2023 was a fantastic year for All Japan, one of their best in recent history, a fan belief the promotion is hotter than it has been in the past decade.

AJPW started 2023 having just suffered the big loss of top-star Jake Lee to NOAH, a main event talent which left a void in the company. It was history repeated for AJPW in losing their biggest names, and it’s hampered their roster depth several times. They’ve always had their beating heart though, their mega-star and ultimate draw: Kento Miyahara. Despite the immeasurable love the AJPW fans have for Kento, though, AJPW need more than just him and so they dedicated 2023 to elevating their talent pool to new heights.

Names including Shotaro Ashino and Yuma Aoyagi, now more than ever, feel like genuine main eventers; talent you can trust to deliver in the marquee spots they are given. Rising HAYATO has journeyed to multiple Japanese promotions making a name for himself, a very impressive talent whose junior heavyweight prowess can be the soul of that division. The surprise introduction of former ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham was another welcome addition, AJPW gaining an established Western name who immediately hit the accelerator.

All Japan joined forces with the small, niche promotion of ActWresGirl’Z (AWG), a promotion which separated itself from the world of wrestling; their wrestlers now known as actresses rather than wrestlers. Nonetheless, top joshi talent such as Miku Aono, Mari, Misa Matsui and Natsuki can now be seen on AJPW cards too, adding a new and unique dimension to their events and further enhancing their roster.

The old guard continue to set the gold standard of the very best Japan has to offer. Suwama and Kento Miyahara kept the main event scene must-see throughout 2023, as always, and in doing so they elevated and allowed the younger talent to flourish. Kento especially delivered here, with matches against Ryuki Honda and Yuma Anzai both in singles competition and the tag league, allowing them to shine with him.

AJPW as a whole have shown that these rising stars have irresistible potential. Matches such as Yuma Anzai vs NJPW’s Yuji Nagata is a prime example of this. Anzai showed that him and the rest of the youth have the vital spirit within them and AJPW’s methods are hastening their development, creating a new generation to carry the company into the future. Yuma Aoyagi even won Tokyo Sports’ Technique Award.

Whilst everything on the surface seems smooth and the wrestling in the ring is top-tier, wrestlers are leaving the company in droves as things behind the curtain seem in disarray. But, in their place AJPW has stoked the fire of a new generation that will truly be the flames to keep the AJPW fire burning for years to come.

Outside talent have been an important part of AJPW’s success throughout their storied history, and 2023 was no different.

The clever use of NJPW’s Yuji Nagata as Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, and the Strong BJ tag team of Daisuke Sekimoto and Yuji Okabayashi, brought intrigue for memorable matches that garnered attention, like their outing against Shuji Ishikawa and Suwuma.

The annual tag and junior leagues both showed the promise in the divisions. DRAGONGATE’s Naruki Doi looked fantastic in the junior league, meanwhile AJPW’s Dan Tamura received grand exposure when challenging stronger, bigger stars including Fuminori Abe of the Astronauts. The Saito Brothers showed their quality in this tournament and throughout 2023, capturing the tag team titles together and winning Tokyo Sports’ coveted Newcomer Award.

2023 was a marquee year for AJPW, showing that the quality of your roster is endlessly more important than having a large roster. A small roster forces a company to react and move differently, and 2023 in AJPW is the perfect example of how to advance and prosper despite their size.

Late in 2023 a bombshell hit AJPW with the arrival of Katsuhiko Nakajima. The hottest free-agent in Japan, if not the world, announced his departure from NOAH and set sail for All Japan; the limited roster was instantly injected with a rush of star-power. A revelation since arriving, Nakajima defeated Yuma Aoyagi to take the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship in his first match since joining. The irrepressible fire contained within Nakajima is burning brighter than ever after being extinguished in NOAH.

Comparatively to the larger promotions, AJPW have been smart at making do with what they have in 2023. They’ve showcased consistently high calibre wrestling in-ring and made stories pop; the past two years post-pandemic of elevating younger talent paying off beautifully. Leading them to a strong point heading in to 2024.

