Update On Tetsuya Naito's Contract Status With New Japan Pro Wrestling

Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Tetsuya Naito, is no longer under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Tokyo Sports reported that Naito has been working without a contract since January 31 of this year and that he's had three different negotiating rounds with the company. Another is reportedly scheduled to happen soon.

In the report, Naito commented on his NJPW status directly and said he wasn't happy with how often he's being used.

“I understand that it is treated as an important product, but players who have a day off can do maintenance, or if anything, get a qualification for retirement,” said Naito. “But the players who have been out all the time don’t have that kind of time, and their bodies are getting more and more exhausted. I said that the difference was too big, but basically I can’t accept it, so I feel like I’m putting it on hold this year because I have the same questions.”

Tetsuya Naito (h/t PWTorch)

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Naito is current one half of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions alongside Hiromu Takahashi. He's a former heavyweight champion, but has wrestled mostly in a tag team since losing the belt to Zack Sabre Jr in October of last year.

Most recently, Naito lost in the second round of the New Japan Cup tournament to Jeff Cobb. He defeated Callum Newman in the first round of this year's annual single elimination tournament.

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