Fightful Select recently spoke with several AEW wrestlers and asked if they believe Harold Meij’s ousting from New Japan Pro Wrestling will lead to a partnership between AEW and NJPW.
Wrestlers who haven’t worked in Japan mostly said that they have not heard a ton of talk about the move and it was not a primary concern for them. The same talking point that almost everyone knows was that there are some hurt feelings on both sides of the NJPW split, with many of the talent who left for AEW.
“It definitely won’t hurt things,” one top AEW talent said. “Most people here are still in touch with the people over there and Meij had alienated a lot of the English-speakers they had on the roster. There wasn’t a lot of belief in him to begin with, but the way he handled that wasn’t good. Tony (Khan) has done his best to keep it amicable.”
Another talent was asked about Khan’s efforts to remain amicable.
“A lot of the deals are set up to allow people to work there,” the wrestler, a former NJPW talent, said. “He could avoid that if he wanted. I think that’s a pretty clear sign whether he says it or not that he wants to. I don’t know if he had a personal relationship with Harold, but I did, and I didn’t want to do business with Harold anymore.”
One wrestler on the current NJPW roster said they were hopeful for a relationship to develop because “it would mean more money for New Japan, AEW and the wrestlers,” but also said that due to NJPW’s expansion into the United States, it might throw a hiccup into the possibility of a working relationship.
You can click here for the latest on Meij leaving NJPW and you can click here for a report on backstage reactions. Stay tuned for more.
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