Earlier this week, news broke that a handful of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s tops stars had given their notice to the company, and could be headed for WWE. That handful included AJ Styles, Bullet Club members Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows, and current IWGP Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. Nak confirmed his departure shortly thereafter, announcing that he’d leave the promotion at the end of the month.
Legendary WWE Hall of Fame play-by-play man Jim Ross blogged about the rumored acquisitions, and his point of view is shared by most of us: the signings are exciting, but it’s up to WWE to treat them like the stars they are.
“The signing of the four NJPW wrestlers, including Bullet Club members, is essentially a done deal as in ‘agreed on the terms in principle’ type of thing. The key to this matter now is how will WWE introduce these men as how they are initially presented will go miles into how they are perceived by the fans.”
He went a little more in-depth when talking about Nakamura. If you’re not familiar with his work, Nakamura is maybe the most can’t-miss international star they’ve ever signed, and the only thing standing between him and worldwide stardom is WWE’s penchant for giving Asian dudes Godzilla music and painting kanji on their faces.
“Shinsuke Nakamura is a hugely gifted resource that WWE is getting and has the natural charisma and ‘IT Factor” that promotions are always seeking. I hope that age old stereotype of how Japanese wrestlers are presented in America is broken as it relates to this talent who can, by the way, speak English. I sung Nakamura, and others including AJ Styles, Gallows, and Anderson’s praises when I returned from broadcasting Wrestle Kingdom 9 last year to WWE honchos. I believe in these four talents and if they are used strategically and if they come in as ‘main eventers’ WWE may have made themselves four, new main event talents.”
Pro wrestling has presented Asian people a certain way for most of its existence — see WCW’s love affair with “evil Japanese businessmen” in the ’90s, or WWE almost naming a Japanese wrestler “Hirohito” in 2004 — and it’s something that needs to change. NXT has done a great job with Japanese wrestlers like Hideo Itami (well, except for his merchandise) and Asuka, so is the key just, “put him on NXT and keep him there?” We can’t just do that with everybody.
