3. NJPW
Active: 1972-present
Formed in 1972 by Antonio Inoki, for decades New Japan’s biggest rival was All Japan Pro Wrestling, which was owned and operated by Inoki’s great rival Giant Baba. The two powerhouses fought tooth and nail in the 70s, 80s and 90s, until the death of Baba in 1999 changed the game.
All Japan collapsed the following year when the majority of its roster quit and followed Mitsuharu Misawa to his newly-formed Pro Wrestling NOAH and shortly afterwards New Japan was led in a new catastrophic shoot-style direction that barely resembled pro wrestling.
At no time during any of this was the promotion a viable threat to WWE, nor was it ever attempting to be. That began to change when new management took over and Gedo was installed as the promotion’s booker. Returning to the core principles of presenting great pro wrestling, New Japan enjoyed a resurgence that continues to this day.
When WWE began holding shows in Japan and signing top NJPW talent such as AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, New Japan responded by expanding its operations into the North American market. They were going to fight WWE at their own game.
The rivalry has increased over the years, with New Japan establishing an ever firmer foothold in the collective consciousness of wrestling fans worldwide with its world class matches, increased visibility in the west and thanks to the smash success of Bullet Club and The Elite.
President Harold Meij is determined for New Japan to expand beyond its current position as the number two promotion in the world but it is difficult to imagine it ever becoming a viable mainstream alternative to WWE due to the cultural differences. As good as the in-ring output is, the New Japan style of doing things does not translate to the mass global audience that WWE currently plays to.
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