The depth of the NJPW roster coming into 2019 was deep but just days into the new year, the promotion has taken a hit.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has lost some stars most notably KUSHIDA and former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega, who have confirmed that they plan to leave the company.
NJPW President Harold Meij recently took part in an interview with the official website of the promotion where he talked about a wide range of topics including stars leaving, his influence on the promotion, and expanding in the pro wrestling world. This is where he made it known that talent will come and go as that’s life as a boss of a pro wrestling business.
“Is New Japan OK?’ Yes, it is. ‘Is this the beginning of the end?’ Twitter’s getting ahead of itself. More promotions in the market is proof of a healthy sector with more people watching. A billion dollar market is turning into 1.3, 1.5 billion. It’s not a tiny space with everyone fighting over scraps anymore. I used to be in charge of a 1.8 billion dollar business. Not the entire industry, a company worth that much. And forgive me for saying, I did pretty well. And New Japan has a great structure, our people have a lot of skill and know how, and our wrestlers are great.
“Talent will come and go. That’s life. Half of Japanese people have had more than one occupation. More overseas. There are different life stages, priorities change. What counts is that while here, people shine as bright as possible and produce the best product possible for us. Our job as a business in New Japan is to make sure our wrestlers are not spending their life worrying about ticket sales, living expense, feeding their family, or injury. They need to be able to focus on the ring.
Meij would continue by stating that this is a Japanese company and he’s not foreign. Thus, he thinks he needs to do his job as a professional to fulfill very strong demand from fans and talent.
“I didn’t get this job because I’m foreign. International business is one string to my bow. There’s a lot more I can do, and a lot more I have to do in Japan. I have done, and am doing a lot, more than you can see, to increase revenue. This is a Japanese company. I want to bring that Japanese excellence, that New Japan-ism, as is, unchanged, to fans in Japan and all over the world. For now, don’t worry. Enjoy the ride. Enjoy Fantasticamania.”
President Meij: “‘is New Japan OK?’ Yes it is. ‘Is this the beginning of the end?’ Twitter’s getting ahead of itself.” https://t.co/6UZYmbkeLO
— chris charlton (@reasonjp) January 9, 2019
