Takami Ohbari Had Heat With Kazuchika Okada, Other Reasons Why He Stepped Down As NJPW President Revealed

There have been big changes in NJPW over the last week, with Hiroshi Tanahashi becoming the new president of the company after the former president, Takami Ohbari stepped down from his role.

It has now been revealed why he stepped down, and it all stems to issues behind the scenes and heat with talent, most notably with NJPW’s biggest star, Kazuchika Okada. In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer delved into the various reasons as to why this relationship broke down and why Ohbari walked away.

When it comes to issues backstage, Ohbari received some heat for losing some of the company’s biggest names over the last few years, likely including the likes of Will Ospreay and Jay White, for instance. Ohbari was also failing on the business side of things, with attendance falling and some of the biggest events of the year not selling out. There was also a disconnect between himself and the talent, with Meltzer saying;

“Another key reason has been that there were issues with staff members and Ohbari’s usage of power over them. Another major reason was that Ohbari had heat with a number of people, including the company’s top star, Kazuchika Okada. Okada was said to have wanted him out. Others said that Ohbari never really understood the wrestling business and didn’t respect the value of Okada. One person said that Ohbari saw Okada as the lead role actor in a touring show.”

Whether or not these management changes impact Okada’s status with NJPW is unknown so far, with him rumoured to be leaving.