New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced more changes to the behind-the-scenes working of the promotion.
Last year, the Ace of the Universe Hiroshi Tanahashi was made president of the company. He is the first active wrestler to helm the company since Tatsumi Fujinami, nineteen years ago.
Tanahashi’s role has seen closer ties with AEW formed, with Wrestle Dynasty bringing them back together in January.
Another big change has been announced on the NJPW website, with a restructuring of the IWGP Committee backstage. The International Wrestling Grand Prix committee is a largely kayfabe backstage group, who oversee all the tournaments and championships in NJPW. They are the reason why the main belts for the company are the IWGP titles, not NJPW.
Ahead of the G1 Climax, Hiroshi Tanahashi has announced the five men that will comprise this new committee. It includes Japanese legends, an iconic referee and even the current New Japan Pro-Wrestling Chairman.
The five-man committee are comprised of Jyushin Thunder Liger, Yuji Nagata, Tiger Hattori, Naoki Sugabayashi and Hitoshi Matsumoto.
Tanahashi introduced the men as being “committed fully to wrestlers and officials, and the operation of championship matches and tournaments in NJPW’.
While there is no committee president, Tanahashi explained that committee members will attend various NJPW events and will be on hand to make decisions when needed.
