Skip to main content
Inside The Ropes
  • News

    WWE News

    AEW logo for their Dynamite TV show

    AEW News

    IMPACT Wrestling logo

    IMPACT News

    New Japan Pro Wrestling

    NJPW News

  • Features
    Poster for WWE Royal Rumble ft Roman Reigns

    WWE Royal Rumble 2023 Predictions

    NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17

    NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 Predictions

    WWE Superstars With The Most Wins In 2022

    WWE Superstars With The Most Wins In 2022

    Breakout WWE Superstars In 2022

    Top 10 Breakout WWE Superstars In 2022

  • Interviews
    20 Questions Deonna Purrazzo FI

    20 Questions With Deonna Purrazzo

    Rick Boogs

    Interview With Rick Boogs

    JONAH

    Interview With JONAH

    Rosemary Interview

    Interview With Rosemary

  • Podcasts
    What’s Going Down #99 – Austin Theory, Bray Wyatt & Tyrus

    Listen
    What’s Going Down #98 – SmackDown Main Event, Crown Jewel & More

    Listen
    Jeff Jarrett stands in-ring on AEW Dynamite 2022

    Listen
    Power Slam Podcast #264 – Steve Austin Comeback, Full Gear Preview & More

    Listen
  • Quizzes
    Play Word Rumble

    Play Word Rumble

    WWE logo

    Can You Name Every WWE Pay-per-view?

    WWE Survivor Series sole survivors quiz

    Can You Name All The WWE Survivor Series Sole Survivors?

    WWE Smackdown logo

    Can You Name Every Wrestler That Competed On The First SmackDown?

  • Live Tours
  • Shop
    Magazine
    Clothing
    Accessories
    Collectibles
  • Trending
  • Follow us:
    • Facebook Facebook
    • Twitter Twitter
    • Instagram Instagram
  • Watch us on YouTube:
    • YouTube YouTube
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
  • Play Word Rumble
NJPW News

NJPW President Takami Ohbari – “We’re In The Dream Business”

By Craig Ballantyne. Published 2nd May 2021.
KENTA and Jon Moxley

The New Japan Pro Wrestling President and CEO, Takami Ohbari, has given his thoughts on wrestlers crossing between promotions following the recent appearances of NJPW stars on AEW and IMPACT Wrestling shows.

In an interview on NJPW’s English-language website, Ohbari, who took over the role of NJPW President and CEO from Harold Meij in October 2020, revealed how he believes the wrestling industry should focus on the wrestlers. This means that, if a wrestler requests a match with someone from another promotion, NJPW should do everything it can to make it happen.

“For me to say ‘NJPW is doing business with company X, so you need to go over there and wrestle’, that’s backward to me. I will say this until I’m blue in the face: this is a star-driven business, and the wrestlers are the focus. So if our wrestlers say ‘I want to wrestle that guy’ ‘I want to test myself against that guy’ ‘I want to show that I’m better than that guy’. Then it becomes our job as a company to do what we can to back them, make it happen and make it successful.

“We’re in the dream business. Presenting them, and making them real. Having a linear approach to business, that only restricts us and it stops fans getting invested.”

Ohbari went on to say that, while the current situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic prevents US-based wrestlers from travelling to Japan, the door is open for them to appear on the promotion’s US show, STRONG.

“When you look at things overseas right now, especially in the US, there are a lot of wrestlers who want to come to Japan, and can’t, right? Even if you get into the country, you have to quarantine. But STRONG is there for those guys. That is authentic, genuine New Japan Pro-Wrestling. If you want to be in NJPW, and you’re good enough, this door is open: come in, come do what you can do, and we’ll make sure the world can watch it. That goes for the fans too; if there’s a match you guys want to see, we’ll do what we can to make it happen.”

Since NJPW star KENTA opened the ‘forbidden door’ by appearing on AEW Dynamite, a slew of wrestlers have crossed between AEW, NJPW, and IMPACT Wrestling. This has included NJPW’s FinJuice defeating the Good Brothers to become the IMPACT Tag Team Champions, AEW’s Kenny Omega defeating Rich Swann to become the IMPACT World Champion, and it has recently been announced that NJPW’s El Phantasmo will also be appearing on IMPACT in the near future.

  • Facebook
    Share
  • Twitter
    Tweet
  • WhatsApp
    Send
  • Share

Popular Stories

  1. Iconic AEW Segment Left TBS Furious
  2. Details On Backstage ‘Scuffle’ Between Top AEW Talent
  3. Former WWE Superstar Once Had S*x With Snow White At Disneyland
  4. Matt Riddle Shows Off Bizarre Look During WWE Absence
  5. Cody Rhodes Commited A “Cardinal Sin” During The 2023 WWE Royal Rumble
  6. Missing WWE Championship Resurfaces During NFL Pro Bowl
  7. Tony Khan Interested In “Potentially Being Involved” In WWE Sale Process
  8. Ric Flair Claims Surprising Match “Must” Be The WWE WrestleMania Main Event
  9. Naomi Drops Big Hint Regarding WWE Future
  10. Bray Wyatt Becomes Uncle Howdy At WWE Live Event
Inside The Ropes
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
  • Write For Us
  • Facebook Facebook
  • Twitter Twitter
  • Instagram Instagram
  • YouTube YouTube
© 2023 ITR Digital Media Limited. Read about our privacy policy.