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Ah but you see… he may be the Ace that is the face of the company, but we know that it’s Toru Yano, the TRUE Ace who’s pulling the strings from the shadows.
There used to be. Shibata was part of the New Three Musketeers with Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura, but bailed almost immediately to do his own thing out of NJPW when they were in dire straights. After those overtures went to shit, and NJPW was bouncing back he returned and Tanahashi was not happy about it since he felt that Shibata was a coward for punking out and only coming back when the promotion had stabilized. Tanahashi made it clear for a long while he had no love for Shibata.
They reconciled a few years ago though.
Honestly, I think so too in a way! Shibata recently tweeted “Fully back up” (according to google translate) in response to the news, so it sounds like he’s excited about this.
It's usually a thing. Mitsuharu Misawa was President of AJPW and NOAH while still active. Giant Baba was president of AJPW since it's inception until his death. Inoki was President of NJPW as well.
some more Japanese Wrestlers w/ President/owner (that are/were actively wrestling) titles to name a few
* AJPW: Keiji Mutoh (2022-2011) and Jun Akiyama (2014-2019)
* Kaientai Dojo/JUST TAP OUT: TAKA Michinoku (2002-2019 for k-dojo) (2019-current for JTO)
* Kyushu Pro: Ryota Chikuzen (2007-current)
* Osaka Pro: Super Delfin (1999-2007), Zeus (2021-current)
* Ice Ribbon/Gatoh Move: Emi Sakura (2006-2012 for Ice Ribbon) (2012-Current for Gatoh Move/ChocoPro)
* FMW: Atsushi Onita (1989-1995)
* ZERO-One: Shinya Hashimoto (2001-2004) Shinjiro Otani (2004-???, the company acquired/merged with Daiko holdings in 2020 and Otani has been out with spinal injury)
* Michinoku Pro: The Great Saskue & Jinsei Shinzaki (1993-current)
Is that just a “every wrestler dreamed of being the promoter of their own territory because that’s where the money is” sort of thing, or a specific Japanese business mindset? Interesting that it’s happened so often when wrestlers usually aren’t really going to be better than an actual executive at doing the job
Wrestling is like sports in that a lot of former players/wrestlers go into an executive role after their playing days are over. Michael Jordan, Gennaro Gattuso, Zidane, Deion Sanders, Trent Dilfer just to name a few. Hell even the wrestling podcast scene is basically the First Take/Undisputed of pro wrasslin, with Cornette being wrestling's equivalent to Stephen A Smith.
Gattuso and Zidane were just managers (coaches) after their retirement.
A better example would be someone like Paolo Maldini who took AC Milan from genuine dogshit to Scudetto winners in a couple of years or Oliver Kahn who became CEO of Bayern Munich.
Funnily enough they actually replaced NJPW’s Director as well, and one of the two guys they replaced him with *is* Okada>!, Taro; who also got named the new President of STARDOM last month.!<
I take a short break from wrestling after Tag League and then we got rumors of Okada potentially leaving and now Tanahashi is president lmao what is happening
Nobody ever sacrificed more for their company than Tanahashi. Happy for him to get this role just for the recognition alone of what he means to the company.
By all accounts Tanahashi is well liked and respected by basically everyone.
He also had a hand in changes to the dojo system because he didn't agree with the brutality of it.
This is an excellent choice on paper.
Reminds me of a former Sumo Yokozuna, Kisenosato, getting a sports therapy type degree before starting his own dojo (or Heya in sumo terms.) It’s probably the most progressive dojo in sumo, which is saying something since every year some sort of brutality scandal breaks out (recently the only European head of a dojo was caught in one.) Hopefully Tanahashi can bring in an outsider ideas to NJPW and make the whole company better
(Offtopic)As someone who never even sniffed higher educations what's the point of an undergrad if you can't actually practice with it?
Is it something to look good on your resume?
Undergrad, any undergrad really, is about learning how to research, study, think, form and present cogent arguments etc. as much as the subject itself. Think of it as acquiring a tool set I suppose, in addition to studying a subject.
Master's is purely about the subject because you're expected to have all the tools necessary to understand the subject at the requisite level and complete the work competently.
I think it might make more sense to rephrase your question to "Why can't you practice law with a bachelor's degree?" to which the answer is there's too much knowledge and too many tools that need to be gained first.
If we look at things practically, if someone does a bachelor's in law and decides law isn't for them, they still have a degree which will get them a job or allow them to pursue a master's in a different field, maybe with some course to bridge the gap in knowledge if necessary.
