It is never fun to hear that a wrestling promotion is closing it’s doors, but that is what will happen to Wrestle-1 following their Korakuen Hall show in Tokyo on April 1, 2020. Wrestle-1 has been around since 2013, and was created by puroesu legend Keiji Mutoh (best known as The Great Muta). Despite always bringing their best foot forward and pushing the best talent they could claim, there were never able to get to the level they hoped to reach. After years of being on the borderline with finances, it seems the money has finally run out.
Wrestle-1 To Become NXT Japan?
It is no surprise that WWE wants to expand their NXT brand throughout the world. They have already conquered American and the United Kingdom, and Japan is next on their radar. With Wrestle-1 now being on the verge of being defunct, we could see it purchased by WWE and turned into the next regional variant of NXT. It would give an instant roster that WWE could use their deep pockets to expand it.
While Keiji Mutoh started the company, it is owned by chinese company GEN Entertainment Ltd. Mutoh could stick around in this potential transition, giving a massive wrestling legend to grab fans interest in the brand.
DDT Could Put In An Offer As Well
Earlier this year, we saw DDT (Dramatic Dream Team) Wrestling owners Cyber Agent purchase Pro Wrestling NOAH. They could also be likely to put in an offer to grab Wrestle-1. Fans would generally prefer this to happen, as WWE has built a bad reputation with how NXT UK gutted the momentum of the once thriving UK independent circuit. Adding the Wrestle-1 roster to the DDT roster would make it even stronger, or would give DDT another brand to put on their DDT Universe streaming service alongside NOAH & Tokyo Joshi Pro.
This will be an interesting situation to watch. Their last show isn’t until April 1st, meaning there is a lot of time for it to develop. WWE failed to buy Pro Wrestling NOAH to turn it into NXT Japan, but Wrestle-1 might be an easier target for them. Would you want to see NXT Japan be born out of the ashes of Wrestle-1, or would you rather see the owners of DDT purchase it? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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