NJPW is holding the hand to go
ALL IN with
Right now NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) is taping up their hands before putting the gloves on to throw the first haymaker at WWE since Hogan dropping the loudest leg drop in wrestling history at Bash at the Beach.
Since the partnership with ROH (Ring of Honor) in 2014, they have partnered with other organizations, landed themselves TV deals and made Wrestle Kingdom the second most anticipated show of the year.
After the ROH deal they partner with GFW (Global Force Wrestling) to land multi-year TV deals with AXIS & Asahi, enabling them to air a weekly show and Wrestle Kingdom in 4 part series. In december '14 NJPW & Asahi announce NJPW World, a world wide streaming site for the promotions events.
July 2015 "New IWGP Conception" (a global expansion strategy centered on partnerships with CMLL, GFW, ROH, RPW, wXw and NWA) is announced. They will be holding more shows in Thailand, Singapore & Taiwan. This starts talks of the company going public in 5 years which would be 2020.
Fast forward to 2017. The G1 special in Long Beach, California... this was the first independently produced show in the U.S. The winner would be crowned with the newest title of the organization the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. The inaugural champion Kenny Omega (the most high profile U.S. independent talent) was crowned. 11 days after Omega gets the belt came the announcement of a U.S. Dojo opening by 2018 in Los Angeles, making LA their unofficial United States base.
Three years in, they have a United States title, A L.A. base, cable TV exposure and a streaming service. They have changed their contracts to only multi year deals which hasn't been done since the 1980's.
New president of NJPW Harold Meij; (former Senior VP of Coca-Cola Japan and COO of Takara Tomy) seems to have big marketing plans in place. I believe in the next 5 years he will have marketed his brand so well globally that NJPW will run a show equivalent to Wrestle Kingdom in the United States.
Cody and the Bucks just dropped a bomb on the wrestling world by selling out in under an hour. This shows that the wrestling world outside the walls of the WWE is thriving. There is a bigger demographic begging for real competition to come along then people may think. NJPW stars will be apart of this show, with the funding and exposure they have created in the last few years it shows that they can go all in as well. Cody just did it short stacked holding a 2-7 off suit, NJPW is holding pocket aces.
Cody and the Bucks just dropped a bomb on the wrestling world by selling out in under an hour. This shows that the wrestling world outside the walls of the WWE is thriving. There is a bigger demographic begging for real competition to come along then people may think. NJPW stars will be apart of this show, with the funding and exposure they have created in the last few years it shows that they can go all in as well. Cody just did it short stacked holding a 2-7 off suit, NJPW is holding pocket aces.
Information based off Wikipedia and other articles
I can see this, it's basically a very slow roll. Obviously the product is top notch. There's a big thing though with breaking wrestling to the mainstream in the states..entertainment which the WWE has mastered over the last 40+ years. I believe live events if done in the states would flourish but I don't believe they could do well on TV (I.E ROH, TNA...ETC) even TNA at its height had problems breaking 1.2 or 1.3 a night. But they came the closest since WCW. I for this to ever work, for any promotion to ever work in the states on a larger scale on TV big name talents have to jump when they are hott, which really hasn't happened in a very long time. They can hold a wrestle kingdom in the states and stream it and do big numbers world wide, but I do not believe they could draw big numbers in the states or media coverage as ESPN covers wrestle mania and what not. I know your not really going that route with this post, just something that you sparked in me. I believe it's a very intelligent guess, and I believe your spot on with what they are doing to bring there product to the states. But it's a very "quiet" brand as in its all wrestling, and very little show (although production value is high!) I believe to ever have another brand do what even TNA did at there peak with SPIKE (which had some amazing cards and story lines IMO back in 05-10 if I'm getting dates right is to really focus on compelling story lines, push the envelope with risky, raunchy material, try to pay big money for big name talents that anerican fans (casual fans) are either free agents or contracts expiring ( right now there is a big pool of guys not working, we could name lots of these guys) don't water it down with legends or anything, not what I'm saying. But, get a CM Punk Vs. A Kenny Omega which introduces Omega to a casual "I watch WWE 2 times a year during the rumble and mania crowd" the marks will always be here and we will always love a great in ring product and always watch. But will the american young kids 7-15 give up there sub for the network and get a NJPW sub? I don't think so. I think they need to Americanize the product without watering it down. Sounds hard. And it is. Vince cracked the code, not sure if anyone can. Garrett had a good idea with GLOBAL force but let's be real. No one even knows that brand. TNA went from a small threat to a basic nothing as of now. I used to catch ROH on TV a year or 2 ago and the production value and overall product really bored me. Even the great in ring work didn't keep me from flipping to something else. If any company can do it its NJPW. And I'm already a fan and excited for what the future holds. Thanks for sparking some thoughts dom. Good post buddy. Hope to see many more. I also know your post wasn't what I just went into a tangent about. But you know me. I totally agree with what you said though!
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