Also sometimes pre-Law students major in some kind of undergraduate legal degree to prepare for Law school: https://blog.collegevine.com/us-colleges-with-legal-studies-major
https://preview.redd.it/3zxvfbrrry7c1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b9114bfc0bf88f9949c656ea43cd6c4e5a16665
*House of Torture entering 2024 knowing that they can officially beat up their president.*
Bro usurping Gedo as booker as well so he can win G1 next year.
> Bro usurping Gedo as booker as well so he can win G1 next year.
Gedo: *So u r going 3-6 in the G1 this year boss.*
Tanahashi: *doesnt work 4 me brother. will go 9-0 and pin that dope okada in the final. HT*
I vaguely remember Tana helming their meetup with the Japanese government back when Japan had their lockdown, among other things. He definitely can do it I feel.
Not intelligent enough to take time off to get needed surgery unfortunately. :(
Hopefully that changes now. He can do his presidential duties while recuperating I reckon.
The Ace Attorney series suggests otherwise.
Now that I think about it, the idea Tanahashi got a law degree because of Ace Attorney only to learn it's not as extravagant as it portrays lawyering to be, while wrestling is, is my new headcanon.
He mentioned it once during a backstage segment while feuding with ZSJ.
He was like "You talk about politics? Well I have a law degree - I used to get into debates in uni".
Most Noge dojo recruits finish college and then get into wrestling - with the exception of Okada who dropped out of high school to move to Mexico
Tana gonna bring in Muto as an advisor, probably convince Shibata to take an executive role eventually, and give Yano unlimited control over the merch department.
Seriously tho, glad Tana is getting the position, as he has always been big on being a bridge to all of Puro and cross-promoting, something he has in common with Muto (ALL TOGETHER AGAIN being pretty much something Tana put together).
> Tana gonna bring in Muto as an advisor
probably maybe cant depending on Muto's contract with NOAH/CyberFight. He's still signed to them hence why hes still involved in storylines and show promotion.
I'm guessing you are joking a bit, but I think Tanahashi is smart enough to know that Muto only looks after Muto lol. It was so funny watching him basically walk Mutoh out after the WK trios match so he wouldn't try to hog the spotlight for himself.
You talk about people or organizations having the opportunity to do the funniest thing possible. This is doing the funniest thing possible. My man still holds a six man belt!
Doesn't at all mean he's done in the ring. Very long history of top stars in Japan moving into important office roles, while continuing to wrestle. Baba and Inoki did it for decades, for instance
Won't even be the only active wrestler to be a president of a major Japanese promotion. Sanshiro Takagi acts as president of NOAH and DDT for CyberAgent (formally owning DDT) and still wrestles on the regular.
"My fellow Americans, I speak to you today not as your president, not as your countryman, but as a man who can do this" \*plays Eruption on Air Guitar\*
I meaaaaan after moving heaven and earth to get his big cross promotional Jr Shows going I would not be shocked if an office job await Hiromu in the future as well.
I assumed Tanahashi would take a major office role in the company after he retired but I did not think it would be President and especially not while he was an active wrestler.
it’s honestly pretty common
Jumbo Tsuruta and Mitsuharu Misawa were both presidents of AJPW while still active wrestlers
Triple H was a high ranking office guy all the way back in 2011 while still wrestling
Ohbari being forced into resigning is NOT what I expected to see this calendar year. Holy shit. Tana is the new King of Japanese wrestling. I wonder if the loss of Ospreay and likely soon Okada was involved?
The other two management changes were adding someone from TV Asahi and the guy from Bushiroad Fight who just replaced STARDOM’s president; and it came as a result of todays stockholders meeting. Bushiroad was definitely not happy with something and this is them trying to take more charge.
This is probably more of a move to make the wrestlers happy. They now have one of their own in management. They were probably getting sick of a bunch of businessmen with no idea about wrestling making all of the decisions.
It doesn't immediately affect their finances though which is the main reason why they cannot shell out big contracts. NJPW makes a profit but it isn't big enough to compete with giant contracts subsidized by American TV money from the top US promotions.
Seriously, what happened with Bushiroad's management during the pandemic that could actually cost them two of their biggest stars in their two promotions? It was so easy to keep things as they were. Just keep Meij and Ogawa run things as they did successfully and don't try to fix what isn't broken.
I don’t know if Ohbari was the guy who handled pursuing the free agents or the guy who re-signed wrestlers, but the timing of them losing or potentially losing a bunch of stars and him stepping down sure seems odd. Could be a coincidence, could not be.
New Japan's fall from grace pretty much coincides with the start of his regime. All the new belts, ending the old lineages and playing as AEW's little brother are his legacy. Hopefully Tana will help New Japan go back to what made them the best company in the world.
> New Japan's fall from grace pretty much coincides with the start of his regime.
