WITH THE DEPARTURE OF Kazuchika Okada, and Hiroshi Tanahashi being named company president of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, many questions surround the future of one of Japan’s premier promotions. Within the last two years, four candidates have returned home from their international excursions—Shota Umino, Ren Narita, Yota Tsuji, and Yuya Uemura—each with different experiences from around the world. Though fully prepared to stand in the spotlight, they are equally burdened with the immense pressure of rebuilding the company, as longtime staples leave one after another.
Umino returned first, followed by Narita, and, later, Tsuji. Shortly after, NJPW would announce the trio as the “Reiwa Three Musketeers.” The intention was to reflect the rise of key stars from New Japan’s past, with “Reiwa” being the current era of the Japanese calendar, begun in 2019. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata, and Shinsuke Nakamura preceded the “Reiwa” generation in 2004, and that pairing was, itself, a nod to the original trio of Masahiro Chono, Shinya Hashimoto, and Keiji
