Naito leaving New Japan

[Kairi HoHo]

NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

www.njpw1972.com

Thank you for supporting New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

In recent weeks, conversations have been ongoing between New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Tetsuya Naito regarding Naito's future wrestling activities. As a result of those conversations, both parties have mutually agreed not to renew Naito's contract with NJPW.

Both parties have arrived at this decision after careful consideration and lengthy conversation. Naito's contract ends on the best possible terms with NJPW, which joins fans in wishing Naito's further success in any and all future endeavours.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling deeply apologises to NJPW and Naito fans for any concern this announcement may cause. Naito will make all of his scheduled appearances through the Dontaku series concluding May 4 in Fukuoka, and looks forward to your ongoing support.

The injuries have piled up for Naito and New Japan is thinking about the long term that Naito might be not be Wrestling too much longer. I love Naito but the past few Years it's been hard to watch his Matches you can see he's breaking down at an alarming rate. It should be interesting what happens with Naito after his deal with New Japan is finished.

 

[O-Blaze]

Oh wow. That's kinda big even with the injuries. Wonder where he goes.

 

[ScareValue]

Look…it sucks because he’s a star to their audience. But the guy has absolutely zero left in his body and I believe he’s all out of eye surgeries he can have on top of that. He makes top guy money and he isn’t going to be a top guy ever again. And I’m sure he wasn’t interested in a pay cut given the physical state he’s in during a career winding down quickly.

I’m not sure who is going to pay hi….but buyer beware

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Between his knee and eye surgeries I wouldn't be shocked to see him fully retire within a Year. Bushi is also leaving New Japan as well on the same date. I can say Naito and Ibushi for a long time were my guys in New Japan and I fell in love with him just as LIJ was about to start and I knew this day could possibly come but never thought it would actually happen. My barking of New Japan needing to get the young guys ready was due to guys like Okada, Ospreay leaving, and now with Naito leaving too yeah they need to get their shit together like today. It's slowing going that way and it needs to continues that way.

 

[ScareValue]

Between his knee and eye surgeries I wouldn't be shocked to see him fully retire within a Year. Bushi is also leaving New Japan as well on the same date. I can say Naito and Ibushi for a long time were my guys in New Japan and I fell in love with him just as LIJ was about to start and I knew this day could possibly come but never thought it would actually happen. My barking of New Japan needing to get the young guys ready was due to guys like Okada, Ospreay leaving, and now with Naito leaving too yeah they need to get their shit together like today. It's slowing going that way and it needs to continues that way.

They have two or three young guys completely ready to move up…and they continue to waste their time on Shota instead. Tsuji, Gabe and Yuya are light years beyond him

 

[Kairi HoHo]

They have two or three young guys completely ready to move up…and they continue to waste their time on Shota instead. Tsuji, Gabe and Yuya are light years beyond him

For sure they have talent I would say Gabe of those guys has that personality to go with his talents in the Ring more than the others. Tsuji is fine, Uemura might be the actual Tana clone the people love him dearly and you can't forget about Fujita and Oiwa.

 

[Deadd2009]

I see him staying in Japan, maybe he goes to NOAH. I can't see him wrestling in the States full time because for the most part, he's been known to phone it in every time he's been over here. TNA could only probably afford him for a couple dates, AEW would only sign him so he couldnt go to WWE and WWE would sign him so theyd pair him with Nakamura and then never use him.

 

[Chris]

新日本プロレスリング株式会社

www.njpw.co.jp

Tanahashi comments translated by F4W

“I am sorry to deliver the news that surprised and saddened everyone today. I spoke with Naito yesterday. I told him that I wanted Naito, who loves New Japan, to stay in New Japan until the end, but his will was firm and I could not change it. He will be leaving the organization in a way that respects his wishes. Please support Naito and BUSHI for the rest of [their] career.”

 

[Kairi HoHo]

I was thinking about this today at work and I was thinking this Naito decision didn't come out of no where for sure. Chris knows for sure how much I've bitched and complain about the Company needing to push the next generation and was when Okada and Ospreay are still there. I wonder if maybe a Year ago when Naito was playing footies with the NJPW World Title with Moxley that the Company put out feelers with him on staying on. They probably didn't come to some agreement then and they slowly since June of 2024 have been getting those young stars ready with the thought of him not staying on awhile ago.

 

[Chris]

From Alvarez

“The impression I have gotten when it comes to Naito is simply that he wanted a lot more money than they were willing to pay him. Good chance this had been awhile in the making.”

 

[Kairi HoHo]

So like I thought. I imagine he wanted what Ospreay and Okada wanted if not close to that and said nope sorry. I tell you what with Naito leaving they better start talking to the young talent/upcoming talent in their Company and locking them down because Gabe Kidd and others will be wanting that Cheddar too especially in the next few Years they will be running things no doubt in my mind.

 

[Chris]

Im still not really sure of my thoughts on this. I'm absolutely shocked bc I assumed he'd retire a lifer, but I can't really blame NJPW at all for not paying if that's true.

If WWE or AEW are willing to pay what he wants that's obviously the best option, but I don't know if that's a good move by them when he's so limited. NOAH is probably the most likely destination

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Tetsuya Naito on why he left New Japan Pro-Wrestling:

"There is a limit to the time you can be a wrestler, so I think it's better to do what you want to do at that time. I want to live in the present rather than the future."

(on being thrilled to see that there were fans in Costa Rica, where he had his first match in April 2019) "I had a growing desire to bring the real Tetsuya Naito to small countries like that, and to areas in Japan where New Japan doesn't reach. My desire to try things that I couldn't do while I was in New Japan has grown stronger, and that's one of the reasons I decided to leave.

I wasn't sure if I should quit until the very last minute. I myself had been thinking that leaving New Japan would mean quitting professional wrestling until just a few months ago."

(on his committment to New Japan Pro-Wrestling starting to fade) "I wonder why... I was dissatisfied with a lot of things, so people might have laughed and said, 'Is this a joke,' but I had called emergency meetings (at a family restaurant) many times to raise the issue. But for better or worse, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has not changed, and is true that it has become different from what I had in mind."

【新日本】内藤哲也が〝聖地〟ファミレスで電撃退団の経緯明かす「自分の思いとズレてきた」 | 東スポWEB

新日本プロレスの内藤哲也（４２）とＢＵＳＨＩ（４２）が、電撃退団の経緯を明かした...

www.tokyo-sports.co.jp

Naito calling emegency meetings I wonder what those meetings were about? Maybe why are we making Moxley a Champion here when he's owned by AEW.