What WWE Localizing in Japan Could Look Like

Following the recent news of WWE's acquisition of Mexico's AAA, the wrestling industry and those who follow it naturally have begun looking at other major wrestling markets, Japan being one of them. It has already been publicly stated that WWE, under the strategic vision of Triple H and a clear drive for Global Localization, has Japan as a part of its plan. In this blog post, I will speculate on what such a huge event might involve.

Japan has a passionate wrestling fanbase, supporting several prominent promotions, each with its unique style and loyal following. While NJPW quickly comes to mind for many, there are other notable promotions, including Stardom, NOAH, AJPW, BJW, Michinoku Pro, and Dream Star Fighting Marigold, as well as local promotions such as Kyushu Pro Wrestling and Yanagase Pro Wrestling. Each offers a distinct style of puroresu, from the power of joshi to the King's Road style to the hardcore style to the lucha libre style to promotions that have a unique blend of wrestling styles.

When WWE localizes, there will be many benefits. It would give them immediate access to a well-established market and a dedicated fanbase, and there are many promoters and talents here who would be great for WWE/NXT. It is only a matter of NXT coming into contact with those people. Like I had mentioned in my blog post about WWE shining the spotlight on independent wrestling, every time NXT expands to a different area, people with knowledge of that pro-wrestling scene will need to brought in if the Global Localization project is going to be a success, which of course WWE has the resources to accomplish, and it will enable them to help support and grow the scene in the most impactful way possible. Also, the extensive libraries of existing content of many Japanese promotions hold considerable value. For example, World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana has its own live streaming service, Diana Live.

The most immediate impact of WWE localizing in Japan would be the interaction of Japanese talent with WWE. We could see former GHC Heavyweight Champion KENTA challenging for the NXT Championship or WWE Championship. We could see former World Of Stardom Champion Mayu Iwatani headline a WWE NXT Premium Live Event. Proper handling of cultural differences in presentation and the blend of the traditional Japanese styles with elements of the WWE style would be important, as a dedicated NXT Japan brand bridges the gap.

The loyal Japanese wrestling fanbase has a deep connection to its homegrown promotions and traditions. WWE would need to respect this loyalty while introducing their own brand of sports entertainment; otherwise, there could be a backlash. Nonetheless, WWE's tours in Japan (including the tour that took place in 2024) have gone over big with fans, as they had the opportunity to see WWE Superstars live and in person. There is a historic bond between WWE and fans in Japan.

The localization of WWE in Japan will be a historic event with the potential to shake up the Japanese wrestling scene. While the specifics remain speculation, the recent AAA acquisition proves that WWE is serious about expanding its international reach.