Former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito has spoken out on the failed contract negotiations that ultimately led to the announcement of his departure from NJPW.
On April 16th, it was announced that both Naito and BUSHI would be leaving NJPW in early May when they had fulfilled their previously scheduled appearances. As the news was first reported on April 1st, fans first dismissed it as an April Fool’s joke before New Japan made the news official.
With the announcement coming as a shock to many given Naito’s history with New Japan, rumours began to circulate concerning the reason for his departure. One of the biggest rumours was due to monetary reasons with both sides unable to come to terms on a new deal. However, in an interview with Tokyo Sports, Naito made it clear that he never brought up money during in his previous renewals:
“Let me be clear: in the five contract renewals I’ve had, I never once brought up money. Ever since they made me the initial offer in the first negotiation, I never touched the subject again. It’s extremely frustrating to have people think I’m quitting because of money, and honestly, I think it’s Tokyo Sports’ fault. But if Tokyo Sports writes about it, it somehow sounds even more like a lie, so what the heck am I supposed to do…?
I never made any unreasonable demands. I never said, ‘Since I’m wrestling more, pay me more,’ or ‘That guy wrestles less, pay him less.’ I just wanted them to properly value what a wrestler’s match is worth. I’ve been saying that for years. I get that the number of wrestlers has increased, and there are unavoidable circumstances, but still…”
Tetsuya Naito Responds To Hiroshi Tanahashi Statement
The same day that news broke concerning Naito’s upcoming exit, NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi also issued a statement, noting that he wanted Naito to stay. Referencing this, Naito stated that it was wrong for Tanahashi to receive backlash from the fans but was concerned that more departures could occur given how his negotiations played out:
“Did they do that when other wrestlers left? I think it’s wrong that President Tanahashi got some heat from the fans because of that. Tanahashi only showed up during the final (fifth) contract negotiation anyway,” Naito revealed. “Sure, maybe I made some selfish requests. But they didn’t exactly work hard to convince me to stay.
After my contract expired on January 31st (as a contracted wrestler), it took more than a month before they even contacted me for the next negotiation. I’m not trying to say, ‘Why didn’t you do this or that for me?’ now. But if they don’t change the way they handle contracts, I think the same thing will keep happening in the coming years. I really hope my departure prompts them to rethink how they approach contract renewals.”