Tag: takaaki kidani

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Takaaki Kidani issue statements on NJPW ownership change

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW president Hiroshi Tanahashi has issued a statement assuring fans that the promotion remains committed to its mission of delivering the best wrestling possible.

News broke early Wednesday morning that ownership of NJPW has changed hands with Bushiroad transferring all of its shares to TV Asahi and CyberAgent. In a statement posted to NJPW’s Japanese website, Tanahashi expressed his gratitude for the support Bushiroad has given during its 14 years leading the promotion. NJPW hopes to achieve significant growth under its new owners while continuing to deliver the product fans expect.

Tanahashi wrote:

  • To all New Japan Pro-Wrestling fans and everyone who has supported and assisted us,
  • We are pleased to announce that Bushiroad Co., Ltd. will be transferring its shares in our company to TV Asahi Corporation and CyberAgent, Inc. Bushiroad became our parent company in 2012, and through various forms of support — including large-scale advertising campaigns — it has enabled New Japan Pro-Wrestling to achieve significant growth. We are deeply grateful.
  • To repay this kindness, we will now strive as a consolidated subsidiary of TV Asahi, with the support of CyberAgent, to achieve significant growth for New Japan Pro-Wrestling as a united company. Our mission to create the best possible wrestling and provide entertainment for all of you remains unchanged. We sincerely ask for your continued support and encouragement.

Takaaki Kidani statement —

Takaaki Kidani, a wrestling fan and the founder of Bushiroad, put out his own statement reflecting on the time he spent overseeing NJPW. He called the ownership change a positive step, with TV Asahi and CyberAgent able to maximize NJPW’s video assets and advance its digital media operations.

Kidani wrote:

  • Thank you very much for your continued support of New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
  • Today, we have decided to transfer all of our shares in New Japan Pro-Wrestling to TV Asahi and CyberAgent. We realize this announcement may come as a surprise to many of our fans.
  • In 2012, at a major turning point when New Japan Pro-Wrestling was aiming for its next phase of growth, we had the privilege of welcoming the company into our group. Over the past 14 years, believing in the power of pro-wrestling as a wonderful form of entertainment, we have worked tirelessly alongside all of you to bring its appeal to an even wider audience.
  • Thanks to these efforts, at the Tokyo Dome event on January 4 of this year, we recorded an attendance of 46,913, achieving a sold-out crowd for the first time in 28 years. Having overcome the challenge of generational transition, young stars in their 20s and 30s are now rising one after another, shining brilliantly in the ring. As Bushiroad, it is a great source of pride in my life to have witnessed New Japan Pro-Wrestling grow so powerfully and to be able to pass the baton to the next generation.
  • However, for New Japan Pro-Wrestling to make even greater strides globally and continue its golden age, it is essential to maximize the use of our accumulated video assets and evolve into a diversified revenue-generating business centered on a powerful streaming platform.
  • Therefore, I am convinced that the best course of action is to entrust the future to the very best possible owners: first, by returning the reins to TV Asahi, our partner since our founding who has consistently supported New Japan Pro-Wrestling through terrestrial broadcasts; and second, by welcoming CyberAgent as a partner to bring a breath of fresh air through cutting-edge digital media.
  • To all our fans, and to the wrestlers and staff who have continued to support New Japan with their passionate battles, thank you so much for walking alongside Bushiroad all this time. Your passion and cheers have been our greatest driving force.
  • Although [NJPW is] parting ways with Bushiroad, I can confidently say that the future of New Japan Pro-Wrestling is brighter than ever. As a passionate pro-wrestling fan myself, I will continue to cheer on the new golden age that you all will create.
  • Thank you so much for the past 14 years. Please look forward to the future of New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

NJPW ownership transfer —

Before this transfer, Bushiroad — a trading card company — owned 70 percent of NJPW and TV Asahi owned 22.7 percent. TV Asahi and CyberAgent now each own 46.3 percent. The promotion will operate as a “consolidated subsidiary” of TV Asahi while receiving support from CyberAgent.

TV Asahi is NJPW’s longtime broadcast partner and also owns a stake in the NJPW World streaming service. CyberAgent operates the streaming platform Abema and already owns Pro Wrestling NOAH, DDT Pro Wrestling, and Tokyo Joshi Pro through its subsidiary CyberFight.

The share transfer is valued at approximately 3.6 billion yen, which is roughly $22.6 million.

NJPW owner: AEW relationship is ‘very positive,’ we couldn’t ask for a better partner

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW owner Takaaki Kidani believes that his promotion and AEW are “absolutely on an even footing” in their partnership.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Hiroshi Tanahashi addressed his first six months as NJPW president and outlined a 10-point plan to help the company grow. Among those was NJPW strengthening its ties with AEW. Tanahashi said he spoke with Tony Khan while in Las Vegas recently and discussed how NJPW and AEW can continue to collaborate in the future.

Kidani also spoke at the press conference, describing NJPW’s relationship with AEW as very positive. He said NJPW could not ask for a better partnership right now.

Addressing the perception that NJPW is the inferior partner in the relationship, Kidani said that is “not correct.” Kidani believes that the promotions are on an even footing and both offer different strengths. He pointed to NJPW’s history and tradition as one of those strengths, along with the way NJPW develops talent from scratch:

“We have a very positive relationship with AEW right now, and there is room for it to evolve further. There are things we can’t talk about just yet, but I think it’s something that can involve other departments within Bushiroad as well.

“I think that this relationship has settled into something that’s a lot more stable in the long run, and a lot of that comes from Tony Khan having a deep fandom and appreciation for NJPW. He has a lot of passion for 90s guys like Hase, and the Steiners. He’s a fan, and both he and his father have an incredible business acumen. Tony Khan’s father started out making Toyota bumpers, and grew his business eightfold in a 10-year span. And the Khans have had all this success not just in wrestling but American Football and the Premier League. With that acumen and their affinity for Japan, there’s a lot that can be done in the future, and I don’t think NJPW could ask for a better partner right now.

“Having said that, there is the perception that NJPW is treated as a sub brand or is looked down on by AEW. Some of that perception of NJPW being behind comes from the economics at the moment. But the truth of the matter is AEW’s strengths and NJPW’s strengths are different. From development of talent from scratch, to a historical and traditional perspective, there’s a lot NJPW can offer that AEW cannot. So there’s a lot that we can do together and while much of it isn’t something we can discuss right now, there’s a lot we will do. But the idea that NJPW is the inferior partner is not correct. We are absolutely on an even footing, and that’s something we’ll prove in the near future.“

Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay both left NJPW and signed full-time contracts with AEW over the last several months.

Jon Moxley, one of AEW’s top stars, is the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion for NJPW. Moxley is defending the title against EVIL in a lumberjack match at NJPW Dominion this Sunday.

AEW & NJPW will join forces for their Forbidden Door pay-per-view in Long Island, New York on Sunday, June 30. It’s the third straight year the event has taken place.

Here are all 10 points that Tanahashi detailed in his plan for growth:

  1. Talent discovery and development
  2. Elevating the value of title belts
  3. Reducing/eliminating outside interference
  4. Increasing the prominence and status of NJPW Hontai (the group of wrestlers affiliated with main NJPW instead of a different faction)
  5. Strengthening ties with Stardom
  6. Strengthening ties with AEW
  7. Improving the live fan experience
  8. Improving NJPW World
  9. Improved treatment of personal information (after NJPW lost a USB drive that contained some personal information of fan club members this April)
  10. NJPW sponsorships (improving relationships with current sponsors and introducing new ones)