Originating in Tokyo, Japan, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has been expanding to arenas all over the world. Once a year, NJPW comes to Maryland for a pay per view named “Capital Collision.
NJPW is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on Jan. 13, 1972 by martial artist and politician Antonio Inoki.
-As of 2022, NJPW has been owned by Japanese card game company Bushiroad and under this new ownership, the company has been expanding to new territories such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
New Japan has always been known as a breeding ground for some of the best wrestlers in the world, and over the decades NJPW has grown and trained an astronomical amount of talent. Many of these names have been noteworthy in Japan, and have gone on to WWE or AEW to grow their reputation.
(Photo Credit: TaigaPhoto_pw)
Left to right: Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls, Zack Sabre Jr, Shane Haste, Bad Dude Tito)
Tetsuya Naito, Kota Ibushi, El Phantasmo, AJ Styles, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Finn Bálor, and Zack Sabre Jr. These are just a few of the countless people who have made themselves known in the land of the rising sun. Whether these stars have stayed in Japan, or moved on to other companies, New Japan will always be known as home.
In an interview with Post Wrestling, NJPW wrestler and ‘Rainmaker’ Kazuchika Okada stated, “There’s no good wrestling outside of NJPW in my view, because I’m here. I think 80 percent of the top wrestlers in the world today have had experience in New Japan. Just being in NJPW puts you at a top level. If you haven’t wrestled here, you can’t be a top guy, and I’ve been at the top here.”-
Tokyo Dome, Jan. 4, 2023
(Cultaholic)
Since 1972, NJPW has accomplished multiple accolades. They’ve been the home of numerous legends all around the world and have established many widely recognized factions such as the United Empire, TMDK, House Of Torture, Bullet Club, and CHAOS.
When asked about NJPW’s partnership with All Elite Wrestling, also known as the forbidden door. In an interview with NJPW World, AEW Executive Vice President and ‘best bout machine’ Kenny Omega expressed that the forbidden door used to be less accessible. The relationship between the two companies have strengthened over the years, and with this partnership the landscape of professional wrestling has changed massively. The forbidden door has made competition much stiffer and tougher, and if you aren’t one of the best in America, England, New Zealand, Australia, or Japan, as Kenny expressed, “you can’t hang around.”
NJPW has without a doubt manifested themselves as more than a stepping stone for talent, but a company where many of the most superb and greatest compete to excel themselves as the best in the world.
