Tetsuya Naito has addressed his shocking departure from New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), directly refuting reports that his decision stemmed from financial disputes. Naito, widely considered an NJPW mainstay, confirmed his exit on April 16th, surprising many in the industry.
While initial reports suggested contract talks stalled over money, Naito clarified his position in a new interview with Tokyo Sports.
“Let me be clear: in the five contract renewals I’ve had, I never once brought up money,” Naito stated. “Ever since they made me the initial offer in the first negotiation, I never touched the subject again. It’s extremely frustrating to have people think I’m quitting because of money…”
Instead, the five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion indicated his frustration lay with NJPW’s valuation of its wrestlers and their handling of negotiations.
“I never made any unreasonable demands,” he explained. “I never said, ‘Since I’m wrestling more, pay me more,’ or ‘That guy wrestles less, pay him less.’ I just wanted them to properly value what a wrestler’s match is worth. I’ve been saying that for years.”
Naito also addressed the statement released by NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi, questioning why Tanahashi received fan backlash when, according to Naito, he was only involved late in the process and the company’s efforts to retain him felt lacking.
“Did they do that when other wrestlers left?… Tanahashi only showed up during the final (fifth) contract negotiation anyway. Sure, maybe I made some selfish requests. But they didn’t exactly work hard to convince me to stay.”
He further criticized the timeline, revealing NJPW took over a month to initiate talks after his contract expired on January 31st. Naito hopes his departure forces NJPW to improve its contract renewal approach.
“After my contract expired on January 31st…