(NOAH) The only way to regain the trust that Noah has lost is in the ring.

Weekly Pro

11th April 2012 (Issue No.1624)

The recent recognition of ties with anti social groups, has caused a significant damage to Noah's image, and the only way to regain what has been lost is for the wrestlers to steadily fight in the ring. For the time being, Shinjiro Otani and Daichi Hashimoto from ZERO1 will be participating in the next series of the Global Tag League. Noah had a close relationship with Daichi's father, Shinya Hashimoto, so the participation of his eldest son is likely to spark new developments in the ring.

They must be aware of the weight of their responsibility for betraying the passionate feelings of their fans.

A scandal involving Noah has come to light.  

It has been announced that the company has admitted to having had past relationships with anti-social groups. As noted separately, Advisor Haruka Eigen and General Manager Ryu Nakata have offered to resign from their positions, and their resignations have been accepted. 

The damage to its image is undeniable.

The professional wrestling industry is rarely covered extensively on television, let alone in mainstream sports newspapers, and in a sense it is a genre that exists isolated from societal values. Author Tomomi Muramatsu has called professional wrestling the "demon child of the genre." Conversely, this is professional wrestling's greatest raison d'être, and Antonio Inoki, with his intense rebellious spirit, tried to turn a world that didn't pay any attention to professional wrestling around. He fought Muhammad Ali to decide who was the best in the world of fighting, won the House of Councilors election, and held a show in North Korea for 190,000 people. He achieved one thing after another that was thought to be impossible by common sense. Inoki also said, "Common sense in the world, nonsense in the world of professional wrestling. Common sense in the world of professional wrestling, nonsense in the world." 

In any case, professional wrestling has always been seen as a unique entity from the perspective of general public values. This latest scandal has caused a stir within the industry, and although it did make Yahoo's top news, the reality is that, at least for now, there is little public interest in it. Is the existence of professional wrestling itself a scandal to the public? Whenever professional wrestling is given extensive coverage in the general sports newspapers, it is always in the form of obituaries of wrestlers. Conversely, the reason PRIDE was forced to disappear after its involvement with anti-social groups, was because it was well-known to the public, including being broadcast on terrestrial television.  

However, this does not mean that behavior that violates social morals should be tolerated in the world of professional wrestling.

With the enforcement of the Organized Crime Exclusion Ordinance*, society as a whole has become hyper-sensitive towards anti-social forces. This incident has been met with harsh criticism from ordinary wrestling fans, but especially from the Noah fans who have been supporting the promotion since its founding. Noah should be aware of the weight of responsibility it bears for having betrayed them. Once lost, trust is not easily regained. Now is the time for Noah President Akira Taue, Vice President Naomichi Marufuji, all of the wrestlers, and all of the employees to pull themselves together and prepare to face the adversity. Coincidentally, at the March 18th Yokohama event, Jun Akiyama took to the microphone and said, "I want to return Noah to the energy and passion it had when it was first launched." The unexpected cheers that erupted in the arena were due to Akiyama's statement speaking for the fans. The fans are eagerly waiting for Noah to once again regain the spirit of the time when the wrestlers were burning with dreams and hopes, striving to create the ideal promotion. Going forward, Noah will take measures to prevent recurrence, such as formulating and implementing compliance measures. At the same time it goes without saying, that Noah will return to their roots, and strive to restore their image through their in ring action. This will be their way of making amends to Noah fans. If Noah continue to approach the issue with such a sincere attitude, I believe that the fans who are currently bashing them, will become part of the same pro wrestling community, and that the tide will eventually turn. 

   

Notes

* A law that aims to cut the relationship between organized crime groups (like the Yakuza) and the general public by making it a crime for ordinary citizens and businesses to associate with or provide benefits to them.