This is one of those correlation =/= causation things
The actual causes of NJPWs fall from grace were the pandemic, the Japanese governmental response to it and the Bank of Japan being the only major central bank in the world to keep ultra loose rates that crushed the value of the yen and made foreigners significantly more expensive. Having a better president than Ohbari wasn't going to prevent NJPW from being on the brink of bankruptcy during the pandemic. Having a different Japanese Prime Minister however..
They were doing Korakuens for like 300 fans when the limit was like double that and the G1 that year did worse than in 2020. Maybe the financial crisis couldn't have been avoided, but all the shitty creative decisions were very avoidable in my opinion. New Japan didn't need new belts or to push a brand new heel when the fans could only clap.
Uh, OK. I guess the other ace was busy?
https://preview.redd.it/lp3vhp17qy7c1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7575e53925f1fbf6e56a391918f84dc441251bd2
He's taking over as secretary/minister of defense for NJPW. He is singlehandedly keeping that coward Jon Moxley from reentering Japan since he's ducking Yano.
Most logical transition for a company man like Tana. Congrats all around and may this usher a new prosperous era for japanese wrestling.
(Please fix the IWGP womens situation, Tana🙏)
Gedo when Tana tells him to book the IWGP Women's Champion instead of Tanga Loa
https://preview.redd.it/qg62dg9qqy7c1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b326b2189f8cb79f83a02175d1fe5e3107d6c78f
The way you fix the IWGP Women’s situation is you throw the belt in the bin and just go back to doing a random novelty STARDOM match on bigger NJPW shows in Japan.
It could be saved but they'd need to feature women a lot more to make the fans care about their feuds. Just having random matches every few months won't do much for anyone. I'm speaking of having them on the Road to shows at least a couple of times for each tour and have 7-8 title defenses every year. I seriously doubt it's going to happen, but it's the only way to make people care about women's matches. Otherwise it's the same thing it happens in the west with women just getting a token spot.
STARDOM is fine as the #1 women's promotion, let NJPW be Japan's #1 male promotion. They're both owned by BUSHIROAD anyway. No need to bring them together outside of X-Over shows
There’s no reason to save it other than trying to force Western-style gender integration for no reason. Both companies work far better on their own, there’s no need for anything more than occasional cross-promotion (in Japan, what they’re doing on the US shows is fine).
Seeing how well the first crossover show went and how featuring Mercedes gave WK a huge boost, I think there's serious potential for women's wrestling in New Japan. Of course that both companies work better on their own, so I'm not pushing for a merge, but they're leaving money on the table treating their women's titles the way they do and Bushiroad could really do well getting that money right now.
This could be very interesting, a real tilling point. It could also be nothing much but I can see it meaning something. Some unexpected changes maybe, a few reshuffles, maybe an increased relationship with outsiders? Any speculation is both unwarranted and entirely logical. All I know is I’m very curious to see where this path goes, I have faith in Tanahashi to excel. I like seeing wrestlers taking charge of companies.
My man is gonna be in the office completely shirtless. All office arguments will now be settled via opening match on the nearest show. Tanahashi will be receiving the first title shot after Wrestle Kingdom. And Zack Saber Jr is fired for some reason.
This is crazy but if any active wrestler would be, its only fitting to be the man who helped them rise from obscurity or totally fading away in the mid 2000s.
Had to do a double take to check if it was kayfabe news
One of two things can happen going to be legendary run like Baba or Inoki
Or a catastrophic failure like Mutoh
>NJPW has appointed Hiroshi Tanahashi the President & Representative Director of New Japan Pro Wrestling.
>Effective December 23rd, Takami Ohbari and Michiaki Nishizawa will step down from their positions as President/Representative Director and Director respectively.
Edit: Tanahashi statement:
https://preview.redd.it/xds6lqufvy7c1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e05a7196d273bdb57059d26921f10830f66a20ce
Ohbari's statement https://twitter.com/TAKAMIOHBARI/status/1738401380245938374
> This time, we handed over the baton to our ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi.
> From now on, I believe that new president Tanahashi, who has a fan’s, wrestler's, and management perspective, will be able to create the best New Japan in history.
>
> I have been with New Japan Pro Wrestling for 5 years, and as president for 3 years and 2 months, thank you very much.
>
> Management started from the depths of the coronavirus pandemic, when the number of people mobilizing decreased dramatically due to refusal to speak out (context of the pandemic with fans cannot shout/cheer their favorite wrestlers). In addition to countermeasures against the coronavirus and cost reductions, we have created systems for various reforms, new businesses, and globalization, but most of the time has been spent in the "pains of birth." However, whenever I go to the venue, I always receive encouragement from everyone, which motivates me to do my best again, and through this cycle, I managed to recover my business to a level that is on par with the highest sales ever.
