An American Dream Turns Into A Nightmare – Why NJPW Is Retreating from the U.S. Market In 2025
Remember when NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) thought they could waltz into America and steal some thunder from WWE? The Land of the Rising Sun’s premier wrestling promotion has been running fewer shows in America, and it’s clear that those promised expansion plans are on hold. Let’s be brutally honest here – this isn’t exactly shocking news.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: NJPW’s U.S. Presence Hits Rock Bottom
The statistics paint a pretty grim picture for NJPW’s stateside ambitions. Through August 2025, the company managed to drag themselves across the Pacific Ocean exactly three times. Compare that to their six American ventures in 2024 and eight in 2023, and you’re looking at a promotion in full retreat mode.
We’re talking about a company that once had grand visions of becoming a legitimate competitor in the American wrestling landscape. Remember the NJPW STRONG brand? That was supposed to be their secret weapon, their way of utilizing all that American-based talent they’d signed. Well, that experiment ended faster than a Goldberg match.
Wrestlers Just Don’t Want to Make the Trip Anymore
Here’s where things get really interesting, and embarrassing for New Japan. According to multiple sources, some of their own wrestlers are basically saying “thanks, but no thanks” when it comes to American tours. Can you imagine being so unenthusiastic about expanding your brand that your own talent doesn’t want to participate? This reluctance from the roster speaks volumes about the current state of NJPW’s American operations.
Ticket Sales Tell the Real Story
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: nobody’s buying tickets. According to industry insiders, declining attendance has become a major factor in New Japan’s decision to scale back their American presence. The harsh reality is that American wrestling fans have more options than ever before with WWE, AEW, GCW, MLPW, TNA, and many other independent promotions. Its hard to sell tickets with as many options in America.
The AEW Factor: How Tony Khan Accidentally Killed New Japan’s American Dreams
You can’t discuss NJPW’s American struggles without mentioning the Tony Khan elephant in the room. When All Elite Wrestling launched, they didn’t just compete with WWE – they systematically absorbed much of what made NJPW appealing to American audiences in the first place.
AEW marketed itself as the promotion for fans who wanted serious wrestling, great matches, and international talent. Sound familiar? It was essentially New Japan’s American business model, except with better marketing & cash flow, more accessible programming, and wrestlers who actually wanted to be there. Heck a lot of New Japan’s top talents went to AEW and that hurt them badly as well. Luckily AEW and NJPW have a clear partnership with Tony Khan opening the Forbidden Door.
COVID Changed Everything Too
The pandemic didn’t just disrupt New Japan’s expansion plans; it completely derailed them. When travel restrictions hit, the company found themselves with a roster full of American-based talent and no way to get them back and forth between countries. The pandemic help kill the whole STRONG experiment lasted about as long as most New Japan American tours these days.
What This Means for Wrestling Fans Moving Forward
Where does this leave American wrestling fans who actually enjoyed NJPW? Unfortunately, it leaves them largely out in the cold. Unless you’re planning a trip to Tokyo or willing to settle for streaming shows at ungodly hours, your options for experiencing NJPW live are becoming increasingly limited.
For now, American fans will have to content themselves with the occasional streaming show and the memories of what could have been. As for New Japan, they’ll probably be just fine focusing on their home market with Hiroshi Tanahashi as the president of the company.
