From the Won..WWE had reps in Japan this week for NXT Japan

[Mecca]

WWE had reps in Japan this week talking with promotions about potential partnerships for NXT Japan

There’s been some speculation that Japan is next for WWE’s expansion plans, and Dave in the latest Observer talks about some movement on that front.

Paul Levesque, doing media in the United Arab Emirates, said there would be Performance Centers in the Middle East, India, Latin America and other places. WWE had reps in Japan this past week to talk with different companies about business relations and opening the door for NXT Japan.

Hunters world domination tour is commencing.

[Chiral]

[Mecca]

Real question...what Japan promotions would they want to work with, or being real what ones would be interested in working with them?

[TWERKIN' MAGGLE]

They should've gone for Seoul. It's like an untapped area. Sure there's like no wrestling, but you can sign talent from Asian countries while you build local talents.

[corndog]

Reminds me of the end of the Roman empire. But who is Odoacer?

[chrom]

Knew this was going to happen.

This is about gutting NJPW and the market there

[Mecca]

Feb 7, 2019 13:17:42 GMT -5 chrom said:

Knew this was going to happen.

This is about gutting NJPW and the market there

Yea pretty obvious they want to own the world with this...when you see a guy like Walter be signed for the UK show when he basically has no interest in ever being on the main roster.

[corndog]

Feb 7, 2019 13:08:58 GMT -5 Mecca said:

Real question...what Japan promotions would they want to work with, or being real what ones would be interested in working with them?

Judging from the Tokyo Sports article about a coalition between All Japan, NOAH and Wrestle-1, there does seem to be some jealousy and concern with New Japan's success, although it could be a work. Hopefully none of those organizations are foolish enough to become HHH's farm league, as the deal will be one sided. But if they are naive enough and he can play to their fears, there are organizations in Japan that would work with him to keep New Japan from getting their top talent(even though they would just end up in NXT/WWE) and moving further ahead.

[Deleted]

Given NXT doesn't operate at a profit anyway, and WWE already has entirely too many people working for them with no sign of slowing down thus doesn't actually need to be casting a wider net, I really can't help but see these spinoff NXTs as disgusting. They're clearly all about trying to smother potential competition and nothing more.

[2coldMack is even more baffled]

Feb 7, 2019 13:08:58 GMT -5 Mecca said:

Real question...what Japan promotions would they want to work with, or being real what ones would be interested in working with them?

Well, we can rule out New Japan as a matter of course, and it seems like All Japan, NOAH, and WRESTLE-1 are consolidating into an alliance of their own, so that feels like a long shot. Dragon Gate gave them Tozawa and Crews, and they'd be a logical path to getting into China through the OWE connection, but I don't see it. Big Japan is out, probably. That leaves DDT as the biggest option that I can't see a major barrier to.

[Bub (BLM)]

This is all part of their master plan to reclaim Juice Robinson.

[Cyno]

WWE's done partnerships with Japanese promotions before, including New Japan. So this isn't exactly new territory for them. But the Japanese wrestling market is already really well-established so I can't see them being that big a threat with an upstart NXT promotion against New Japan or this alliance between All Japan, Wrestle-1, and NOAH. It'd have to be a smaller promotion that'd get some benefits from a talent exchange with WWE like DDT or even Dragon Gate.

[chrom]

Feb 7, 2019 13:28:01 GMT -5 corndog said:

Feb 7, 2019 13:08:58 GMT -5 Mecca said:

Real question...what Japan promotions would they want to work with, or being real what ones would be interested in working with them?

Judging from the Tokyo Sports article about a coalition between All Japan, NOAH and Wrestle-1, there does seem to be some jealousy and concern with New Japan's success, although it could be a work. Hopefully none of those organizations are foolish enough to become HHH's farm league, as the deal will be one sided. But if they are naive enough and he can play to their fears, there are organizations in Japan that would work with him to keep New Japan from getting their top talent(even though they would just end up in NXT/WWE) and moving further ahead.

Isn't W-1 working with OWE which has aligned itself with AEW? T-Hawk won the Wrestle-1 Heavyweight championship last month.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Feb 7, 2019 13:37:04 GMT -5 2coldMack is even more baffled said:

Feb 7, 2019 13:08:58 GMT -5 Mecca said:

Real question...what Japan promotions would they want to work with, or being real what ones would be interested in working with them?

Well, we can rule out New Japan as a matter of course, and it seems like All Japan, NOAH, and WRESTLE-1 are consolidating into an alliance of their own, so that feels like a long shot. Dragon Gate gave them Tozawa and Crews, and they'd be a logical path to getting into China through the OWE connection, but I don't see it. Big Japan is out, probably. That leaves DDT as the biggest option that I can't see a major barrier to.

DDT being the WWE farm league in Japan would just be f***ing hilarious.

I can imagine Vince McMahon watching it.


HUNTER DID YOU SEE THIS SHIT? THE LADDER JUST WON THE TITLE!!!!

[Dub H]

Feb 7, 2019 13:06:19 GMT -5 Chiral said:

I love that this picture found a way to be relevant after he retired as a full time worker

[Deleted]

What’s the endgame for all these different NXTs? Surely 75% of the signings won’t ever make it to the main roster.

[Gus Richlen Was Wrong]

Feb 7, 2019 13:48:28 GMT -5 Cyno said:

WWE's done partnerships with Japanese promotions before, including New Japan. So this isn't exactly new territory for them. But the Japanese wrestling market is already really well-established so I can't see them being that big a threat with an upstart NXT promotion against New Japan or this alliance between All Japan, Wrestle-1, and NOAH. It'd have to be a smaller promotion that'd get some benefits from a talent exchange with WWE like DDT or even Dragon Gate.

That and I don't think Triple H is dumb enough to try and challenge NJPW. Just because WWE is a bigger fish on paper doesn't mean it'd be possible for them to win that fight.

[Rumble McSkirmish]

Well if WWE wants to be successful in Japan a few things they should NOT do is ally themselves with an evil underground society of masked heel assassins (Especially if one within their ranks is trying to take them down from the inside), challenge NJPW at each and every turn and build a ginormous stadium complex in the middle of Tokyo.

[nisidhe]

Seeing how AEW can probably outspend WWE on talent _and_ offer non-exclusivity, I fail to see how WWE's global expansion plans via NXT are continuing unabated, _especially_ since the m.o. with NXT:UK has been revealed (cooperation with local promotions, then increasing exclusivity until the talents previously working with local promotions are no longer available to them.) Sure, WWE appears to have money to burn, but given its record these days with its main rosters' creative teams and the increasing dissatisfaction among the talent, is NXT really the way to expand now?

[lildude8218]

Vince: While you're in Japan can you pick me up one of those Ibushi coats I always hear you talking about?

HHH: No, Dad. I'm talking about Kota Ibushi.

Vince: Right, whatever. Get me one, you know my size.