It was reported last week that New Japan Pro Wrestling President and CEO Harold Meij will be resigning from his position, with NJPW USA President Takami Ohbari taking Meij’s position later this month.
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the feeling inside the company is that Ohbari’s hiring is mainly a case for public positioning, and he’s not exactly welcomed as a new leader privately. The report notes that while some in the company were happy about Meij leaving, the NJPW fan-base, as well as a selected number of wrestlers, were unhappy as Meij was always very good with them.
There’s also the issue of NJPW’s parent company Bushiroad being the one who choose the company’s CEO, as most of the time their selections include amateurs who don’t really understand the wrestling industry. These actions are said to have hurt NJPW’s morale since Meij’s hiring back in 2018.
Stay tuned.