Tetsuya Naito reacts to Hiromu Takahashi leaving NJPW
In an interview with Tokyo Sports, Tetsuya Naito reacted to the news that Hiromu Takahashi is leaving NJPW.
It was confirmed this week that Takahashi will have his final NJPW match at the New Beginning in Osaka on February 11. He becomes the latest former Los Ingobernables de Japon member to depart the promotion, after Naito, BUSHI, and EVIL have already left. What’s next for Takahashi and EVIL remains to be seen as we await their next move.
Naito and BUSHI are now freelancers and hold the GHC Tag Team titles in Pro Wrestling NOAH. In the Tokyo Sports interview, Naito said he did not tell Takahashi what to do during this process.
“[Takahashi] was deeply committed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. I never imagined him leaving; it’s sad. Well, maybe I felt that way too,” Naito said. “I had heard that other options were emerging for him. That said, I didn’t tell him anything like ‘You should do this.’ Honestly, my feeling is that he took a step forward. I want to support that step he took.”
Takahashi has described his departure as “super positive” and said it did not result from dissatisfaction with NJPW. He is leaving to pursue a “new dream,” though it is not yet known if he’s heading to an overseas destination like WWE or AEW or becoming a freelancer like Naito.
During the Tokyo Sports interview, Naito questioned why so many wrestlers are leaving NJPW and said he fears the pattern will continue unless NJPW investigates why this is happening. He also expressed optimism that the departures could allow the remaining wrestlers to step up and seize an opportunity that they otherwise might not have gotten.
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.