For months now, a developing story in the realm of WWE was that of NXT Japan. The next expansion plan after the UK was to be Japan for the NXT brand of WWE, with some scouting and potential signings like Sareee, Jiro “Ikeman” Kuroshio, and the legendary Meiko Satomura in place. It was initially thought that the outbreak of COVID-19 dooming many companies in Japan would give WWE an easy way into the region, but after major layoffs from WWE, any plans likely went up in smoke for at least a while.
Now Would Not Be The Time To Expand For NXT Japan
With WWE barely able to keep their flagship programs going, and having to lay off nearly 40% of their roster, this would be the worst possible time to try and expand your developmental plans. While there will be a higher amount of avaiable talent after companies like Wrestle-1 have collapsed. All the Japanese free agents in the world aren’t worth anything to WWE if they can’t afford to sign them. Others like All Japan Pro Wrestling are in bad shape, and small companies like Big Japan Wrestling struggle to keep their doors open. AJPW will likely survive based on their name value and legacy alone. Many beleived WWE would be the ones to buy out AJPW, but they won’t be having the money to make that sort of deal right now.
NXT UK Might Fold Through All This
While NXT UK is one of the most entertaining shows in WWE, with their roster being insanely talented, they have run out of taped material, and will not be able to get anything taped for months. With NXT UK being a very small brand for WWE, we very well could see all but the top stars like Ilja Dragonauv, WALTER, & British Strong Style be let go next. These are such uncertain times, and at least one NXT UK star was released in Kassius Ohno, with more likely on the way. The future of smaller brands like NXT UK and 205 Live are very uncertain, and could be deemed unessential by WWE.
Very few fans want to see NXT Japan, making this good news for some. Many feel NXT UK ruined the blooming United Kingdom indy scene, and NXT Japan would do the same thing in a different region. Do you think NXT Japan will be stopped by this pandemic, or will WWE still go ahead and try to get this brand going within 2020? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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