More Details On WWE’s Attempt To Buy STARDOM

As we previously reported, while STARDOM was eventually purchased by NJPW parent company Bushiroad, WWE had interest in the company and planned to use it for their NXT Japan brand. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has more details on what WWE wanted to do with STARDOM and why plans fell through to buy it.

STARDOM CEO Hiroshi “Rossy” Ogawa was approached recently by WWE, who had planned to merge STARDOM with a men’s promotion as NXT Japan and run everything themselves. Ogawa never really considered selling to WWE as they didn’t have much of a plan beyond wanting to use the women for NXT Japan. They didn’t have a plan for who would run it, how to run it. Plus, the women would likely be put on shows with the men, as that’s how WWE runs shows. There were also no plans for house shows, as NXT UK is supposed to have house shows but currently only runs TV tapings and a few big events per year. STARDOM runs 100 to 125 live events per year in mostly small buildings.

WWE was offering to sign the entire roster to contracts and bring them in for Wrestlemania week. They would also induct Ogawa into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020 if the deal had happened.

Bushiroad, who ended up buying STARDOM, wanted to keep the promotion mostly as it was but build everything up. So in the end it won out.