NJPW is Dying...Kind Of

RIP New Japan Pro Wrestling. Okay, so it is not technically dead. The promotion isn’t sharing cemetery space with the UWF or anything like that. But its efforts to expand among a Western fan base are certainly dying.

That means in many ways, it certainly feels like a day of mourning for NJPW. At least that is how I felt after hearing those running the wrestling company had suspended color commentary and noted English-speaking Japanese wrestling historian Chris Charlton for some nothing comments about AEW during the joint promotion Wrestle Dynasty show at the Tokyo Dome.

As an NJPW fan who has been less than thrilled at the direction of the company over the past five or so years, I was right there behind him.

Good on him for saying what many of us were thinking. Look, his comments about Tony Khan and AEW wasting talent before the Gabe Kidd/Kenny Omega match were more in character speak than anything else. The promotion won’t allow NJPW color commentators to stick up for the home team.

About The Touchback
#takeitouttothe25

The Touchback is the world's best sports and culture website…or something like that. You'll either really like it or really hate it. But it's worth reading either way.

[oRaineo]

the company is rebuilding, clearly visible, and it has been in a way worse stage some 20 years ago

[RC_Productions]

I mean to be fair, they're not dying. I think a better term would be "in a state of flux" like it doesn't know what to do with itself. It's pushing guys like Gabe Kidd, Yota Tsuji and Zack Sabre Jr. while Tanahashi is retiring and Naito is showing more of his age. It wants to be with all these partners like AEW, CMLL and STARDOM but doesn't really give them a proper spotlight (with key exceptions like Wrestle Dynasty or Forbidden Door). It wants to build more younger stars but also wants to give the old guard a few more chances in the spotlight like Ishii and Goto.

It's weird. Not good, not bad. Just and don't get me started on the Bullet Club. They're WAY WAY past their hey-day. They need to disband. ALL OF BULLET CLUB, including sub-groups (OK, fine. You can keep House Of Torture as a compromise). I don't care how much money they make from merchandise sales or how popular they've been. They need to disband.

[michaelkkrasting]

I feel like they might have something good with Gabe Kidd to build around

[SpaceDragonX]

Dying wouldn't be the right term I'd use. More so reconstruction. It's been that way for the past few years.


Least there's a lot of new gen wrestlers growing (Shota, Tsuji, Narita, Kidd, Oleg, etc.). It's going to take a while before things get back to where they were in the 2010s.

[philipglover]

The AEW NJPW relationship seems like what Greg Gagne said about the old AWA Superclash shows they did with WCCW, Crockett Productions and Jerry Jarett’s Memphis Wrestling we’d be running the show while the other promoters would be in the back offering contracts to our wrestlers

[HonestUAWElectrician]

40 years I've watched wrestling. New Japan ain't going anywhere. Maybe their US wing dies off, but they'll be here long after AEW finally goes tits up.

[WalkBesideMe]

I'm not gonna take anyone who calls them AWE within 30 seconds of the video

[rydermiles]

NOAH actually put over a 28 year old in his first match back from being a “young lion” and he became world champion (at the same event as the Omos screenshot). Then at there next show debuted a “young lion” without even sending him on excursion because he’s so good. I’ve been keeping up with both companies, and honestly NOAH seems to be in a better state right now. There not bowing down to AEW and holding an event with all of AEWs mid carders facing all NJPWs top guys.

[njbrock]

Also as to someone who frequently watches Noah, they DID Build 1 new Star after moving a Young Lion up from YL status to World champ(and he got REALLY over with the crowd), and they are SLOWLY moving away from the more established talent as their champs and trying to push New(er) People towards the top; same goes with AJPW as they had another Rookie turned World champ(which also got over), Dragon Gate is still relying on their ACE as Champ but are trying to establish a lot of young stars; DDT(don't laugh) are also trying to establish young talent into their title scene; even Stardom is starting to establish New Stars(even with questionable storylines)

[Tchado]

I was getting my torch and pitchfork ready when I read the to discover I agree with this entire video , Chris Charlton didn't say anything that wasn't factual. Tony is a money mark, the C2 isnt even close to the G1, and seriously what did Okada, Jay and Will do since leaving New Japan ?

[tylerleggett]

There's multiple wrestling references spread across many videos, but I didn't know you also covered it. Clicked as soon as it showed up in my feed.

I'm sad njpw was dropped from axs. It wasn't a prominent network, but at least it was a place I could go to watch the product.

[hezekiahthomas]

I think its inronic people blame aew for certain people leaving like there contract wasnt up and they weren't in contact with the WWE also. And would western njpw fans still be happy if these wrestlers left for aew started thriving and never came back. Could the say the same for the WWE

[facts]

All AEW collaborations are lending 2 or 3 wrestlers for an appearance and Tony keeps everything else, NJPW should respect themselves more

[TJoL]

The relationship between AEW/NJPW aren’t equals anymore no but I very much disagree that it’s a one way street.

If not for AEW then NJPW wouldn’t have been able to run two dome shows. They gave away Kenny Omega’s return match to NJPW in a classic match. AEWs current champ went over there for years and put on some great matches and tried to get WK main eventer Umino over.

Yes, AEW have stole some stars from under them but it’s not AEWs fault that NJPW have no one else built up and that Naito is washed.

[david]

NJPW brought me back to wrestling after I grew out of WWE. I fell in love with the serious sports based product. Today I feel like they’re becoming sports entertainment and pandering to the worst western fanbase. You can guess which one that is. They generally have neckbeards lol

[bobbywrtm]

The other problem that I have with NJPW is they keep backing the wrong horse
Umino is not ready to be a main eventer
I always expecting Sanada, Goto, and Hiromu as the main eventer after Naito, Okada, Omega era ends...
Instead they skipping this generation and booking them like a poo while start to push Umino, Yota, Gabe Kidd generation down our throat.... NJPW should have stick with Sanada because he's better main eventer than Umino

[vitpham]

I had to subscribe. This is the type of sports talk I like. Random as all hell, like how my crew says my sports talk is like 😅

[flyabusa]

This makes me wish I could cancel NJPWworld all over again. I cancelled in 2020 after NJPW became "King of Ref Bumps". I specifically watched New Japan to get away from run-ins and ref bumps. I subscribed just before the 2015 Dontaku event.

[craigfuller]

Chris did NOTHING wrong! The suspension is total BS. I blame TK, despite what the press says.

Commentary getting bathroom breaks should be the standard.

[loboneiner]

Japanese wrestling in general is dying. It's just lost it's popularity over the years as MMA gained popularity. Covid was a fatal blow.