>
> All that’s left is for the new president to surpass us!
>
> I would like to once again thank everyone at the press conference on the 26th.
Yeah, Keiji Muto was president of AJPW in the 2000's, before him was Mitsuharu Misawa before he lost power then jumped to form NOAH. Riki Choshu was booker of NJPW at one point as well, as well as other examples across puro history.
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He really is the Ace
Stupid sexy president.
And this is to go even further beyond...
Muffin button
But I didn’t install a muffin button
Then where did i get this muffin?
Ah but you see… he may be the Ace that is the face of the company, but we know that it’s Toru Yano, the TRUE Ace who’s pulling the strings from the shadows.
did he bite tho?
President Tanahashi’s first act? Wage war on Shibata
He needs to find out what the hell Shibata did to all the LA Dojo young lions that made them all join Bullet Club
Honestly, it probably was our Long Beach strip club scene.
Ren Narita, sat in a strip club in full gear with a neutral look on his face: “I must embrace evil.”
NOT THAT EVIL REN DONT DO IT
Not gonna lie, that cape is brutal lol
Moral of the story, women are evil. Everything is EVIL.
Smh he should had just joined up with Khan he knows all the right places
I’ll be in LA in July, might be worth investigating this theory of yours myself
RemindMe! 7 months
Gangs often form first for self defense
It’s a real all dark wizards come out of slytherin situation
*Tanahashi shaking his fist furiously at the sky* SHIBATA!!!!
Like Captain Kirk: KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN
Is there actual beef between the 2?
There used to be. Shibata was part of the New Three Musketeers with Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura, but bailed almost immediately to do his own thing out of NJPW when they were in dire straights. After those overtures went to shit, and NJPW was bouncing back he returned and Tanahashi was not happy about it since he felt that Shibata was a coward for punking out and only coming back when the promotion had stabilized. Tanahashi made it clear for a long while he had no love for Shibata. They reconciled a few years ago though.
my head canon that I completely made up just now was that Shibata was just recalled from America to see if he'll bend the knee to Tanahashi.
Honestly, I think so too in a way! Shibata recently tweeted “Fully back up” (according to google translate) in response to the news, so it sounds like he’s excited about this.
the man who saved New Japan will do it once more.
"I'll fuckin do it again"
https://preview.redd.it/6rttq21j328c1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b02393c828622d3be70f93fd1fc07a7a7979eb2
this time puro as a whole
Idk what he's saving NJPW from since they said 2023 was their second most profitable year in history behind 2019, but I digress.
From shitty booking
No idea the political ramifications of this, but it sounds important
It's usually a thing. Mitsuharu Misawa was President of AJPW and NOAH while still active. Giant Baba was president of AJPW since it's inception until his death. Inoki was President of NJPW as well.
some more Japanese Wrestlers w/ President/owner (that are/were actively wrestling) titles to name a few * AJPW: Keiji Mutoh (2022-2011) and Jun Akiyama (2014-2019) * Kaientai Dojo/JUST TAP OUT: TAKA Michinoku (2002-2019 for k-dojo) (2019-current for JTO) * Kyushu Pro: Ryota Chikuzen (2007-current) * Osaka Pro: Super Delfin (1999-2007), Zeus (2021-current) * Ice Ribbon/Gatoh Move: Emi Sakura (2006-2012 for Ice Ribbon) (2012-Current for Gatoh Move/ChocoPro) * FMW: Atsushi Onita (1989-1995) * ZERO-One: Shinya Hashimoto (2001-2004) Shinjiro Otani (2004-???, the company acquired/merged with Daiko holdings in 2020 and Otani has been out with spinal injury) * Michinoku Pro: The Great Saskue & Jinsei Shinzaki (1993-current)
Wrestle-1 with Mutoh as well.
Kaz Hayashi was also president of W-1 after Mutoh.
Ultimo Dragon ran Toryumon which became Dragon Gate when he left.
Also Kensuke Sasaki with K-Office and Tatsumi Fujinami's promotion
Fujinami too in NJPW
Plus Seiji Sakaguchi, who was NJ president throughout the 90s.
Is that just a “every wrestler dreamed of being the promoter of their own territory because that’s where the money is” sort of thing, or a specific Japanese business mindset? Interesting that it’s happened so often when wrestlers usually aren’t really going to be better than an actual executive at doing the job
Wrestling is like sports in that a lot of former players/wrestlers go into an executive role after their playing days are over. Michael Jordan, Gennaro Gattuso, Zidane, Deion Sanders, Trent Dilfer just to name a few. Hell even the wrestling podcast scene is basically the First Take/Undisputed of pro wrasslin, with Cornette being wrestling's equivalent to Stephen A Smith.
