Post by MKCS on Mar 20, 2016 4:03:44 GMT -8
With Steve Anthony (Who?) winning the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title for a second time this surely has brought an end to the New Japan Pro Wrestling deal so at this point I think it'd be interesting to look back on the past two and a half years to see just what the NWA has gained from this agreement.
Pros:
- The NWA gained some exposure in Japan. Unfortunately for the NWA they could not capitalise on this and turn it into profit in their home market of the United States. They also couldn't use it to get a permanent deal in place with a Japanese company that may be willing to offer international tours to NWA Champions and pay the all important licensing fee.
- A select few NWA guys got to work in New Japan Pro Wrestling and wrestle some top level talent.
- A select few NJPW guys worked for the NWA but no NWA promotions could capitalise on having them there financially.
- Bruce Tharpe got to play wrestler.
Cons:
- NWA couldn't capitalise on the Japanese exposure
- NWA couldn't work with NJPW to improve the organisations image anywhere else. I've made a thread before saying that NJPW and the NWA could have got together and toured certain parts of the world. NJPW and the NWA could have broken into South East Asia or even surrounding territories of Japan. Never happened.
- Despite gaining some exposure in Japan they couldn't capitalise on said exposure even in Japan. Hooking an official NWA member in Japan and allowing them to use the NWA Japanese champions such as Kojima and Tanahashi could have resulted in better business for a smaller company and a loyal Japanese promotion. To my knowledge Tharpe didn't even try.
- The NWA within six months wasn't treated with any respect with Conway defending the NWA World Heavyweight Title in the lower midcard with the occasional midcard match.
- Bruce Tharpe got to play wrestler.
---
Conclusion:
So ultimately it seems that the NJPW and NWA agreement wasn't really all that worthwhile from a business perspective. Exposure came but nobody could capitalise, potential to make money was there but Tharpe wasn't smart enough to get it going and expensive NJPW talent was flown in with smaller crowds being drawn.
But hey, on the plus side at least the NJPW deal for the World Title off of Kahagas...
Pros:
- The NWA gained some exposure in Japan. Unfortunately for the NWA they could not capitalise on this and turn it into profit in their home market of the United States. They also couldn't use it to get a permanent deal in place with a Japanese company that may be willing to offer international tours to NWA Champions and pay the all important licensing fee.
- A select few NWA guys got to work in New Japan Pro Wrestling and wrestle some top level talent.
- A select few NJPW guys worked for the NWA but no NWA promotions could capitalise on having them there financially.
- Bruce Tharpe got to play wrestler.
Cons:
- NWA couldn't capitalise on the Japanese exposure
- NWA couldn't work with NJPW to improve the organisations image anywhere else. I've made a thread before saying that NJPW and the NWA could have got together and toured certain parts of the world. NJPW and the NWA could have broken into South East Asia or even surrounding territories of Japan. Never happened.
- Despite gaining some exposure in Japan they couldn't capitalise on said exposure even in Japan. Hooking an official NWA member in Japan and allowing them to use the NWA Japanese champions such as Kojima and Tanahashi could have resulted in better business for a smaller company and a loyal Japanese promotion. To my knowledge Tharpe didn't even try.
- The NWA within six months wasn't treated with any respect with Conway defending the NWA World Heavyweight Title in the lower midcard with the occasional midcard match.
- Bruce Tharpe got to play wrestler.
---
Conclusion:
So ultimately it seems that the NJPW and NWA agreement wasn't really all that worthwhile from a business perspective. Exposure came but nobody could capitalise, potential to make money was there but Tharpe wasn't smart enough to get it going and expensive NJPW talent was flown in with smaller crowds being drawn.
But hey, on the plus side at least the NJPW deal for the World Title off of Kahagas...