Stardom founder Rossy Ogawa has been let go from his position by Bushiroad.
On Sunday, February 4th a statement was made on Stardom’s website to confirm that Ogawa was no longer with the promotion, citing talent poaching as the cause of termination:
To all concerned and fans. Thank you very much for always supporting Stardom.
Bushiroad Fight Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”) has canceled the outsourcing contract with Mr. Rossy Ogawa (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”) as of February 4 , 2024 . I would like to report what happened.
Since 2019 , our company has entered into a contract with Rossy Ogawa, the founder of Stardom, and has appointed him as an executive producer and outsourced work related to Stardom. However, we would like to inform you that we have come to know that he has poached many Stardom players and staff members, and we have decided to cancel this contract.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. As a company, we will continue to aim for the further development of Stardom, and the players and staff will continue to work together to deliver excitement to the fans, so we will continue to receive the same compliments as before. I am very fortunate.
Thank you for your understanding.
Ogawa founded the promotion in 2010, going on to eventually sell the company to Bushiroad in 2019. Ogawa served as the executive producer for the company prior to his contract being terminated.
Current WWE Women’s Champion Iyo Sky and current AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm worked in the promotion prior to signing with WWE, each having previous reigns with the World of Stardom Championship.
Ogawa has issued a statement on the matter on social media, noting that he was informed of the termination the day before the public statement and added “the truth of the matter may be told someday.” Additionally, the founder of the promotion expressed concerns for the wrestlers who are signed to Stardom.
More Details On Rossy Ogawa’s Release From Stardom
Following the announcement, Dave Meltzer provided additional information in regard to the events that took place prior to Ogawa’s firing. Nine months prior, Bushiroad executives would overrule Ogawa’s booking decisions, which impacted Ogawa’s decision to leave. When the promotion was sold to Bushiroad in 2019, Ogawa was under the impression that he would still have creative control.
The report continues, stating that both sides agreed to originally part ways on February 18th but Bushiroad would instead make the announcement 2 weeks early after telling the talent at a recent Stardom event in Osaka.
With many Stardom wrestlers being extremely loyal to Ogawa, multiple departures are expected in March when numerous contracts are up for renewal. The only exception is the current IWGP Women’s Champion Mayu Iwatani, who has a movie about her life in the works. Anticipating multiple departures, Bushiroad has issued legal threats to some talents. The contract situation is also the reported reason why Giulia will not be appearing at the NJPW Windy City Riot event.
In terms of the immediate future for Ogawa, the Stardom founder is not expected to go to WWE. In response to the news, Tony Khan has posted a series of gifs on social media, with one captioned “Bye Rossy!”