New Japan Pro Wrestling RULE OUT Working Relationship With All Elite Wrestling

New Year's Dashed Hopes.

by Michael Sidgwick
bad luck fale
NJPW

Major news with significant ramifications follows: Dave Meltzer has reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that, as things stand, New Japan Pro Wrestling has ruled out a working relationship with All Elite Wrestling while maintaining the existing relationship with Ring Of Honor.

This, we can infer, is the result of the planned discussions between the three parties that reportedly followed Wrestle Kingdom. The events of New Year's Dash render this unsurprising; the Elite were wholly absent from the show, which resonated as a mission statement for the future of a company untempered by the ascent AEW group. Standing alone, New Japan went all in on the push of in-house prospect Jay White.

To quote Bad Luck Fale, January 5 was very much New Japan saying "F*ck 'em."

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To editorialise, this is quite the ballsy move: by ruling out AEW, depending on Kenny Omega's next destination, the company has effectively ruled out the man who has raised New Japan's profile in the west to an extent that allowed them to expand into it. New Japan have removed piles of money from the table, perhaps out of preemptive concern for a risky political situation.

By affording the Elite such creative freedom - Omega petitioned for a reunion and storyline with Golden Lover Kota Ibushi, for instance - New Japan have perhaps recognised that they have indirectly shaped the successful image of their competition, and are now looking after their own interests.

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Suddenly, this new wrestling war has presented us with a new battle.

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!