Josh Barnett has revealed that he offered to take over key aspects of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s American operation before the company’s NJPW of America subsidiary moved toward liquidation.

NJPW has announced that NJPW of America is ceasing operations and entering liquidation. At the same time, the company has stressed that it intends to continue promoting events in North America. That distinction has become central to the conversation around the announcement: the closure affects the subsidiary, but it does not represent a stated end to New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s presence in the United States and Canada.

As wrestlers, fans and industry figures reacted to the news, Barnett explained that he had seen a different path for the operation. The former UFC heavyweight champion, accomplished catch wrestler and longtime figure in professional wrestling said his proposal would have covered a far broader role than simply presenting occasional events.

“Since this is going down today here’s a little info: I had offered to take over the whole program in the US – Training, classes, running local shows, and more,” Barnett wrote. “I could tell that there was a very expensive asset here that wasn’t being fully used, but knew with the right direction, it could be a crown jewel for them.”

For more background on this topic, read NJPW Academy in Carson to Close Following NJPW America Shutdown.

Barnett added that the apparent financial reality facing the subsidiary may have made closure the preferred option. While he did not lay out the specific financial details involved, he suggested that the balance between costs and debt had reached a point where liquidation was viewed as the best available decision.

“Unfortunately, the cost versus debt was so bad it would seem, that closing it was the best move in their eyes. What could have been… Onward though, as always.”

Barnett envisioned a broader U.S. foundation

What makes Barnett’s comments notable is the scale of the program he said he was prepared to oversee. His description included training, classes and locally run shows alongside the wider operation. In other words, the concept was not limited to helping New Japan book a handful of major U.S. cards each year. It was a proposed infrastructure project intended to build a more regular American base for the promotion.

That type of model could have provided multiple functions under one roof: a place to train wrestlers, a pipeline for identifying talent, a consistent setting for smaller live events and a potential bridge between local performers and NJPW’s larger international touring schedule. Barnett characterized the operation as an expensive asset that was not being used to its fullest potential, while also arguing that better direction could have made it a major strength for the company.

There is no indication that Barnett’s proposal was accepted or that it advanced into a formal operating arrangement. His statement instead offers a look at one idea that was apparently discussed or presented before the liquidation decision. It should not be read as confirmation that New Japan will pursue the same structure going forward.

Still, Barnett’s perspective reflects a longstanding challenge for international wrestling companies operating in North America. Running destination events can create immediate attention and give fans opportunities to see major stars. Sustaining a full-time regional structure, however, requires much more: personnel, venues, local promotion, reliable event cadence, training resources and a clear philosophy for how the American operation fits alongside the parent company’s core business in Japan.

NJPW’s North American future remains separate from the subsidiary’s closure

The liquidation of NJPW of America has understandably led to questions about New Japan’s future in the market. The company’s message that it plans to continue running North American events is therefore significant. Fans should separate the winding down of the subsidiary from the prospect of New Japan returning to the continent with shows promoted under the broader NJPW banner.

That approach could take different forms, though no additional operational blueprint has been confirmed. New Japan has experience presenting special events in the United States, bringing marquee talent to overseas audiences and working with a range of international partners. The company can continue to view North America as an important market without maintaining the same corporate structure that existed through NJPW of America.

For now, the clearest confirmed point is that North American events remain part of the company’s intentions. What is unresolved is how those events will be organized, how frequently they will be held, whether there will be a dedicated U.S.-based infrastructure and how any future development system might be structured.

Barnett’s comments do not answer those questions, but they underline the sort of opportunity he believed existed. His vision centered on making the American branch more than an occasional touring destination. It would have been a more permanent hub with training and local event capabilities, designed to generate value over time rather than relying solely on isolated major cards.

A recent history of U.S. events

New Japan’s most recent event in the United States was the opening of the 2026 G1 Climax tournament, which took place in July in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Hosting the start of the G1 Climax on American soil was a prominent statement of the company’s willingness to bring one of its most important annual tournaments to an international audience.

The G1 Climax is traditionally among the defining events on NJPW’s calendar, with the round-robin competition shaping major championship programs and elevating wrestlers across the roster. Its U.S. opening illustrated the importance New Japan has placed on reaching fans beyond Japan, even as the company now makes changes to the business structure behind its American efforts.

The last event specifically branded as an NJPW of America show was Resurgence, held in May 2025 in Ontario, California. That distinction matters in assessing the current news. New Japan has continued to run in the United States after that event, but the NJPW of America branding itself has not been attached to the company’s most recent American card.

With the subsidiary now entering liquidation, that branded chapter has reached its end. The next phase will be defined by how NJPW carries out its stated plan to remain active in North America without NJPW of America continuing as an operating entity.

Barnett’s connection to New Japan and wrestling development

Barnett is a credible voice in a discussion involving both the competitive and developmental sides of wrestling. Beyond his combat sports career, he has maintained deep ties to professional wrestling and has been involved in training and developing performers. His reputation has long been connected to catch wrestling, submission grappling and a hard-nosed in-ring philosophy that aligns naturally with parts of New Japan’s historic identity.

His statement did not frame the situation as a personal grievance. Instead, Barnett described what he believed was a missed chance to make the U.S. program stronger, then acknowledged that the financial position may have left the company with little room to choose another route. His closing message, “Onward though, as always,” carried an acceptance that the decision had been made while leaving open the broader possibility of future opportunities in the wrestling industry.

For New Japan, the immediate focus will be on managing the transition out of NJPW of America while preserving its ability to bring events to North American audiences. For Barnett, the revelation adds another layer to the conversation, showing that at least one established wrestling figure was prepared to assume responsibility for a training-and-events system that could have reshaped the company’s U.S. presence.

The liquidation ends one structure, not necessarily New Japan’s ambitions outside Japan. The company has said it still plans to run North American shows, and the practical details of that continued presence will be watched closely. Barnett’s proposed model will remain a notable what-if: an attempt to turn NJPW of America into a more comprehensive domestic operation before financial concerns led to its closure.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.