Takaaki Kidani, Bushiroad Director: “Since the two major competing pro-wrestling organizations are from the US, we believe it is important to take advantage of our geographical advantage to explore Asia, especially Southeast Asia. From this fall, we are gradually taking wrestlers to those areas.”

15 comments

1. >*”In the future, we plan to further develop the Asian region, including the women’s pro-wrestling “STARDOM”. Since the two major competing pro-wrestling organizations are from the US, we believe it is important to take advantage of our geographical advantage to explore Asia, especially Southeast Asia.*
   *Recently, about 200,000 subscribers have suddenly increased on the YouTube channel of STARDOM in a month and a half. Most of the registrations are coming from Southeast and South Asia, such as Indonesia, India and Malaysia. From this fall, we are gradually taking wrestlers to those areas and exploring various things, such as whether there is a ring or promotion that can be used for local shows.”*

2. Yeah! Give me Okada vs Takagi in Jakarta!

3. Expanding more into Asia vs the US is probably for the best. Good on them for finally realizing it m

4. I think these are solid areas for potential expansion. Obviously the US is the most lucrative wrestling market on earth so a tiny slice of the pie is probably not too shabby

   But the eastern hemisphere njpw has a lot of advantages for njpw specifically even if the markets just aren’t going to be as lucrative.

   Its like how they are looking for talent in the ANZ region

5. It worked for One Championship. Go be the biggest thing in Asia and wait till you get a better TV deal here then come over here and sellout shows.

6. I think this is smart and a healthy approach. Feels like they want to be big in the states but don’t want to adapt their operations enough to really make it happen. Maybe just do a couple of big shows a year in the states, get exposure on AEW, and otherwise focus on really doing well in your own geographic footprint.

   This makes double sense if transport costs and currency fluctuations have been hurting them as much as it sounds.

7. They did a Singapore show several years ago IIRC. I always thought NJPW was setting up a “Pacific Ring” strategy around at that time with their growing interest in Australia and the west coast of the U.S. That’s something they should do.

8. Hm, I hope they will rather export their culture instead of import influences from those regions. Not too much a fan of what I saw from India at least. But it seems more about STARDOM anyways which I see as a product that is watched by different people for other reasons.

9. This is for the best for New Japan right now.

10. Would be interesting if they also started scouting for potential Young Lions in various indie promotions in SEA and Korea, just like what they’re doing currently in New Zealand.

11. Ehh AJPW during the Muto years ran yearly events in taiwan but it didn’t seem to work out. Not a big history of pro wrestling in sea countries

12. They’ll have to put in more than the half-assed effort they’ve done with Tamashii in Australia/NZ.

13. They should take a more ambitious crack at the UK too. They still have Ospreay etc. and Stardom has Mariah May at the moment. You could do something with that The UK is up for grabs as a territory and obviously it has massive opportunities (All In, CATC, MITB) if done right. Maybe buy out Rev Pro and try to get it on tv.

14. I can’t think of a single bad thing that has ever resulted from the Japanese expanding into greater Asia.

15. I hope they don’t stop there. More Aussie shows would be greatly appreciated.