New Japanese Women's Wrestling Promotion To Launch In NYC This Fall

A brand new Japanese women's wrestling promotion is reportedly set to launch in the United States.

According to Mike Johnson of "PWInsider," the new promotion's roster will feature only Japanese-based wrestlers, many of whom already work for existing Japanese promotions, but will be running their own events in the States. The report did not specify if the talents will arrive from popular Joshi promotions such as STARDOM and TJPW, or if they would be recruited from the indies.

The report added that the promotion has already booked a September date in New York City for its debut. No further details on the debut event were shared.

So, how exactly does the new company plan on carving out a niche for itself? According to Johnson, the promotion will focus on high-end production values, beyond just in-ring wrestling, in order to create a different "atmosphere" that could also resonate with non-Joshi wrestling fans. While the idea is still to feature Joshi wrestling, the promotion intends to reach larger audiences beyond the regular pro wrestling audience, which is why the investors backing the promotion have reportedly invested significant resources and enlisted notable names from the world of entertainment, pro wrestling, media, and fashion to make up its front office.

Currently, fans of Joshi wrestling in the United States utilize streaming services such as "Stardom World" and "Wrestle Universe" to get their fix of Japanese women's wrestling. Furthermore, many of STARDOM's wrestlers have been regularly featured on NJPW's events following Bushiroad's acquisition of the Joshi promotion. 

Last November, NJPW and STARDOM made history by teaming up to host a joint event, giving the genre of Joshi wrestling a significant shot in the arm. It remains to be seen if the new United States-based promotion benefits from the rising popularity of the Joshi genre.