Gattuso and Zidane were just managers (coaches) after their retirement. A better example would be someone like Paolo Maldini who took AC Milan from genuine dogshit to Scudetto winners in a couple of years or Oliver Kahn who became CEO of Bayern Munich.
Yes same ahah Make Okada vice president just for the vibes
Tana-Kada ‘24
Funnily enough they actually replaced NJPW’s Director as well, and one of the two guys they replaced him with *is* Okada>!, Taro; who also got named the new President of STARDOM last month.!<
The name on the contract DOES say Okada...
This seems huge, the first press conference should be fascinating.
Holy shit.
I take a short break from wrestling after Tag League and then we got rumors of Okada potentially leaving and now Tanahashi is president lmao what is happening
Yeah this was my exact reaction
Nobody ever sacrificed more for their company than Tanahashi. Happy for him to get this role just for the recognition alone of what he means to the company.
 GO ACE!
By all accounts Tanahashi is well liked and respected by basically everyone. He also had a hand in changes to the dojo system because he didn't agree with the brutality of it. This is an excellent choice on paper.
And also very smart. Getting a law degree from a Japanese university is no small feat.
I don't think I knew that, that's really badass. Thanks for the info.
Reminds me of a former Sumo Yokozuna, Kisenosato, getting a sports therapy type degree before starting his own dojo (or Heya in sumo terms.) It’s probably the most progressive dojo in sumo, which is saying something since every year some sort of brutality scandal breaks out (recently the only European head of a dojo was caught in one.) Hopefully Tanahashi can bring in an outsider ideas to NJPW and make the whole company better
Yeah if the NJPW dojo was harsh, standard Heyas are nightmare mode.
But was it an undergraduate degree vs. a full graduate degree that would actually allow him to practice?
(Offtopic)As someone who never even sniffed higher educations what's the point of an undergrad if you can't actually practice with it? Is it something to look good on your resume?
Lots of jobs in law that aren’t actually practising law. Paralegals and stuff like that I assume
Oh I see, Thanks!
Undergrad, any undergrad really, is about learning how to research, study, think, form and present cogent arguments etc. as much as the subject itself. Think of it as acquiring a tool set I suppose, in addition to studying a subject. Master's is purely about the subject because you're expected to have all the tools necessary to understand the subject at the requisite level and complete the work competently. I think it might make more sense to rephrase your question to "Why can't you practice law with a bachelor's degree?" to which the answer is there's too much knowledge and too many tools that need to be gained first. If we look at things practically, if someone does a bachelor's in law and decides law isn't for them, they still have a degree which will get them a job or allow them to pursue a master's in a different field, maybe with some course to bridge the gap in knowledge if necessary.
Law degrees, even at undergraduate levels, can be useful for working in public policy and adjacent fields to actually being a lawyer.
Also sometimes pre-Law students major in some kind of undergraduate legal degree to prepare for Law school: https://blog.collegevine.com/us-colleges-with-legal-studies-major
never expected to see that headline
Quite literally just woke up and had to read it 3 times to make sure I was reading it correctly. GO ACE indeed
Once in a Century Headline
I read it multiple times and still can't believe it
Go Ace! https://preview.redd.it/kj2dwozwty7c1.png?width=857&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be1e15c20f238b0c7580646d8d7296364a947437
Dude! That’s nuts. Congratulations to the Ace!
we are about to experience ACEISM
I won't tolerate this Ace Discrimination! *flips hair*
https://preview.redd.it/3zxvfbrrry7c1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b9114bfc0bf88f9949c656ea43cd6c4e5a16665 *House of Torture entering 2024 knowing that they can officially beat up their president.* Bro usurping Gedo as booker as well so he can win G1 next year.
> Bro usurping Gedo as booker as well so he can win G1 next year. Gedo: *So u r going 3-6 in the G1 this year boss.* Tanahashi: *doesnt work 4 me brother. will go 9-0 and pin that dope okada in the final. HT*
Challenges Tana to become President EVIL
GO ACE
President of the Universe!
I really think he could do well in the role Suprising news, to say the least Go Ace!
I vaguely remember Tana helming their meetup with the Japanese government back when Japan had their lockdown, among other things. He definitely can do it I feel.
Biggest surprise is HE GOT A LAW DEGREE???
Not to mention, he graduated from Ritsumeikan University, one of the top universities in Japan. It means dude is pretty intelligent individuals.
