Cyberfight Director Narihiro Takeda On Katsuhiko Nakajima’s Departure From NOAH: If One Top Wrestler Is Eliminated, Then A New One Will Emerge

In a new interview with Tokyo Sports, Cyberfight Director Narihiro Takeda discussed the news that broke yesterday on Katsuhiko Nakajima deciding to leave Pro Wrestling NOAH after 15 years with the promotion.

As Cyberfight Director, Takeda oversees NOAH and indicated during a contract renewal meeting that Nakajima expressed his intention to leave the promotion. Takeda said that he tried many times to dissuade Nakajima from leaving NOAH:

Of course I dissuaded him. Every year, we have various discussions with the wrestlers we sign, but sometimes we can solve the problem and sometimes we can’t. I didn’t have any quarrel with him, and tried to stop him many times, but in the end he had strong feelings, and it was my own lack of strength

Narihiro Takeda

Narihiro Takeda also discussed what the potential impact would be to NOAH with one of it’s top mainstays leaving the promotion:

There is no doubt that Noah needs an indispensable wrestler, but as a promotion we will continue to expand our market. I’d like to think positively that if one wrestler at the top is eliminated, then a new one will emerge.

Narihiro Takeda

Takeda then added that he understood Nakajima’s decision to move on from NOAH:

I think his desire to take on a new challenge at the turning point of his 20th anniversary next year is very strong.

Narihiro Takeda

Fans can read about recent comments Go Shiozaki made about Nakaijima leaving NOAH by clicking here:

(H/T goes to NOAH’S ARKIVE for the transcription and translation)

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