News broke earlier this week that current New Japan Pro Wrestling president Harold Meij will be leaving his position in late October. Since then numerous reports of why Meij is leaving have popped up, ranging from the company not hitting its financial goals to the company losing so many American stars in the past two years. One of the biggest follow-up questions to the news was and remains will this change result in a new relationship between New Japan and All Elite Wrestling.
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The current relationship is a unique one. Stars like Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley have the freedom to work for both companies (with the exception of New Japan events taking place in the United States), but nobody from New Japan has popped up on AEW programming. According to the Wrestling Observer there was some “bitterness” following the departure of Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks and Hangman Page before AEW launched and a meeting to potentially establish a working relationship between the two companies was rejected by New Japan officials.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter AEW president Tony Khan gave a comment regarding the change and the speculation that a new partnership might be on the way.
“I’m not sure yet,” Khan said. “But my initial gut feeling is it could be good.”
In recent years New Japan has maintained a talent-sharing program with Ring of Honor Wrestling. Along with the co-promoted War of the Worlds events, New Japan will also send over trainee wrestlers on excursions from the New Japan Dojo to work Ring of Honor events.
Last November, when Dynamite was just one month into its run on TNT, Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks made it seem like a partnership was impossible.
“It’s really not happening,” Jackson wrote via Twitter. “Been asked this thousands of times and telling the truth is always best. Don’t want fans holding onto something that has zero chance of happening.”
Do you think the two promotions should team up now that Meij is leaving? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Here’s everything announced for this week’s upcoming episode of AEW Dynamite:
- 30 Years of Jericho celebration
- AEW TNT Championship: Cody Rhodes vs. Brodie Lee (Dog Collar Match)
- AEW World Tag Team Championships: FTR vs. The Hybrid 2 (Brush With Greatness)
- FTW Championship: Brian Cage vs. Will Hobbs
- Chris Jericho & Jake Hager vs. Chaos Project
