NJPW President Harold Meij is watching how AEW grows with some interest.
Speculation about a potential partnership between NJPW and AEW ran rampant in January at Wrestle Kingdom 14 when Chris Jericho faced Hiroshi Tanahashi and if Tanahashi had won, then he would have gotten an AEW World Championship opportunity. Jericho won the match and no such title opportunity was given.
Still, there are some who believe that NJPW and AEW could work with each other down the line and Meij addressed AEW in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Meij credited AEW for what it has been able to accomplish in the short time it has been running and will watch AEW with interest, but did not comment on any potential dealings down the line.
"Throughout our 50-year history we have had numerous relationships with other wrestling promotions. Japanese mentality is one of loyalty. We work under a long-term principle that, ‘Once in, you’re in for a lifetime.’ AEW has made tremendous inroads and is establishing their unique brand of wrestling with their vision of what wrestling should be. We continue to watch with interest how AEW continues to evolve their brand," Meij said.
Meij did speak on NJPW's current partners from all over the world, mainly RevPro, CMLL and ROH. Meij added that those current partnerships help NJPW's global reach and believes those relationships will continue.
“NJPW continues to have a strong relationship with Ring of Honor, and we foresee the relationship, including talent exchanges, to continue as have our relationships with CMLL in Mexico and RevPro in the U.K.,” said Meij. “All our partnerships help expand NJPW’s global footprint and help bring the best possible experience to our fans worldwide.”
Although the NJPW and AEW don't work directly with each other, Jericho and Jon Moxley have been wrestling for NJPW in the past few months.
The full interview can be read at this link.
