Rocky Romero Talks NJPW Mending Fences With Impact, Supershow Possibilities

Speaking with Fightful, NJPW’s Rocky Romero shared some details on the dynamics of promotion collaboration between the Japanese and American markets. He also offered some insight into the work needed to resolve differences between IMPACT and NJPW as well as explaining the future potential for multi-promotion supershows. You can find a few highlights and watch the complete interview below.

On the opportunities for crossover events post-COVID lockdown: “I think you hit the nail on the head. I think that that’s definitely one of the reasons why New Japan really opened up even more than just working with CMLL. There was always talks between the wrestlers about AEW working with New Japan. I remember Jericho bringing it up the last Wrestle Kingdom that he did. He was like, ‘What do we gotta do to get these two companies to work together?’ I was like, ‘All in due time. Let this thing build. It’s a forbidden door. Now nobody can crossover, you’re like the only one at this moment. Let there not be a rush for it. Let’s build some anticipation for it and the slower we go with it, the better it’ll be.’ I think that really showed. Obviously pay-per-view numbers have been strong for Forbidden Door and attendance has been really, really great for the last two. I’m looking forward to number three.”

On working to re-establish a working relationship with IMPACT: “IMPACT was not an easy conversation at first, but also, Scott D’Amore came over and he he brought the rest of the regime with him and just said,’ Hey, you know, guys, it’s not that TNA anymore. We’re a completely different company now.’ So I think that was cool, and it kind of opened up the conversation a bit. Working with Scott, he really understands what New Japan is. He’s obviously a fan of New Japan as well. So, you know, I think that us getting together so many times, honestly, even at Luke Gallows’ house a few times for Talk ‘N Shop A Mania and everything, we were able to have some really awesome conversations about what that would look like. Even though it wasn’t up to him, he wanted to make good on New Japan for any of the mistakes that the previous regimes have made, you know, and I think that he definitely did that.”

On the potential for working with multiple promotions for a supershow collaboration: “It’s possible. I think we’re not probably there just yet, but I think it becomes closer and closer. I feel like, definitely, New Japan is in the middle of it all. I feel like New Japan hosting some kind of show, maybe in Japan, would be really, really cool. High production, do the whole thing like a Tokyo Dome or Yokohama Arena and inviting some kind of world summit and inviting all these different companies to come wrestle on this card, which would be a real mega super card, you know? Like you said, having all the logos and everybody being attached to it, that’d be money.”