Why NJPW Are Running Fewer Overseas Shows Revealed

Reason revealed behind NJPW running fewer overseas shows

Jack Atkins side view with black and white filter

Oct 3, 2025

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New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s overseas expansion has noticeably slowed down in 2025 compared to previous years, with the promotion seemingly in a cool period across the board.

A report from Fightful Select has revealed that NJPW have run just three US shows so far in 2025, compared to six in 2024, and eight in 2023 - not including co-promoted shows. With the New Japan STRONG splinter group shelved all shows have been under the NJPW banner, but a mix of waning interest in the form of declining attendance, and some NJPW talent not wanting to make the trips overseas has led to their sudden decline.

New Japan as a whole is seemingly in a state of flux, with Hiroshi Tanahashi set to retire from active competition in the coming months, whilst multi-time IWGP Champion Tetsuya Naito departed the company in early 2025. Other main event talents such as Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada swapped NJPW for All Elite Wrestling in 2024, and to the more casual fan there is a dearth of talent in the main event scene.

Outside of Japan, New Japan’s most high profile showing has been the 2025 Forbidden Door show with AEW in London, a show that noticeably featured less involvement from New Japan than in previous years.

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