Japan’s Next Post-Anime Cultural Export May Be Pro-Wrestling
- Bushiroad turned around professional-wrestling franchise
- CEO anticipates broader demand for streamed fight matches
Tetsuya Naito and Jay White compete in the bout during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 29 in Tokyo, on Aug. 11.
Photographer: Etsuo Hara/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
If one Japanese business has its way, professional wrestlers will be the next hit entertainment export from the country that introduced the world to Hello Kitty and animation sci-fi films such as “Akira.”
No, they’re not wrestlers from the country’s traditional sport of sumo. Instead, think of theatrical choke holds and acrobatic throws in a ring. Entertainment company Bushiroad Inc. is betting that Tetsuya Naito, Tama Tonga and other Japanese wrestlers can become just as famous as Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold Steve Austin.