Hiroshi Tanahashi Reveals 2024 Plan For NJPW
Hiroshi Tanashi is the new president of New Japan Pro Wrestling and now, despite significant challenges, he’s revealed his immediate plans for the company.
Hiroshi Tanahashi became president of NJPW in December 2023 as the company looks to take a new direction following a tricky few years. Tanahashi’s task became immediately harder when Kazuchika Okada revealed he was leaving NJPW and looks set to be heading to the US for either WWE or AEW.
Despite that major loss, Hiroshi Tanahashi has big plans for NJPW as he looks to lead the revival of the company into a new era.
Speaking to Inside The Ropes, Hiroshi Tanahashi was asked about the company’s expansion into the US and if that is something NJPW is looking to build on but The Ace revealed they have expansion plans a little closer to home they are focusing on in 2024:
The scale and scope of our events in the US lately is something we’re really happy with and we want to maintain that, but from this year, New Japan is going to put a lot of effort into our expansion in Asia and you’ll see that become an area of major growth for us in my opinion.
New NJPW Role A “Real Learning Process” Says Hiroshi Tanahashi
Tanahashi also discussed the challenges he has faced in his short time as president such as top star Kazuchika Okada leaving NJPW and says he wants to give fans stability and reassurance for the future:
It’s been a real learning process. On top of taking the new role, there’s been a lot going on in the last month with Kazuchika Okada deciding to leave as well. But I’ve been throwing myself into it every day, picking up a lot of knowledge, and giving the fans a little stability and reassurance as well. I think what this new role can mean is something that we’re all finding out as we go, and we’ll continue to be on that journey together.
In addition to Okada’s departure, Will Ospreay has now finished up with NJPW ahead of joining the AEW roster on a full-time basis. Bullet Club founder Tama Tonga also had his last match in the promotion recently as he moves on as well.