New Japan Pro Wrestling President and former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi has revealed NJPW’s goals for 2024.
In December 2023, former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi was appointed as NJPW President and Representative Director.
“The Ace” has taken the role at a crucial time in the history of New Japan, which includes his former rival and friend Kazuchika Okada deciding to leave the company.
Speaking with Liam Wyatt of Inside The Ropes, Hiroshi Tanahashi discussed how building new stars is one of the major goals for NJPW this year. He said:
“This is a star-driven business, and we need to make new stars.”
“That goes beyond success in the ring as well- mainstream awareness and name value is the key to success. I want more of our wrestlers becoming household names,”
Pinpointing an expansion into Asia as a major goal for the promotion, Tanahashi said:
“The scale and scope of our events in the US lately is something we’re really happy with and we want to maintain that, but from this year, New Japan is going to put a lot of effort into our expansion in Asia and you’ll see that become an area of major growth for us in my opinion,”
Hiroshi Tanahashi is set to defend the NJPW World TV Championship against Matt Riddle this Friday, February 23 at NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo.
The two shows in Sapporo will mark Kazuchika Okada’s final shows for New Japan Pro Wrestling.
WrestleTalk will provide any news and notes from either NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo show when they become available.
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