What’s the story?
New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that it will be changing the way it deals with talent contracts for the foreseeable future.
NJPW previously signed its talent to rolling one-year contracts that expired in January, but 2017 has seen what must now be considered the second biggest wrestling promotion in the world take a new stance.
Multi-year deals will not only provide extra security for the promotion but also for the talent themselves, as performers will now have a better idea of their long-term position in the company.
Another major reason for the long-term contracts could well be the various talent raids the company has suffered over the last few years.
Antonio Inoki’s fascination with shoot style wrestling led to Satoshi Kojima and The Great Muta (Keiji Mutoh in Japan) jumping ship to AJPW in 2002, and just last year WWE snapped up Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows the night after Wrestle Kingdom 10.
In case you didn’t know
NJPW is gearing up for a huge 2017. Wrestle Kingdom 11 somehow managed to exceed incredibly high expectations, with many referring to the Kazuchika Okada/Kenny Omega match as the greatest in pro wrestling history.
Also read: NJPW News: Kenny Omega feels wrestling is becoming a monopoly because of the WWE
With shows in the USA and Australia planned for later in the year, world domination is next on NJPW’s list, and by tying talent down to longer contracts the company puts itself in a more secure long term position.
The heart of the matter
Does this benefit just the promotion, or will the talent see positives from this also? Both could be true, with the long-term employment being a benefit to talent working in the always changing world of professional wrestling.
The long-term nature of the contracts also improves the negotiating power of the wrestlers themselves. Alternatively, the talent could miss out on any financial benefits if NJPW continues to rise at its current rate. The plusses and minuses are clear for all to see.
What’s next?
This is still fresh news, so little is known about how the performers themselves will react.
Japanese society is known for its adherence to loyalty, so in many ways, the decision to move to longer contracts could be somewhat superfluous. Still, one can never be too secure, and the long contracts will allow New Japan to plan longer than it already does.
Sportskeeda’s take
2017 really is gearing up to be a huge year for NJPW. Will this mean that WWE finally has some competition on the horizon? Maybe so, but as long as New Japan keeps cranking out the quality of shows that it has for the past few years, the fans will continue to be the winners.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
