It is official.
New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Wonder Ring Stardom have merged.
On Friday, June 28, 2024, the two companies officially merged, with STARDOM becoming a subsidiary of NJPW. The announcement of the merger was made back in April, however the deal wasn’t completed until this week.
“As announced in April, the merger between STARDOM and New Japan Pro-Wrestling was completed June 28th,” STARDOM announced via X. “STARDOM is now a wholly owned subsidiary of NJPW, and we look forward to your continued support.”
NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi reacted to the news while at the STARDOM event on June 29, noting the two promotions will continue to run business as usual.
“Today, I was officially able to make an address in front of the fans of STARDOM,” Tanahashi stated. “Essentially, STARDOM and New Japan shows will continue to run as they have previously. But there are places where we can work with each other, such as with promotional work and interviews.”
Tanahashi continued, “I’m going over the to the USA, where men’s and women’s wrestling are traditionally both represented equally in companies. I’ll be working with President Okada to make sure that the event can be enjoyed by everyone.”
Hiroshi Tanahashi joins forced with The Acclaimed to take on The Elite trio of Kazuchika Okada and The Young Bucks at AEW & NJPW: Forbidden Door 2024 this Sunday, June 30 in Elmont, N.Y.
(H/T to Fightful for transcribing the above quotes.)