Hiroshi Tanahashi on NJPW Looking To Increase Pay & Introduce Multi-Year Deals for NJPW Talents, Attendance for NJPW Shows Have “Calmed Down” Since He Retired, Partnership with Stardom, Bushiroad Employees Being Frustrated By Yota Tsuji’s Comments

Proresu-TODAY held a recent interview with New Japan Pro Wrestling President Hiroshi Tanahashi. One of the topics discussed included Tanahashi’s thoughts about the talent departures over the past several years and NJPW looking into making changes including giving pay raises and multi-year contracts to their wrestlers.

“I’ve stayed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling my whole career, but there was a time in the past, around 2004, when I considered going to America.  So I understand how the wrestlers feel. As a professional, it’s only natural to want to join a promotion that values you highly and offers better terms, including higher pay. That’s precisely why improving New Japan’s internal structure, raising pay rates, and revising contract terms are urgent priorities. I strongly feel that we must create a ‘barrier’ to prevent good wrestlers from being poached by other promotions—such as by introducing multi-year contracts—and maintain the strengths of New Japan Pro-Wrestling.”

Tanahashi also gave his thoughts about how he plans to compete with the wealthy pro wrestling organizations that are overseas and the difficulty in trying to match what United States-based companies can offer to talents.

“The guarantee amounts offered by overseas promotions are indeed enormous. It’s a world where hundreds of millions of yen change hands with multi-year contracts, so the reality is that it’s still difficult to offer contracts of that level in Japan, given the current market size. So, how do we raise the guarantees for the wrestlers who choose to stay and compete in Japan? There’s really only one tried-and-true path: Put on great matches, work hard on promotional activities, and boost the promotion’s revenue.

That’s why we’re now actively encouraging young wrestlers like Shota Umino and Yuya Uemura to appear in the media and participate in promotional activities. They’re helping to raise their profile, increase merchandise sales, and boost audience attendance. That, in turn, becomes profit for the entire promotion and ultimately leads directly to higher pay for them. It’s important that they understand this cycle and act accordingly.”

Tanahashi also gave his thoughts about how he wants to establish contracts with wrestlers that would allow them to be based overseas while being able to compete at New Japan’s big events.

“At this point, our focus is on further strengthening our overseas strategy. Currently, our relationships with major overseas promotions, including AEW, are very strong. Even if a wrestler seeks opportunities in AEW or elsewhere, it doesn’t mean our ties are completely severed. If the wrestler’s wishes and conditions align, we want to create a flexible and new form of contract and scheme that allows them to continue participating in New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s big matches while being based overseas, like an advanced version of overseas training. It’s crucial to create a system where wrestlers, unbound by the constraints of exclusive contracts, can thrive on the global stage and bring that experience back to the New Japan ring.”

Tanahashi also gave his thoughts about how the attendances for NJPW’s shows have “calmed down” since his retirement against Kazuchika Okada at this past January’s Wrestle Kingdom 20 event.

“I don’t mean this as an excuse, but… the analysis that comes up most often is that, ‘The attendance has temporarily calmed down because Hiroshi Tanahashi retired.’ There’s a bit of a dilemma in thinking, if Tanahashi were still around, we could have maintained the numbers, or at least stopped the decline.”

Tanahashi also gave his thoughts about NJPW’s current partnership with Stardom and how they will continue working with Stardom but he feels they should not be overlapping in the ring at the moment and both promotions should be aiming to succeed independently.

“We will continue to work closely with our sister company, STARDOM, but in terms of the ring, we should not overlap at this time, and that each should aim for the highest level as an independent genre. New Japan Pro-Wrestling will continue to evolve as the organization that generates the most energy in the world. Please look forward to it.”

Tanahashi also gave his thoughts about how some Bushiroad employees were frustrated by the negative comments IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji made about the company at this past February’s The New Beginning in Osaka 2026 event.

“As Tsuji responded to that remark in the ring by saying, ‘Let’s all look in the same direction. Let’s walk together to make this promotion stronger and bigger,’ and the fundamental desire to improve the promotion is something both the staff and the wrestlers are completely united on. However, Tsuji’s use of the analogy of ‘cards in a card game’ was inconsiderate of Bushiroad, the owner company. It is true that some of the Bushiroad employees who have been so supportive of New Japan Pro-Wrestling felt sad or frustrated.

As Tsuji himself mentioned afterward, the way he conveyed it led to misunderstandings, and we must never lack respect for our business partners with whom we walk side by side. Afterward, I had a thorough discussion with Tsuji, and I also spoke directly with Bushiroad’s owner, Mr. Kidani.”