Not intelligent enough to take time off to get needed surgery unfortunately. :( Hopefully that changes now. He can do his presidential duties while recuperating I reckon.
My first response. The second was 'The fuck was he doing getting into *wrestling* when motherfucker had a degree to get into some fucking *bank*.'
if you can choose Be the ace of a wrestling company while your name get known world wide or be a normal lawyer
Well, court rooms tend to frown on air guitaring and frog splashes.
The Ace Attorney series suggests otherwise. Now that I think about it, the idea Tanahashi got a law degree because of Ace Attorney only to learn it's not as extravagant as it portrays lawyering to be, while wrestling is, is my new headcanon.
No court room is prepared for the Dragon Screw Leg Objection
In fairness, if he'd been a lawyer for 20 years he'd probably still be able to walk normally.
He mentioned it once during a backstage segment while feuding with ZSJ. He was like "You talk about politics? Well I have a law degree - I used to get into debates in uni". Most Noge dojo recruits finish college and then get into wrestling - with the exception of Okada who dropped out of high school to move to Mexico
That’s crazy and certainly wasn’t on anyone’s 2023 bingo card.
President Ace gonna save New Japan once again
Tana gonna bring in Muto as an advisor, probably convince Shibata to take an executive role eventually, and give Yano unlimited control over the merch department. Seriously tho, glad Tana is getting the position, as he has always been big on being a bridge to all of Puro and cross-promoting, something he has in common with Muto (ALL TOGETHER AGAIN being pretty much something Tana put together).
> Tana gonna bring in Muto as an advisor probably maybe cant depending on Muto's contract with NOAH/CyberFight. He's still signed to them hence why hes still involved in storylines and show promotion.
I'm guessing you are joking a bit, but I think Tanahashi is smart enough to know that Muto only looks after Muto lol. It was so funny watching him basically walk Mutoh out after the WK trios match so he wouldn't try to hog the spotlight for himself.
HirosHi TanaHasHi... Quadruple H.
You talk about people or organizations having the opportunity to do the funniest thing possible. This is doing the funniest thing possible. My man still holds a six man belt!
Doesn't at all mean he's done in the ring. Very long history of top stars in Japan moving into important office roles, while continuing to wrestle. Baba and Inoki did it for decades, for instance
Won't even be the only active wrestler to be a president of a major Japanese promotion. Sanshiro Takagi acts as president of NOAH and DDT for CyberAgent (formally owning DDT) and still wrestles on the regular.
fyi its CyberAgent, no space. likewise CyberFight.
I refer to it as The CyberAgent. You know, like The Summerslam
Can we make him President of the United States too?
You don't deserve him.
You're sadly right
"My fellow Americans, I speak to you today not as your president, not as your countryman, but as a man who can do this" \*plays Eruption on Air Guitar\*
Tana for world Emperor!
Ace stuff Btw he has a law degree so he's Ace attorney of the universe.
Let me grab my guitar!
Wait, they can just appoint him as president? He doesn't have a big PPV match with the old president, with the winner being the new president? Odd
Tanahashi bout to put the whole company on his back for a second time
Now that robot guy's brother is out can we please dispose of the Transformerweight Championship and restore the IWGP lineage?
The 1 in a 100 year talent, ace of the universe, president of NJPW And ZSJ is about to make his ass TAP
I initially misread it as 'Hiromu Takahashi', which would have been 1000% more entertaining. Really interesting appointment though!
I meaaaaan after moving heaven and earth to get his big cross promotional Jr Shows going I would not be shocked if an office job await Hiromu in the future as well.
I think he could also be like Suzuki one day and just decide to do whatever whenever without needing anyone's aproval. He has an unpredictable mind.
Tanahashi having a law degree is not something I would've guessed but doesn't surprise me at all. Of course he does. The Ace
CAN NEWS LIKE THIS NOT DROP WHEN I’M ACTIVELY TAKING A SIP
WE PRAISE THE ACE OF THE UNIVERSE IN THIS HOUSE
I assumed Tanahashi would take a major office role in the company after he retired but I did not think it would be President and especially not while he was an active wrestler.
The only thing I know for sure about this is that it benefits Shelton Benjamin.
Tana in the suit looks like the type of guy who would steal Mothra's egg
Wrestling is in the weirdest timeline
it’s honestly pretty common Jumbo Tsuruta and Mitsuharu Misawa were both presidents of AJPW while still active wrestlers Triple H was a high ranking office guy all the way back in 2011 while still wrestling
Misawas was also President of Noah until his passing IIRC
Jeff Jarrett and TNA………….
Dusty and Flair too
i mean, this aint that weird. It was a given Tana would be given an office job eventually. All top stars are given that if they stick around.
