More Details On NJPW-WWE Negotiations, Deal Rumored To Be To Help NXT Brand

It was reported last week that WWE and NJPW had been in talks since either March or April for some sort of partnership. While fans speculated on the possibilities, an update later stated that it was more for having Daniel Bryan work in both promotions more than a full-on exchange of talent.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has more details on what exactly is going on with the talks and what they would entail. The idea did not come from Nick Khan at first, but he’s been taking the lead on discussions and it’s believed he recommended that Vince McMahon try to make it happen. Meanwhile, the idea behind the talks was not to hurt AEW, although if they worked out an exclusive deal, it would hurt both AEW and Impact. It’s still possible that the talks go as far as those WWE had with NOAH, Stardom, Big Japan, Dragon Gate and AAA and nothing happens. It’s unlikely Tony Khan would have cut the promo in Nick Khan he did if the deal was close to happening.

Assuming the deal happens, don’t expect to see Kazuchika Okada challenging Roman Reigns or something similar. Instead, the deal would have been more focused on improving NXT, with things beneficial for both sides.

It was also noted that while Daniel Bryan was part of talks in the early stages, he hasn’t been involved as a major part of discussions, and one source stated he wasn’t involved in any recent talks.

NJPW wouldn’t agree to a deal unless they thought it would help them, and WWE has tried to talk with them in the past with talks going nowhere. The only difference is that Nick Khan has not been involved and he’s helped WWE make deals already in his short time with the company.