Following reports of backstage unhappiness in NJPW, it has been revealed that recent Korakeun Hall shows hit record low attendances.
On Monday, May 24, NJPW visited Korakeun Hall for a Road to Wrestle Grand Slam show. As per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, only 280 fans paid to watch the show live.
This all-time low number was beaten the next day, when only 274 fans were in attendance for the show. This was reportedly the smallest live crowd in what many consider NJPW’s home arena, in the promotion’s history.
The May 24 show was headlined by Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, SANADA & Bushi vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yoshi Hashi, Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii. The May 25 event saw Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi battle Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan in the main event.
The Wrestling Observer pointed out that only a few years ago, a NJPW show drawing less than 1,200 fans would’ve been considered a catastrophe.
Acknowledging that the pandemic has drastically affected Japanese live entertainment, the report also noted that NJPW are also currently working with a minimal crew.
On the May 26 show, Kazuchika Okada returned following his positive COVID-19 test. The Japanese star immediately stated that his sights are set on the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
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