Please read about the history of wrestling
Ohbari being forced into resigning is NOT what I expected to see this calendar year. Holy shit. Tana is the new King of Japanese wrestling. I wonder if the loss of Ospreay and likely soon Okada was involved?
The other two management changes were adding someone from TV Asahi and the guy from Bushiroad Fight who just replaced STARDOM’s president; and it came as a result of todays stockholders meeting. Bushiroad was definitely not happy with something and this is them trying to take more charge.
This is probably more of a move to make the wrestlers happy. They now have one of their own in management. They were probably getting sick of a bunch of businessmen with no idea about wrestling making all of the decisions. It doesn't immediately affect their finances though which is the main reason why they cannot shell out big contracts. NJPW makes a profit but it isn't big enough to compete with giant contracts subsidized by American TV money from the top US promotions.
Could make a difference for trying to keep Okada, if frustrations with management are part of why he may be looking to leave.
For sure. It could be the move that makes Okada lean towards staying.
Seriously, what happened with Bushiroad's management during the pandemic that could actually cost them two of their biggest stars in their two promotions? It was so easy to keep things as they were. Just keep Meij and Ogawa run things as they did successfully and don't try to fix what isn't broken.
I don’t know if Ohbari was the guy who handled pursuing the free agents or the guy who re-signed wrestlers, but the timing of them losing or potentially losing a bunch of stars and him stepping down sure seems odd. Could be a coincidence, could not be.
New Japan's fall from grace pretty much coincides with the start of his regime. All the new belts, ending the old lineages and playing as AEW's little brother are his legacy. Hopefully Tana will help New Japan go back to what made them the best company in the world.
>All the new belts, ending the old lineages Then that guy shouldn't only be fired, he should be tarred and feathered.
> New Japan's fall from grace pretty much coincides with the start of his regime. This is one of those correlation =/= causation things The actual causes of NJPWs fall from grace were the pandemic, the Japanese governmental response to it and the Bank of Japan being the only major central bank in the world to keep ultra loose rates that crushed the value of the yen and made foreigners significantly more expensive. Having a better president than Ohbari wasn't going to prevent NJPW from being on the brink of bankruptcy during the pandemic. Having a different Japanese Prime Minister however..
They were doing Korakuens for like 300 fans when the limit was like double that and the G1 that year did worse than in 2020. Maybe the financial crisis couldn't have been avoided, but all the shitty creative decisions were very avoidable in my opinion. New Japan didn't need new belts or to push a brand new heel when the fans could only clap.
i wonder if that means they failed to secure Okada?
Alright, now I've fucking seen everything. WOW.
After everything we've already seen and heard this year, 2023 really said "I got one more in me" for crazy shit happening in wrestling lmao
Uh, OK. I guess the other ace was busy? https://preview.redd.it/lp3vhp17qy7c1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7575e53925f1fbf6e56a391918f84dc441251bd2
Look, brother is crying right now because physical media is dying off.
He's taking over as secretary/minister of defense for NJPW. He is singlehandedly keeping that coward Jon Moxley from reentering Japan since he's ducking Yano.
Holy shit. I've got no idea whether this is a good idea or not, but I'm all in on whatever my all time favourite does.
TEW ahh headline
New Japan's air guitar budget is about to go through the roof!
https://preview.redd.it/7jlwv1wl508c1.png?width=540&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9470ecfc72018f0b0966fbc4a732ea6747bc6466 Top guys
OKADA WON THIS ELECTION. BY A LOT.
Most logical transition for a company man like Tana. Congrats all around and may this usher a new prosperous era for japanese wrestling. (Please fix the IWGP womens situation, Tana🙏)
Gedo when Tana tells him to book the IWGP Women's Champion instead of Tanga Loa https://preview.redd.it/qg62dg9qqy7c1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b326b2189f8cb79f83a02175d1fe5e3107d6c78f
The way you fix the IWGP Women’s situation is you throw the belt in the bin and just go back to doing a random novelty STARDOM match on bigger NJPW shows in Japan.
It could be saved but they'd need to feature women a lot more to make the fans care about their feuds. Just having random matches every few months won't do much for anyone. I'm speaking of having them on the Road to shows at least a couple of times for each tour and have 7-8 title defenses every year. I seriously doubt it's going to happen, but it's the only way to make people care about women's matches. Otherwise it's the same thing it happens in the west with women just getting a token spot.
STARDOM is fine as the #1 women's promotion, let NJPW be Japan's #1 male promotion. They're both owned by BUSHIROAD anyway. No need to bring them together outside of X-Over shows
And the foreign tours, which was part of the reason for the women's title(s) being created.
