FACING THE UNKNOWN:
THE ROAD AHEAD FOR NJPW
By Jasmine Olan
With the formation of AEW and big names like the ELITE and Kushida recently announcing their departures, many are wondering how things are going to pan out for New Japan Pro Wrestling moving forward. While each of those names have played an important role within the promotion, NJPW is no stranger to situations like this and has always managed to weather those kinds of storms. Things may need to be adjusted a bit especially within the main event picture, but that is most definitely okay. What many may see as a time of transition could very easily end up becoming a time of potential opportunity.
Even with a measure of uncertainty, New Japan can still face the unknown future with a sense of hope. Whenever knocked down, the number two wrestling promotion in the world has always gotten right back up. All it takes is the right people being in place and the right choices being made. One thing that definitely helps is that New Japan has a wide array of options. From their working relationships with Ring Of Honor and CMLL, to a roster of loyal performers waiting in the wings and hungry young lions in the the New Japan dojo there are a number of ways for them to make things work.
One way is to rely on the promotion’s most loyal talent who have chosen to stay. The most reliable among them took on the weight of the world for the better part of a decade, carrying the banner for NJPW during the darkest of times. The Ace Of The Universe, Hiroshi Tanahashi has been a staple of the company for about twenty years. No stranger to tough situations, Tanahashi became one of NJPW’s most beloved performers as well as a living legend because of his loyalty to the promotion and his ability to lead by example. That dedication is a major part of the New Japan lion’s mark stands for.
It has also led to a historic eighth reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion for the Once In A Century Talent. Other top stars on the roster Like Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito also remain powerful mainstays in the promotion. Each of these gifted men will no doubt continue to lead the way for New Japan with honor and pride and without fear. Working relationships with other promotions will also remain a valuable asset to NJPW. It’s partnerships with Ring Of Honor and CMLL have been quite successful for several years. Many former young lions like Jay White and Roppongi 3K have had successful learning excursions as a result of these partnerships.
These working relationships have proven mutually beneficial over the years and led to great things like the creation of Los Ingobernables which has become a very successful faction in Mexico. The Japanese branch of the group, Los Ingobernables de Japon has become one of the international wrestling scene’s most popular stables. The ability to exchange well known talent back and forth will only serve to keep each of these promotions thriving for years to come.
Some of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest successes have begun with their young lions’ program. Over the years, this program has led to the creation of many of NJPW’s greatest stars. Those stars all got their starts as hungry young rookies looking to make their mark in the industry. The young lion’s program provides New Japan with a great opportunity to create homegrown stars that it can easily rely on to carry the banner for the company in the future. Over the years, class after class of young lions have worked their hardest to prove themselves ready to take their next steps toward greatness. Passion and limitless potential will no doubt continue to keep NJPW fresh and successful.
To some it may seem like things are a little up in the air right now, but with multiple options at their disposal, New Japan Pro Wrestling will be just fine. The door remains open for those performers who are leaving to come back later on down the line. At some point in the future, a partnership could even be worked out between New Japan and AEW. Only time will tell in the end. New Japan Pro Wrestling has had to face the unknown various times throughout its four and a half decade history, and each time the promotion has come back stronger than before.
Chances are this won’t be the last time this happens either. The road to success is often filled with bumps, but it’s ultimately how one handles those bumps that is the measure of how far they will make it. Fighting spirit is one of the things NJPW is best known for. The momentum the company has been building over the last several years is not likely to slow down anytime soon, and they can still continue to move forward with confidence and pride. That resiliency has always been what makes New Japan Pro Wrestling the place where passion is the name of the game.
