Harold Meij has big plans for New Japan.
The current NJPW President and CEO recently sat down with Emily Pratt of UPROXX for an extensive interview. At the end of their conversation, Pratt asked Meij what the future holds for NJPW with Meij at the helm. Meij revealed just how high he hopes to take NJPW in the future.
"I believe wrestling is one of the few sports that can be truly global. Because I’ve experienced it myself, there is no language barrier. I mean, yes, it’s good to have the commentary and the color commentary and all that, but even if you didn’t have that, you would still get it," said Meij. "And, I mean, the rules are quite, you know, simple, if you want to put it that way, so it’s easy to understand. Fighting is a global phenomenon. Everybody, no matter what culture or religion or whether you’re a man or a woman or a kid, you have that in you as a human being. So… being able to see that is something that anyone in the whole world can enjoy. So that makes it, for me, very universal."
Meij continued by saying, "So I think that’s why globalization is such a natural step for us as well. But it’s not just that, I also believe there’s huge opportunities within Japan as well, on the local scene. So not just in Tokyo or Osaka or the biggest cities, but more to the outside of the big cities. There’s still plenty of people that haven’t been exposed to this form of sport, and I still believe there’s a lot of potential there as well. But again, like I said, if the fans just give us a chance by watching one match, in person or on our World or whatever, I think they will fall in love with it. I keep saying it, but that’s the truth. That’s what I believe."
Meij took over as President and CEO of NJPW in May 2018. There were reports earlier this year that many NJPW talents were unhappy with Meij and General Manager Michael Craven. Meij, who stays in touch with fans via his blog on NJPW1972.com, addressed those reports, saying he got a "disgusted feeling" when he read the news.
Meij has been very forward with his plans of growing the NJPW audience in America.
