NJPW looking to introduce more multi-year contracts
To help entice wrestlers into staying around longer, NJPW is looking into changing the way it structures its contracts.
NJPW contracts, for the most part, have traditionally been recurring one-year deals that expire around the start of each calendar year. Company president Hiroshi Tanahshi told Pro Wrestling Today that altering that structure is a priority for NJPW, along with raising pay and improving the promotion as a whole.
“I strongly feel that we must create a ‘barrier’ to prevent top talent from being poached by other promotions — such as by introducing multi-year contracts — and maintain the quality that makes New Japan Pro-Wrestling great,” Tanahashi said.
NJPW has experienced some departures recently with The Dogs (David Finlay, Gabe Kidd & Clark Connors) joining AEW and EVIL & Hiromu Takahashi likely heading to WWE. The company also lost Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay to AEW in recent years, though the working relationship between NJPW and AEW does allow for occasional returns.
Tanahashi noted that the guaranteed money being offered by overseas promotions like WWE and AEW is very high. With the current state of the Japanese economy, it’s difficult to compete with those offers. He believes the best way to boost NJPW’s standing is to focus on putting on great shows, increase the company’s exposure in advertising activities, and raise revenue over time. He is encouraging NJPW’s rising stars to raise their profile through making more media appearances and participating in other ways to promote themselves and NJPW as a whole.
In December 2023, Tanahashi was named president of NJPW. He is now solely focused on that executive position after retiring from the ring at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in a match against his long-time rival Okada.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.