Why Rossy Ogawa Was Fired by Bushiroad

Rossy Ogawa, who started and managed Stardom, a popular women’s wrestling promotion in Japan, got fired by the company that owns New Japan Pro-Wrestling, called Bushiroad, on February 4, 2024. He was accused of getting Stardom wrestlers and staff to leave the company and join him elsewhere.

Bushiroad announced this on Twitter, saying they canceled Ogawa’s contract right away. Rossy Ogawa, who founded Stardom in 2010, also shared on Twitter that he found out about his firing on Saturday and is worried about the wrestlers. He thanked the fans for their support and hinted that more details might come out later.

Reports say Rossy Ogawa wasn’t happy with how Bushiroad managed Stardom since they took over in 2019. He felt his decisions were often overruled. He planned to leave the company and had given notice, but Bushiroad decided to fire him earlier because they thought he was trying to get Stardom’s top stars to join him in a new project.

This firing might lead to Stardom losing some of its best wrestlers, as many are loyal to Ogawa. Only one wrestler has a long-term contract with Bushiroad. Others’ contracts end in March, so there might be many leaving Stardom. New bookers, Okada and Oyama, will take over.

Rossy Ogawa, with a long history in women’s wrestling, might revive Arsion, a promotion he started in 1998. He’s also rumored to have connections with WWE, but it’s unclear if he will join them.

This firing surprised the wrestling world, raising questions about Stardom’s future and women’s wrestling in Japan. How Stardom handles losing its founder and top talent, what Ogawa does next, and if WWE will try to sign Stardom stars are things to watch in the coming months.

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