The Real Reason NJPW Lost Their US TV Deal
The NJPW on AXS deal is dead. Here's why.
New Japan Pro Wrestling's affiliation with AXS TV ended last week, leaving one of the world's biggest promotions without a television deal in the United States. Unideal, given their expansion aspirations, though the writing was likely on the wall from the moment Impact Wrestling's parent company, Anthem, purchased the network to host their own weekly show last year.
Per Dave Meltzer on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, the reason NJPW was booted from AXS was because the company turned down the opportunity to forge a working relationship with Impact.
New Japan would've likely been welcome to stay on AXS had they worked with Impact. They said "no," Anthem said "see you later," and NJPW is off the network, having expected to remain with AXS TV until their contract expired in 2021.
The heat between the two promotions stems from 2010, when NJPW was upset by how Kazuchika Okada was booked while on an excursion with TNA. Today's Impact isn't the same company, of course, and the ownership hierarchy is completely different, but the grudge remains.
US consumers must now consume NJPW's product through New Japan World and the occasional FITE.tv broadcast, with this weekend's Wrestle Kingdom 14 two-dayer available on both platforms.