Predicting WWE’s next brand from the least to most likely 

#2. NXT Japan

Rumors are swirling about an NXT Japan

NXT Japan looks to be WWE’s next project. It was reported that WWE had staff over in the country and former NJPW star Kendo Ka Shin was spotted at WWE Performance’s Center, possibly being trained as a coach for the Far East brand.

Before launching NXT Japan, many hurdles have to be overcome.

Firstly, the market is overloaded. In Tokyo, there are wrestling shows daily. The legendary Korakeun Hall - where most of the pro wrestling matches take place in the capital, is fully booked.

If WWE does manage to find a suitable date for a show, they’ll have problems filling up the roster; all the top talent is signed to one of the many promotions in the country.

WWE could send over a few of their many Japanese talents such as Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka, and recent signee, Kushida. Performing in their home country though may end up being a demoralizing experience for WWE’s Japanese talent. The reason why they signed with WWE was so they could perform on a worldwide stage. Returning to Japan to wrestle on a lowly show on the WWE Network is not what they envisioned

The best option for WWE would be to form a partnership with an existing Japanese promotion or to purchase a Japanese company outright and absorb their talent.

Pro Wrestling NOAH would’ve been a good option, but they just got sold themselves, and their new owners are unlikely to sell so soon. The once mighty All Japan Pro Wrestling would be another choice; however the company has recently bounced back from a rough period, and it’s unlikely the fanbase would accept WWE taking over their hallowed promotion.

Another obstacle is the language barrier. Former jobber Funaki has become a major asset for WWE, he’s been ever-present around the Japanese WWE talent. However, WWE can’t rely on Funaki to help them with everything. Finding bilingual English and Japanese speakers are tough already; finding one who can explain the intricates of pro wrestling is even tougher.

Just like Mexico, the Japanese market is very different to the west, WWE can’t expect to succeed by just transplanting their form of wrestling to the country. A great amount of due diligence would have to be done to assure this brand is viable.