Basic strength training - New Japan and TV broadcast

Weekly Pro Wrestling September 1972 (9th Issue)

This article is mainly about New Japan, but there is an interesting mention of Baba's as of yet unnamed new promotion, and speculation over the relationship with New Japan.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling's New Summer Series kicked off on July 24th at Toyonaka, Osaka, and will feature twenty-two matches until August 30th at the Kyokyu Gymnasium in Itabashi, Tokyo. Prior to the start of this series, the company moved its headquarters, replaced its executives, and made a fresh start with a new promotion. The shows were no longer the opening series (first and third), and the new series was no longer a "traveling" event. The scale of the event is also larger than the fourteen matches in the first and second installments, and the eleven matches in the third. There are no famous stars among the foreign wrestlers, but with six Japanese wrestlers, and the special participation of Harold Sakata (of Japanese descent), it has finally become a fully-fledged show. Initially, the opening of this series was scheduled for July 23rd at the Tatebayashi City Gymnasium in Gunma, but the date was changed due to delays in the procedures for the foreign wrestlers to come to Japan.   

Some media outlets have reported that New Japan will be broadcast on NTV. In fact, Hiroshi Iwata (former Japan Pro executive director), who has been newly appointed as executive director, made a very specific statement: "We are currently broadcasting an hour-long live program on NTV, centered on Antonio Inoki, on the first Saturday of October, starting at 8pm. We are also in negotiations with program sponsors, and as a hint, we are considering reviving the traditional pro wrestling program starting at 8pm on Fridays when the program is reorganized in April next year." The time slot for this broadcast coincides with the time slot when Baba is on TV. It is possible that Baba and Inoki's promotions will jointly promote or that both will appear on TV, but this is unlikely to happen. If so, will this remain Iwata's dream? Inoki said, "There has been no negotiation with Nippon Television." Was the discrepancy between Inoki's statement and Iwata's statement due to Iwata's sole initiative? We don't know. In any case, Inoki said, "Since the beginning, I have been thinking of holding events without TV, so I don't care about the TV issue. I want to show the wrestling reform I have in mind, and if the promotion improves its skills and is recognized, TV will cooperate. That's all for now." He goes his own way. It is certain that fans are beginning to recognize the seriousness of New Japan Pro Wrestling under Inoki.

The next event is scheduled to begin on September 15th. "From now on, we will hold events for six weeks and then take a two-week break to form a long-term series. The traditional methods of attracting customers no longer work. We need new ideas," Iwata said, revealing part of the plan. Karl Gotch is scheduled to participate, which is a positive attitude.

Japan Pro Wrestling, International Pro Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and Baba's new promotion... four promotions exist in a small country like Japan* and compete with each other. Is it possible for all four to hold events that are profitable? Those who know the profitability of pro wrestling events cannot imagine a permanent existence. Pro wrestling without fans will never last. If that happens to even one promotion, it will not only cause a decline in popularity, but it will be a loss for pro wrestling as a whole.

*Four promotions: This article was written in 1972, over forty years later, the number of promotions would be more than four, and while All Japan and New Japan would still be around, Japan Pro and International Pro would not.