Backstage News On Why NJPW Has Been Running Fewer American Shows In 2025

New Japan Pro Wrestling isn't holding as many events in the United States this year, and there are a few reasons why, according to a new report from Fightful Select. 

Several years ago, NJPW tried to expand into the U.S. The company had built a strong roster of international stars and commissioned a plan to grow its fanbase outside of Japan. Even after many wrestlers left to join AEW, NJPW still planned to push forward with shows in America.

Things changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Travel restrictions made it difficult to move wrestlers between countries, especially since many NJPW talents lived in the U.S. To keep them active, NJPW launched a brand called STRONG. That brand ended a couple of years ago, but NJPW still kept some of its titles around and continued running shows in America.

Now, in 2025, NJPW has scaled back its U.S. events even more. By the end of August, the company had only made three trips to America. That's compared to six shows in 2024 and eight in 2023, not counting events co-hosted with other promotions.

Sources told Fightful that two main issues are behind the slowdown. The first and most obvious reason is that ticket sales for American shows have been dropping rapidly. Second, it's being reported that some NJPW wrestlers don't want to travel for the American events. Together, those factors have made NJPW pull back on its original expansion plans.

It is clear that New Japan has lost a lot of its influence in the wrestling world since the advent of AEW, a viable second promotion in North America that is more focused on in-ring competition, something that fans had been turning to Japan to for years. For now, the company seems to be focusing more on its home base in Japan, while American fans are seeing fewer NJPW shows than they had in the last few years.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Fightful Select and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.