Hiroshi Tanahashi appointed new President of New Japan Pro Wrestling

29 comments

1. Yeah this is pretty wild

2. I really think he could do well in the role

   Suprising news, to say the least

   Go Ace!

3. Go Ace!

4. I, for one, welcome our new sexy overlord.

   In all seriousness this is gonna be VERY interesting. Could change nothing, could change a lot. The die is cast. Do like the idea of a worker in his sunset being in charge.

5. Now this was out of left field. The President of Njpw is now the Ace!!!

6. OHBARI IS GONE PRAISE THE SUN. Hopefully this signals more of a shift towards the domestic market considering Ohbari was supposed to be leading the New Japan of America charge.

   I for one look forward to the reign of the Ace.

7. I was today years old when I learned Tanahashi apparently has a degree in law.

8. GO ACE

9. It’s just about 3:30 AM here in the UK and I had to re-read the Instagram post several times because I was sure I was reading it wrong due to being more tired than I thought I was, but no, the sexy sexy ace of the universe is now President sexy sexy ace of the universe. Looks like Christmas has come early lads

10. House of Torture all going nuts knowing that they can now physically abuse the prez of shin nihon.

11. Thank you Ohbari 🙏🏼 best of luck to you

12. Tanahashi going full circle, from tearing down the Inoki portrait in the dojo to himself becoming the main man in charge.

13. Tana gonna bring in Muto as an advisor, probably convince Shibata to take an executive role eventually, and give Yano unlimited control over the merch department.

    Seriously tho, glad Tana is getting the position, as he has always been big on being a bridge to all of Puro and cross-promoting, something he has in common with Muto (ALL TOGETHER AGAIN being pretty much something Tana put together).

14. TV title match conspicuously moved to the main event of WK. Go Ace!

15. Oooh boy, either financials were worse than we thought or the office was really fucking up (or both).

    Ohbari is gone completely, as is the old Director. Tana is President/Representative Director; and the Director slot is shared by the Chief of Business Production for TV Asahi and Taro Okada, who just last month became the new President of STARDOM (who will be doing this position part-time).

    So now TV Asahi has more power than they previously did. Bushiroad must also have a ton of faith in T.Okada to be putting him here as well, and it makes me wonder if maybe they’re going to try and keep forcing the NJPW Women’s Division to be a thing in Japan.

16. TANAism IS IN FULL EFFECT

17. I wonder how quickly things begin to get tweaked. He’s the boss. Will he let Gedo cook the same? So much to ponder! Exciting times and I’m here for it.

18. Holy shit! This was not on my bingo card at all. I liked Ohbari. But I do think that the integrity of NJPW has been sacrificed in favor of western appeal.

19. “Mr. President, we have to ask you once again to please not bring your air guitar to important business meetings.”

    “aw”

20. Just said “HOLY FUCK” out loud alone in my room. WOW.

    What an insane two years it’s been for wrestling as a whole. Vince gone, WWE being purchased, puro companies coming together, and now this. And that’s ignoring all the personal drama that’s been going on between Punk’s meltdown, Ibushi’s meltdown, or you name it.

    I always felt that Tanahashi pushing KENTA off the ladder is what shifted us into a new timeline. This news validates that belief

21. We all know Tanahashi is a very selfless wrestler when it comes to putting other wrestlers over. If he’s Gedo’s boss now, could this be the start of the newer generation of wrestlers getting an even faster push? I know many of us have been craving for younger main eventers.

22. Curious, but interesting thing is now the Okada rumor. How Tana handles that situation may define his whole term.

23. President Tana has a nice ring to it

24. Tana could be a gamechanger when it comes to talent relations. I highly doubt the Ibushi and Shibata situations would’ve happened under him.

    Now just use wrist control on Okada…

25. The Ace and now President of the Universe.

26. We’re in for another Golden Age.

27. I was planning on canceling my World subscription after WK, but as a Tana stan I have to see how this goes.

    I hope he books himself to win every match until the end of time.

28. Completely deserved. You always expect horrible people like Paul Levesque to obtain these kinds of positions, it is refreshing to see someone who worked his ass off get rewarded instead of people who politic.

29. The two obvious questions are:

    – is Tanahashi carrying on wrestling, then?
    – just how much fun is Zack going to have stretching his boss at WK?

    It’s exciting no doubt but definitely a wait and see as to how it pans out. It gives Tana an excuse to reduce his time in ring, which he desperately needed, and it also probably shifts his salary onto a different part of the books, freeing up money for Okada. Best of luck, Ace.