Rocky Romero talks NJPW wrestlers leaving for AEW.
In 2024 alone, big names like Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada have left the ranks of New Japan Pro Wrestling to join AEW. Over the past couple of years, names like Jay White, Juice Robinson, and Katsuyori Shibata have also left the promotion to become All Elite. Notably, AEW was founded after Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, Adam Page, and the Young Bucks finished up their time with NJPW and ROH.
While chatting with Fightful for a new interview, Rocky Romero reminded fans that there's more to the departure than money, saying that AEW could keep those performers "on this side" as opposed to them going to WWE.
"It's like, people don't fully understand, like Okada leaving New Japan and joining AEW, Ospreay leaving New Japan and starting at AEW. It wasn't that AEW went and stole that talent exactly. There's more to these back stories than just AEW just said, ‘Hey, here's X amount of dollars, come with us.’ There's more to it. I'm sure, Sean, you hear a lot of things that go on in professional wrestling and it's not as simple as that. It's actually, it's more complex than that. If Okada was gonna leave and say go to WWE, I think that it serves New Japan and it serves AEW for Tony to try to step in and try to keep him on this side and same thing with Ospreay."
Romero went on to say that he always wants to give that method a go, even if it doesn't work out.
"Obviously they have new regimes come in and some have stronger ties with some than others, but I try to give everybody the benefit of the doubt at least and if it makes sense, to everyone that's on board, why not give it a go? If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. That's okay too."
Elsewhere in the interview, Romero talked about Mercedes Mone missing out on a surprise appearance at a CMLL event on October 27. Learn more about those comments here.
Fans can check out Fightful's full interview with Romero in the video linked at the top of this article.
