In a press release last week, BUSHIROAD (New Japan Pro Wrestling’s parent company) President Takaaki Kidani announced that NJPW plans to run shows in the USA as a single entity in 2017.
While the company has been running joint shows featuring NJPW talent with Ring of Honor in the past few year, Kidani now feels that NJPW has gained enough popularity in the United States where they can run shows independently.
This news, along with the rumoured reopening of the NJPW Dojo in Los Angeles, makes many people suspect that NJPW will use Long Beach (a suburb of LA) as their home base which makes sense due to its relative closeness to Japan
Also read: 5 WWE Legends you didn't know wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling
Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com later confirmed the rumour of NJPW running the first 3 shows of the 2017 G1 Climax tournament in Los Angeles which many suspected after Kidani announced his grand plans for the 27th edition of the tournament.
On this week's edition of the Voices of Wrestling Podcast, Joe Lana confirmed that George Carrol who previously worked for Ring of Honor in the logistics department, was now working with NJPW to help them arrange the shows in the United States.
Today, Carrol dropped a “cryptic’ tweet revealing that NJPW plans to run the LA Shows in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center at the Long Beach Convention Center.
This is a part of KIdani’s global expansion plans and follows the announcement of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 being broadcasted over four weeks on AXS TV starting January 11, 2017, just a week after the show is broadcasted live on NJPWWorld.com.
Kidani also announced plans of starting a kickboxing league (which would feature handsome men to capitalise on the female fanbase much like the “mould” of NJPW stars.), the Tiger Mask anime, the Amuse deal and the financial success of the King of Pro Wrestling show in Sumo Hall about which you can read below.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