A big conversation starter is AJPW’s unexpected partnership with WWE. The first production of the partnership saw William Regal speak in detail about his time in Japan and how AJPW was special to him; announcing that his son, Charlie Dempsey of NXT, would be coming to AJPW to fight.

The announcement was met with an understandable mixed reaction. Dempsey’s WWE resumé thus far was average at best, questions raised as to why a WWE superstar in the dawn of his career would be challenging for the prestigious Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, and challenging against one of the hottest men in pro-wrestling no less.

Dempsey, however, showed his deservedness. Pinning Nakajima in a tag team preview match, the two men went to battle in the main event of Korakuen Hall for the title; a bout that had the Tokyo crowd cheering for the foreigner, inevitably though Dempsey would succumb.

Shortly after another outside wrestler was announced to be joining an AJPW show, as the DDT and AEW supernova Konosuke Takeshita was confirmed to be returning to All Japan for the first time since 2016 at the end of January. Interestingly, it will mark the first time an AEW wrestler will compete in an All Japan ring. In return, AJPW’s own supernova Yuma Aoyagi will be heading to DDT to face Takeshita in a special singles match, the flashy former Triple Crown Champion assured to return to AJPW with new fans. AJPW continues to work with other promotions in a mutually beneficial way, and sets the bar for how an inter-promotional relationship can and should work.

2023 should be the catalyst for an immeasurable 2024 in AJPW.

Katsuhiko Nakajima, at the helm as Triple Crown Champion, has brought in a fiery persona, emulating Antonio Inoki with a shaven head, the iconic red towel and even entering to Inoki’s immortal Bom-Ba-Ye theme. Stepping into the home of Giant Baba looking like the second coming of Inoki, complete with his own talk of being the representation of Inoki’s vaunted Strong Style; Nakajima is trampling over the immovable ideals of respect and in doing so becoming the most entertaining man in Japanese wrestling.

It is not all sunshine and rainbows at the company though.

The departure of several talent and staff members, including the head booker and wrestler’s chairman Shuji Ishikawa, indicate internal turmoil. Ishikawa’s departure has revealed potential issues with the company President Tsuyoki Fukuda, who was the centre of attention five years ago when he ushered out Jun Akiyama. There’s been no shortage of other departures, either. Black Menso-re ,Takao Omori, Fumihito Kihara and Yoshitatsu have all recently left, too.

Ishikawa recently opened up in an interview with Tokyo Sports, citing his lack of trust in President Fukuda, as well as disagreeing with the new working partnership with Actwres girl’Z over their own women’s brand, Evolution Girls.

Ishikawa did mention the great success they had in 2023 however, mentioning the attendance for AJPW events growing and that the wrestlers in the promotion were upping their work-rate in efforts to be “as big as New Japan Pro Wrestling”.

In another interview with Tokyo Sports, former Triple Crown Champion and AJPW Executive Officer Suwama feels that the arrival of Katsuhiko Nakajima is at the crux of this: “I had a feeling there must have been a good reason why he decided to quit NOAH to come to All Japan. Since he arrived, everyone is questioning what is going on.”

Yet, despite these departures, AJPW used this to their benefit in appointing their ace Kento Miyahara as the new chairman. Throughout each challenge, AJPW continue to step forward, they continue to grow and make the correct decisions.

The promotion stands at a pivotal moment.

The in-ring action remains stellar as the roster thrives; cards becoming engrossing from the opener to the main event. But uncertainties and challenges backstage paint a contrasting picture from what we see in the squared circle. At a time when AJPW could be vying to topple NOAH’s position in Japan, there are instead dark clouds lingering.

Young and new talent exploding, the veterans as trustworthy and capable as-ever and a host of partnerships; on the surface, modern AJPW has never seemed so appealing to Western fans.

As the wrestling landscape continues to evolve, AJPW’s ability to adapt to the future, hone new talent and deliver compelling storytelling will be there to shape its modern legacy in the ever-changing world of wrestling.