American Pro Wrestling fans will wake up Wednesday morning to the shocking news that BUSHIROAD has sold its shares in New Japan Pro Wrestling to TV ASAHI (here's where things get crazy) and CYBERAGENT.
CYBERAGENT will bring New Japan under the same umbrella as their CYBERFIGHT subsidiary which includes Pro Wrestling NOAH, DDT, and Tokyo Joshi-Pro Wrestling.
BUSHIROAD’s Press Release stated the reason they feel selling their shares of NJPW is the right move. Essentially saying they believe with changes in the way the video distribution business works, they have grown New Japan Pro Wrestling as much as they can. BUSHIROAD believes TV ASAHI’s long established video platforms and CYBERAGENT’s digital expertise can take NJPW to the next level.
A line in the BUSHIROAD press release I thought was interesting says “The Company will, however, continue to maintain favorable relationships with each party”
Now, in preparation for this sale, New Japan Pro Wrestling had previously separated its business assets from STARDOM Wrestling. BUSHIROAD will remain sole owner of STARDOM, which currently holds a New Japan Pro Wrestling sanctioned Championship.
This line about the company maintaining favorable relationships may be good news for fans of the NJPW/STARDOM connection.
Credit: CYBERAGENT
But there's another partnership that American Fans might be worried about. That's the All Elite Wrestling/NJPW connection.
CYBERAGENT owns the ABEMA streaming service in Japan which currently holds exclusive rights to WWE TV and PLE events. This deal was signed in September in 2023. However Netflix Vice President of Sports Gabe Spitzer recently let it slip that WWE is coming to Netflix Japan “later in 2026”.
Now it would APPEAR that means the end of the WWE/CYBERAGENT connection, which would also mean the end of the NXT/NOAH partnership. Leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling to do business as usual. But there is no confirmation of that as of press time.
For now, AEW may be able to breath a sigh of relief but anything could happen in this wild world of Professional Wrestling.