NJPW is joining eight other wrestling companies in United Japan Pro-Wrestling, a group that will represent professional wrestling in Japan.
The official announcement, courtesy of NJPW’s website, is as follows:
“New Japan Pro-Wrestling today announces that it is one of nine organizations that will constitute United Japan Pro-Wrestling, a new industry group representing professional wrestling in Japan.
Without an industry-wide group for professional wrestling in Japan, the unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic made it all the more clear that there was a need to consolidate and express accurate information and best operating practices between promotions, as well as to communicate effectively with national and municipal governments. In a bid to better anticipate and adapt to societal changes in the future, nine Japanese promotions at the forefront of pro-wrestling in the country will be part of a collective industry group (henceforth ‘the Group’).
The members of the Group will maintain their individual business identities and competition in the marketplace, but the Group will provide a space to discuss issues that concern the industry at large, and to exchange information with an interest in maintaining its growth. The formation of the Group will be marked by an event on May 6 2024 in Nippon Budokan under the banner of United Japan Pro-Wrestling.”
More Details On United Japan Pro-Wrestling
In the announcement, NJPW stated that the mission statement would be to “further the presence of pro-wrestling and its cultural merit in Japanese society at large, allow professional wrestling to contribute further to cultural and sporting sectors, and work toward continued health and prosperity of the industry.
The list of the members is as follows:
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling (New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co. Ltd.)
- All Japan Pro-Wrestling (All Japan Pro-Wrestling Co. Ltd.)
- Pro-Wrestling NOAH (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)
- DDT Pro-Wrestling (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)
- Ganbare ☆ Pro-Wrestling (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)
- Big Japan Pro-Wrestling （Yotsuba Industries Ltd.)
- DRAGONGATE (DRAGONGATE Co. Ltd.)
- STARDOM (BushiRoad Fight Co. Ltd.)
- Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)
NJPW wrote that additional group members will be considered in the future.
Seiji Sakaguchi is the founding chair, and NJPW chairman Naoki Sugabayashi will serve as the executive chief.
WrestleZone will provide more information as it becomes available.