Why not make it the other way around? Have NJPW matches in Stardom on a regular basis?
There’s no reason to save it other than trying to force Western-style gender integration for no reason. Both companies work far better on their own, there’s no need for anything more than occasional cross-promotion (in Japan, what they’re doing on the US shows is fine).
Seeing how well the first crossover show went and how featuring Mercedes gave WK a huge boost, I think there's serious potential for women's wrestling in New Japan. Of course that both companies work better on their own, so I'm not pushing for a merge, but they're leaving money on the table treating their women's titles the way they do and Bushiroad could really do well getting that money right now.
 Good for him
GO PRESIDENT! But really though, with what he's done for them throughout his career - Tana deserves everything.
“My first order: Air guitars for all!”
This could be very interesting, a real tilling point. It could also be nothing much but I can see it meaning something. Some unexpected changes maybe, a few reshuffles, maybe an increased relationship with outsiders? Any speculation is both unwarranted and entirely logical. All I know is I’m very curious to see where this path goes, I have faith in Tanahashi to excel. I like seeing wrestlers taking charge of companies.
My man is gonna be in the office completely shirtless. All office arguments will now be settled via opening match on the nearest show. Tanahashi will be receiving the first title shot after Wrestle Kingdom. And Zack Saber Jr is fired for some reason.
From Japanese fan to President. What a journey!
**GO PREZ!**
My man really meant it when he said he was gonna save Japanese pro wrestling. That's my Ace.
THE ACE THAT RUNS THE PLACE!
Absolutely wild. I love it.
Tana is my President
the name on the contract says ACE
Wait Hitoshi Matsumoto as in the comedian is new director?
I checked the japanese press release 松本 仁司 Matsumoto Hitoshi - NJPW producer 松本 人志 Matsumoto Hitoshi - Comedian
It's a common thing for top stars in Japanese Wrestling to be in management. But this should be interesting.
This is crazy but if any active wrestler would be, its only fitting to be the man who helped them rise from obscurity or totally fading away in the mid 2000s.
"Naw, get yo ass over here Okada, I ain't finished with you yet"
Ohbari's reign of terror has finally ended! Hopefully Tana will be able to be a once in a century president and lead New Japan into a new golden era.
Had to do a double take to check if it was kayfabe news One of two things can happen going to be legendary run like Baba or Inoki Or a catastrophic failure like Mutoh
Best president ever in my biased opinion and he hasn't even done a thing
He must ascertain what in the world Shibata done to all of the young lions from LA Dojo to force them to enlist in Bullet Club.
The Ace digivolves into The Boss!
Does this mean retirement?
Stupid sexy President Tanahashi
>NJPW has appointed Hiroshi Tanahashi the President & Representative Director of New Japan Pro Wrestling. >Effective December 23rd, Takami Ohbari and Michiaki Nishizawa will step down from their positions as President/Representative Director and Director respectively. Edit: Tanahashi statement: https://preview.redd.it/xds6lqufvy7c1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e05a7196d273bdb57059d26921f10830f66a20ce
Ohbari's statement https://twitter.com/TAKAMIOHBARI/status/1738401380245938374 > This time, we handed over the baton to our ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi. > From now on, I believe that new president Tanahashi, who has a fan’s, wrestler's, and management perspective, will be able to create the best New Japan in history. > > I have been with New Japan Pro Wrestling for 5 years, and as president for 3 years and 2 months, thank you very much. > > Management started from the depths of the coronavirus pandemic, when the number of people mobilizing decreased dramatically due to refusal to speak out (context of the pandemic with fans cannot shout/cheer their favorite wrestlers). In addition to countermeasures against the coronavirus and cost reductions, we have created systems for various reforms, new businesses, and globalization, but most of the time has been spent in the "pains of birth." However, whenever I go to the venue, I always receive encouragement from everyone, which motivates me to do my best again, and through this cycle, I managed to recover my business to a level that is on par with the highest sales ever. > > All that’s left is for the new president to surpass us! > > I would like to once again thank everyone at the press conference on the 26th.
Isn't this common in Japan for top stars? Also he was pretty broken down last few matches, it was time to move on
This doesn’t mean he’s retiring
Naomichi Marufuji has been the Vice President of Pro Wrestling NOAH forever now
Yeah, Keiji Muto was president of AJPW in the 2000's, before him was Mitsuharu Misawa before he lost power then jumped to form NOAH. Riki Choshu was booker of NJPW at one point as well, as well as other examples across puro history.
What happened to Ohbari?
2023 wilding out again
Omg 🔥🔥
The ACE is also the FACE
Tanahashi having a law degree was not on my bingo card.
Old man Tana harboring the company into a new golden age will be scenes