Scott D'Amore Comments On IMPACT Wrestling's Working Relationship With NJPW
"We've spent years, literally since Anthem Sports took over, trying to rebuild that relationship and it's been a long, hard battle"
Apr 23, 2021
After having a strained relationship for years, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and IMPACT Wrestling started working together again in late 2020 and relations between both companies have continued to improve in the ensuing months. Chris Bey and TJP have both wrestled on NJPW's USA shows, while FinJuice are the reigning IMPACT World Tag Team Champions and will defend the gold against The Good Brothers at Rebellion on April 25.
During a recent appearance on the Wrestling Perspective Podcast ahead of the pay-per-view, Scott D'Amore reflected on the NJPW-IMPACT relationship and he revealed they are in talks about more talent exchanges.
"Look, that New Japan relationship, I mean it's no secret [it] was so badly destroyed in the TNA years and we've spent years, literally since Anthem Sports took over, trying to rebuild that relationship and it's been a long, hard battle. Obviously, The Good Brothers coming in helped melt the coldness and the ice on that relationship and I think so far it's been a good relationship," D'Amore said.
"You've seen TJP and Chris Bey appear so far only on their L.A. shows because of the travel restrictions going to Japan. You know The Good Brothers are gonna be working for both companies and there's multiple talks about talents continuing to come this way from Japan and talent from here going over to Japan. So, look, I think it's going to be one of those things that's much like - I look at the New Japan relationship much [like] the way we looked at all the relationships when we took over IMPACT was people have been mistreated, respectfully in their opinion from previous regimes in IMPACT, been given promises that weren't delivered," the IMPACT EVP continued.
"So part of what we have to do with New Japan and everybody else is what we try to do with everybody we've dealt with in the last few years which is tell you what we're gonna do and follow through and do it and that's what we've been doing with New Japan, that's what we've been doing with AEW and I'd certainly be remiss if I didn't say our great partners at AAA in Mexico who have been unbelievably supportive and collaborative with us over the last few years so I think we really have a great group coming together of like-minded people in the industry running major companies that are all willing to sit there and look at ways to collaborate and I think that's one of the coolest parts of 2021."
H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcription
