Why New Japan Is Poaching So Many WWE Wrestlers

The WWE used to be the goal of every professional wrestler. But now, a lot of professional wrestlers out there aspire to become prominent on the indie circuit. A lot of solid wrestlers have left the WWE, including UK wrestler Neville, to find a better career in the indies.

Several wrestlers currently in the indies are now claiming New Japan is the goal. Two of these wrestlers are the Young Bucks.

Is Wrestling for New Japan Better?

The Young Bucks claim that the influx of former WWE wrestlers in New Japan is only logical. The favorite indie tag team states that the promotion is home to the best wrestlers.

” It shows you how big of company New Japan is. And it shows you that even from up bigger company like WWE, those superstars want to compete here because they know deep down in their head that this is where the best wrestling is.” – Nick Jackson

Looking for Greener Pastures? Or Is There Something Else Underneath?

Even though I have no doubt New Japan is filled with amazing wrestlers, I think there is something a lot simpler underneath the sudden influx of WWE wrestlers.

A lot of wrestlers who leave the WWE these days do so because they are being mistreated; this could be anything from poor booking to ridiculous storylines. Neville is a prime example of that phenomenon.

Of course, you have to look on the other side of the coin too. Chris Jericho is a prime example. He left he WWE some time ago, but I believe he still has a veteran contract going with the company. So, in Jericho’s case, it could be because he wants to compete against good talent in the indies. On the other hand, he could be wanting to increase his exposure as a wrestler. Not that he needed to, since Chris is still one of the most enigmatic professional wrestlers in the world.

I would also like to supplement my argument with the fact that the WWE has treated some wrestlers quite poorly, even though they had a working gimmick. The Rusev Day gimmick is one of those. It seems like the WWE has its plans in place a year beforehand, so when someone enjoys a sudden increase in popularity, they have to wait. Unfortunately, by the time they receive a push, the gimmick has died down already.

Another prime example of the rampant problems with bookings and storylines in the WWE can be found with the B-Team. The tag team only just got started gaining momentum, only for the WWE to change their music and take their titles away shortly after they obtained them. Don’t get me wrong, I love Drew McIntyre at the moment, but I think he would have made a more significant impact in the singles.

Leaving all speculation aside, you get my point. The WWE needs to take a cold hard look at how they handle things. The indies are gaining ground and show no sign of stopping just yet. I don’t want wrestling to become a chore to watch, much like I feel it is on SmackDown and Raw. Take a page from the book of New Japan and even Lucha Underground at this point to make your product better. Hell, why not give Triple H the reigns? He’s done wonders with NXT, and I look forward to watching it. That is how wrestling should be!