Naito is not under contract to NJPW.
An exclusive story from Tokyo Sports was pushed out and it was noted that Tetsuya Naito has yet to renew his contract with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The last deal expired at the end of January and he’s been working as a freelancer since then.
Naito is currently holding the IWGP Tag Team Championships with Hiromu Takahashi. The duo are set to defend their belts on April 5th at Sakura Genesis against Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman.
There have been negotiations between Naito and NJPW, but those talks have been put on hold three times.
Naito told Tokyo Sports that he’s been raising questions about the disparity in the number of matches he’s had since the last deal he renewed in 2024.
I understand that I am being treated as a valuable product, but wrestlers who have time off can do maintenance or even obtain qualifications for after retirement. But wrestlers who are constantly wrestling don’t have that kind of time, and their bodies gradually become worn down. I told them that the difference between the two is too drastic, but they basically didn’t accept it, and I have the same doubts this year, so I’m holding off… I can’t make the decision to fight for another year if I don’t have a clear mind about it.
He has not decided what he wants to do when he chooses to step away from in-ring competition. Naito feels his time left is limited and instead of there been a feeling of dissatisfaction, he feels it’d be best to move forward how he sees fit.
I haven’t decided what I will do if I quit, but when I was younger, I thought I would retire at around 40. I strongly feel that my remaining time is limited, and rather than continuing to be dissatisfied, I feel like it might be better to just do things the way I want to.
The article noted that a fourth round of negotiations between NJPW and Naito are expected to take place in the near future. Naito closed his remarks by saying the following:
I feel comfortable because I can say what I want to say. I haven’t decided whether I will sign or not, but if I think, okay, I’ll stay in the ring with New Japan for another year, I’ll sign, and if I have doubts, I won’t. So, I want to cherish how I feel at the time.
Naito is 42 years of age and he’ll be 43 in June. He’s been a part of NJPW his entire career and has held every active title in the company outside of the Global Heavyweight Championship.
