The announcement of Jushin “Thunder” Liger making an NXT appearance next month in Brooklyn is still making my brain react like someone just said the secret word on Pee-wee’s Playhouse, so pardon me for just now getting around to the more big-picture news coming out of New Japan Pro Wrestling. The company held a press conference before their annual G1 Climax tournament (more on that tomorrow), where NJPW President Kaname Tezuka announced a multi-faceted plan for the company’s future. Here’s what you can expect from the King of Sports going forward.
- Talent Exchange: NJPW already has a solid relationship with Ring of Honor, the National Wrestling Alliance, and Mexico’s CMLL, as well as a budding partnership with Global Force Wrestling. In the future, you can also expect to see them work with Revolution Pro Wrestling in the United Kingdom and Westside Xtreme Wrestling in Germany. This international strategy is being called the “Lions Gate Plan.”
- A New Developmental System: New Japan could be taking a page out of NXT’s book when it comes to refining their new talent. This “Young Lions” program will give students of the New Japan dojo more room to grow at the start of their careers.
- An Eventual IPO: It looks like Tezuka and NJPW parent company Bushiroad are looking to take NJPW public in the future. Not many details about the initial public offering were announced, but it’s coming at some point.
As for rumors of further collaboration between NJPW and WWE, we’ll really have to wait and see. Liger is pretty much God’s envoy to the cruiserweight division, so he’s a special case and he can do what he damn well pleases. Fingers crossed that everything at the Brooklyn Takeover goes well and leaves both companies satisfied, I guess. Have Bayley give Liger the biggest hug of his life, he’ll want to stay forever.
(h/t to New Japan Kingdom for translation)
