Taro Okada (36), president of the women's professional wrestling ``Stardom'', responded to an interview on the 5th and explained the circumstances that led to the termination of the contract with executive producer Rossy Ogawa (66).
The organization announced on the 5th that it had terminated the contract with Ogawa on February 4th because it was "aware of the poaching of numerous Stardom players and staff."
President Okada said, ``Around December, I started hearing information that Mr. Ogawa was poaching people.He told me verbally, ``If you're doing that kind of thing (poaching people), please stop,'' and ``I want to continue working with him in the future.'' ''We have been talking about this for a long time, but since then we have confirmed that the act of poaching continues, so we have taken these measures.''
Mr. Ogawa had expressed his intention to resign for some time, and although he tried to persuade him many times, Mr. Ogawa remained steadfast. Initially, we assumed that he would leave the team around March. After that, he received inquiries and consultations from many players about Ogawa's departure.
At the Takadanobaba tournament on January 21st, it was explained to the players, staff, and employees that Ogawa would be leaving the team in March. However, as Mr. Ogawa continued to be poached after that, the company made the decision after considering the seriousness of the situation.
President Okada said, ``We recognize that many of the players (who were poached) are title holders and other popular players,'' adding, ``If those players leave, stardom and the box office will no longer be viable, and in the worst case scenario. ``There was a possibility that we would have to close down the company, so after internal consideration, we notified them that we would be terminating the contract immediately.''
There are speculations in the industry that Mr. Ogawa might start a new organization, but President Okada said, ``Regardless of whether or not he will start a new organization himself, he will not be able to do so while his contract with our company continues. We recognize that solicitation to the effect of 'quitting DAM and working elsewhere' constituted a serious breach of contract as an act of poaching."
Regarding whether there are any players who will follow Ogawa's lead, he revealed, ``I have received inquiries from several players who have expressed their intention to leave the club or are thinking about leaving.''
For the time being, Mr. Okada will take on the role of producer in addition to his role as president. Regarding future prospects, he said, ``Our group has people who understand and have experience in the professional wrestling industry, so with their guidance and cooperation, we will build a solid organization and strengthen the structure of the company. We will rebuild and move forward again.'' He expressed his enthusiasm, saying, ``I believe that revitalizing regional tournaments will lead to increased participation in big matches in major cities, so we will formulate a solid strategy from now on.''
