Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your kimonos because the wrestling world in Japan is about to experience a tectonic shift! New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has officially pulled off a maneuver worthy of a championship bout: acquiring the Joshi promotion World Wonder Ring STARDOM. That’s right, the ink is drying on a deal that sees STARDOM morph from a sister act under Bushiroad to a powerhouse arm of NJPW.
Early birds on NJPW’s official website caught the groundbreaking news that the board of directors clinked glasses (figuratively, of course) this Monday, sealing STARDOM’s fate as a “fully owned” subsidiary. The paperwork shuffle won’t just change bank accounts and letterheads; it marks a strategic overhaul with STARDOM reborn as STARDOM Co. Ltd. Just in time, too, as the deal finalizes on June 28, right before the NJPW and AEW’s tag-team event, Forbidden Door, in New York. Expect some fireworks, folks!
What’s the scoop on the leadership shuffleboard? Fear not, continuity fans: Taro Okada remains at the helm as STARDOM’s President and CEO. Both Okada and NJPW’s own head honcho, Hiroshi Tanahashi, are buzzing about this game-changer. They’re promising swifter decisions and slicker operations, all in the name of catapulting pro wrestling into the stratosphere, globally speaking.
This isn’t just corporate musical chairs. Remember, STARDOM and NJPW started playing nice back in October 2019 when Bushiroad (NJPW’s parent company) first brought STARDOM into the family. Since then, it’s been a fruitful partnership with STARDOM stars lighting up NJPW events in Japan and the U.S., and even co-hosting the Historic X-Over event in November 2022, which debuted the first-ever IWGP Women’s Championship.
So, what does this mean for the fans? More thrilling matches, expanded events, and perhaps, just perhaps, a new golden era of wrestling where the women of STARDOM shine brighter than ever under NJPW’s expansive umbrella. Fasten your seatbelts, wrestling aficionados—this ride’s just getting started!