10 Things WWE Doesn't Want You To Know About NJPW

6. It Is The New Mecca

Okada plays the Crystal Maze
NJPW1972.com

WWE is - or was - the ultimate aspiration of any pro wrestler, whether they subscribe to the belief that WrestleMania truly is the grandest stage, or are motivated purely on financial terms.

Increasingly - albeit slowly - that no longer seems to be the case. WWE isn't the company in which dreams of superstardom are realised; in the last two or so years especially, it has become an anti-meritocracy in which full-time performers are succumbing to the grind and the resolute lack of acknowledgement. Cody, tiring of the terrible gimmicks and the midcard purgatory they condemned him to, left for pastures new. He reinvented himself as one of the top stars of an increasingly lucrative independent scene - as well, of course, as New Japan, in which a boss versus underboss programme looms with Bullet Club leader Kenny Omega.

CJ Parker, sensing his aimless direction in NXT - much less the irony that is a "promotion" to the main roster - rechristened himself as Juice Robinson, and in 2017 has grown into one hell of a performer in the East. The King of the Cruiserweights is dead, but Neville is a dead cert to tear up New Japan in 2018.

We're nowhere near a mass exodus. But with much yen to be made and genuine opportunities to grasp, many wrestlers are stepping away from the stepping stone mentality.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!