NJPW mix, waiting to be found.
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